'Buzz in the air' at Whangārei Post Office, Telecom staff reunion

John McGregor with technician Murray Nash at the Kamo club. Photos / Kevin Wigmore

As a former Telecom technician in the 1970s and 80s, I went along to our last Post Office / Telecom re-union earlier this month.

The event was billed as "The Last of the Old Duffers Dos" and organised by former Telecom head engineer Mike Austin (junior). There were two Mike Austins back in those days and we differentiated them at the time as "senior" and "junior".

Technician supervisor John Woodyard and Kevin Wigmore (tech).

Designer Jim McLaughlan and Danny Logan.

Ray Te Wake enjoying the afternoon tea.

Close to 120 former Post Office and Telecom workers from all Branches (PNT and line staff, telephone exchange technicians, design office, toll operators, mail and admin etc.) gathered for one last re-union on December 10 at the Kamo Club in Whangārei.

Many of the workers went back to the 1970s, '80s, '90s and it was a great time of catching up again – there was a "buzz" in the air.

Steve Hopkins (technician) and brother John Hopkins (lines staff).

Ladies - Natalie Caughey, Jan Pope and Linda Panton.

Supervising technicians from Dargaville - Mike Andrews, Kevin Franklin and Paul Salter.

It was fantastic to meet up with many of our former managers/ supervisors and colleagues from the Whangārei Telephone Exchange – the two-storeyed telephone exchange that used to be beside Mallets on Bank St.

Former telephone exchange leaders I remember well (as a former tech) like Dave Brackfield, John Woodyard, Mike Austin (senior) and John McGregor, plus many others.

Whangārei Telephone Exchange leaders at Whangārei (left to right) Mike Austin (junior), Dave Brackfield, John Woodyard.

Well known and famous linesman Johnny O'Connell.

Technicians Bruce Carter and Aaron Love.

Senior techs and managers from Dargaville, such as Mike Andrews, Kevin Franklin and Paul Salter, were also present as well as PNT lines men, switch board operators and other Post Office branches.

Some had travelled from as far as Nelson to catch up and reminisce on our past times working together. We all agreed we had some great times and many happy memories.

George Oldridge and Linesman Karl Diamond.

The Whangārei Post and Telegraph Office circa early 1900s. The building was demolished to make way for the Cameron St Mall, Bank St entrance. Photo/Drummond/Te Waka Collection

Telephone exchanges

There were four automatic telephone exchanges in Whangārei in the 1970s:

• The main auto exchange in Bank St (an LM Ericson 8000 line rotary type exchange) and three satellite LM Ericson crossbar type exchanges at Kensington, Kamo and Onerahi.

• In Dargaville there was the two-storey BPO step by step type telephone exchange. Plus there were all the outlying PABX exchanges from Mangawhai to Whangaruru and operator switch boards at Waipū, Kaiwaka, Paparoa, Maungaturoto and Parakau manned by operators and serviced by us, the Whangārei lines staff and technicians.

• The large PNT workshop and line depot and radio workshop on 4th Ave.