Ray Clarke Looks Back (continued)

Installation of the Sydney Airport WF44 radar commenced in November 1966 and experienced campaigners by now, Lex Patterson and Bob Brealey, were on the team. Bob Brealey proved to be a good wireman; he could strip, fan and connect a 100 pair telephone cable while most 'techs' would be still thinking about it. I can still recall some of the tales he told of the London blitz when he was an air raid warden. Another good wireman was Carl Keswick, ex-Hoddle Street workshop. We used to borrow Carl whenever we could as he was a fast and careful worker.

Then to Woomera in March 1967 where it was quite cold and windy. The hospitality, though, was almost overwhelming. Then OIC Bob Crowder fixed up our logistical problems, and we had many a pleasant conversation in the Senior Mess over Bacardi and Coke solving the world's problems. I left Woomera with some happy memories and still consider Woomera to be one of the best WF44 radar installations.

Then it was over to the West. While 'Banjo' Patterson and Bob Brealey tackled the WF44 radar at Port Hedland, Jay Evans and I fluttered up to Halls Creek in a MacRobertson Miller Airlines DC3 to install a WF2 radar. The equipment arrived on schedule by road courtesy of the Works boys, Doug Winstanley and Greg Arnold, who often carried our gear safely and on time to all parts of Australia. We were always indebted to them and their supervisor, Col Baird, for top service.

We wacked the radar in quickly and went gold prospecting. Alas, plenty of quartz but no pretty yellow stuff. The pub at Halls Creek was an eye-opener. We slept in the 'shakedowns', an open-walled barn-like structure where town inebriates and other characters passed through. I recall two Dutch girls backpacking around the world and breasting the bar with the rest. "Why come to Halls Creek?", we asked. "It's on the way", they said. "Where to?", we asked. To Darwin, then Indonesia, then Malaysia, then Vietnam, etc. We drank to happy days and new horizons. I often wonder did they make it.

Before leaving Halls Creek, from a literary point of view, I must mention the Hotel proprietor who was one of the icons of the Kimberleys. She would drink a straight brandy to your pot, and keep pace with you most of the night. Many colourful characters came through Halls Creek and they'd all be in the pub.

Bureau of Meteorology