To be continued...(last update Wed, 09 Mar 11)
Well I just looked at this last night and had no idea that I had originally chronicled all this back in 2007 and 2008 in one of my Groups. I guess I must have had an inkling that may be one day I might write a book or some thing. I will attach my current Resume as the last Page on my Pages List. In the mean time here goes whilst I edit through this.
Tamworth, NSW, AU - Dec 1981 - 1985
Well I just looked at this last night and had no idea that I had originally chronicled all this back in 2007 and 2008 in one of my Groups. I guess I must have had an inkling that may be one day I might write a book or some thing. I will attach my current Resume as the last Page on my Pages List. In the mean time here goes whilst I edit through this.
Tamworth, NSW, AU - Dec 1981 - 1985
During this time I attended a Church of England Girls School called Tamworth Calrossy Church of England Girls School. From Yr 8 up to Yr 11 and then the following year I headed off to Sydney. All will be revealed in My Life In PNG 1968 - 1981.
After Calrossy and a little holiday in PNG. I ended up in Sydney in 1986, the intention was to join the Royal Australian Navy. [Add more later...]
Sydney, NSW, AU - Feb 1986 - Oct 1989
Sydney, NSW, AU - Feb 1986 - Oct 1989
Cairns, Far North Queensland (FNQ), AU - Oct 1989 - May 1998
During this time I travelled up the Tablelands and Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Straits whilst serving as an Army Reserve Signaller at the 51st Battalion Far North Queensland Regiment (51 FNQR)
What Wikipedia says about the Regional Force Surveillance Units of the Australian Army only 2 of these units I have served in the 51 FNQR and North West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) . It is quite co-incidental that I ended up in these indigenous units being indigenous myself. In doing this I came to respect my own PNG heritage and culture and was always treated like family with the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal soldiers, more so with the Torres Straits Islanders due to the distinct similiarities I had with them.
The concept of the RFSU came from a young Special Air Service Regiment ( SASR), Captain (CAPT) Michael Jefferies who came up with the concept of NORFORCE; and who later became the 24th Governor General of Australia. An honourable man who was posted to Papua New Guinea in his army days in the late 1960s. He has strong ties with Papua New Guinea and I believe he participates with some of the Associations that are linked with PNG as I have seen his name on their lists along the way on their websites.
Some of the places I visited in Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, AU, mostly through the Australian Army Reserves were:
Laura, Coen, Weipa, Bamanga and Thursday Island - Discovered this hyperlink on Google with the exact same name. I used to go to the Laura Festivals which 51 FNQR would send me too. I think I only went twice during this time. Coen to play the Enemy party and Bamaga and Thursday later on which I will mention.
Laura, Coen, Weipa, Bamanga and Thursday Island - Discovered this hyperlink on Google with the exact same name. I used to go to the Laura Festivals which 51 FNQR would send me too. I think I only went twice during this time. Coen to play the Enemy party and Bamaga and Thursday later on which I will mention.
Aurukun 4 mths between Feb - Jun 1994 In between during my military service to these areas
Torres Straits - My first time to visit the Torres Straits was on Kangeroo '95 (The largest ADF Exercise that the ADF ever had took me to the Torres Straits one of the most memorable moments of my life) After Kangeroo 95 I went back to the Torres Straits for about 5 mths from Oct 1995 then I had to return to the real world in May 1996. It was one of the best times of my life in the ADF and I took heaps and heaps of photos.
Thursday Island
I returned to Cairns in May 1996 - May 1998 where I went on my 1st Full Time Service with the Army in Townsville, Far North Queensland. Where I worked at Army Personnel Agency-Townsville at the then Jezzine Barracks - 18 May 1998 - 15 Jan 1999. [Left Townsville in Feb 1999.] Unfortunately I could not find any links to show you photo of the old Jezzine Barracks and the photos I did take of some of the old buildings are in storage some where. Apparently Jezzine Barracks was considered an "An Endangered Heritage Risk''. All the reserve units from Jezzine Barracks are now at Lavarack Barracks apparently there has been a lot of upgrades at Lavarack Barracks in the past couple of years.
Returned to Cairns for a week or so and flew out of Cairns to Perth, Western Australia (WA) Feb 1999 - Oct 2000 where I lived in beautiful Rockingham, WA and about so and so months later I moved to beautiful Fremantle, WA. I was posted to 16 Royal Western Australia Regiment (16 RWAR) I chose an Infantry Unit seeing I was used to working with Infantry Soldiers
I posted \ to Sydney, NSW my home state - 3rd Oct 2000 - 14 Jan 2002. My 2nd FTS in Army Reserve Soldier Careers Management at APA-S at Victoria Barracks, Paddington, NSW I took some good photos there I will have to go through my photo albums to retrieve them.
I LIVED IN on a Naval Establishment HMAS Kuttabul, Potts Point, NSW AU in C223E (scary that I should still remember the cabin number after 5 years LOL.) I lived near the Wolloomooloo end down the road from Kings Cross. I lived in Sydney in my late teens and Kings Cross was the place to go when every thing closed down in town. It wasn't the same when I was posted there I reckon it was better in the 'old' days.
After cessation of my FTS in Sydney I decided to return to Cairns where I reposted to 51 FNQR, 16 RWAR had to transfer my posting there as I previously said I would remain in NSW. I wasn't returning to WA and then I had enough of Sydney and decided to return to the tropics. I was thinking of visiting the Northern Territory (NT.) So I was in Cairns in Jan 2002 - April 2002. Whilst in Cairns I received a phone call from an ARA friend of mine a CPL Clerk posted to Mt Isa who asked me if I was interested in filling in for him whilst he went on leave. The Chief would not let him go on leave til he went on leave. D COY, 51 FNQR was one area of 51 FNQR that I had not had not worked in. I was invited to the D COY 51 FNQR Xmas Party one year back I hopped on the bus and stayed with a good friend of mine Val Richards. So I ended up in Mount Isa I was there May 2002 - Jun 2002. On the 12 June 2002 when Gaulkie came back from leave I hopped on a bus for the Northern Territory.
Northern Terriotory - Jun 2002 - and still here
Darwin - Jun 2002 - Dec 2003
Alice Springs, NT, AU - 10 Dec 2003 - Jun 2004 - I moved to Alice Springs for work on 10 December 2003 - 04 June 2004 for Aboriginal Air Services. This was my short career in the Aviation Industry as a booking clerk but left for personal reasons. However I enjoyed my time there were I was the booking clerk/operator for the Katherine Leg and the Western Desert Leg (ASP border and WA border. The 2 Air Services I looked after were:
Janami Air (NT based people from the Walpri Tribe) - Katherine Leg
Ngaanyatjarra Air now called Tjulyuru Air (WA based people) - ASP/WA leg
Aboriginal Air Services had come a long way they did open up in Darwin however AAS ceased operation in 2006. I was pleased to acknowledge how they have helped take the load off the Royal Flying Doctor Service where they were able to bring in sick patients to the Alice Springs Hospital for treatment especially for renal treatment and other treatment. This is some of Australia's remotest areas that I never knew existed til I actually went there.
Darwin - Jun 2004 where I lived in Alawa and Jingli during this time I was working as a temp ASO with the Northern Territory Government (NTG)
2005 - 2006 At the begining of Jan - Jun 2005 I was going through medical issues that prevented me from transferring over to the Royal Australian Navy. In between doing reserve time with NORFORCE and lived with a dear friend of mine who helped me saved my bond money to get a place of my own. I returned to full time studies to study Tourism for a couple of years. I need a break from the military world so decided studying was the way to go.
This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)
Darwin - Jun 2004 where I lived in Alawa and Jingli during this time I was working as a temp ASO with the Northern Territory Government (NTG)
2005 - 2006 At the begining of Jan - Jun 2005 I was going through medical issues that prevented me from transferring over to the Royal Australian Navy. In between doing reserve time with NORFORCE and lived with a dear friend of mine who helped me saved my bond money to get a place of my own. I returned to full time studies to study Tourism for a couple of years. I need a break from the military world so decided studying was the way to go.
The latest update is that I am about to complete a Cert IV in Tourism (Sales and Marketing) prior to that I had just done 6 months in Cert 3 in Tourism (Retail Travel Sales) but still need to complete some of the subjects there I had not completed. I am in the middle of studying at the CDU, Palmerston Campus approx 45 min bus ride from Darwin.
I am now currently working on OP OUTREACH with NORFORCE we will also be involved with Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program which will be in the beautiful Kimberley Region, WA, AU Kimberly Region. As you can see the then Prime Minister John Howard implemented this program in 1996 of which I do not think a lot of Australians were aware of.
Last updated Fri, 27 June 2008
Disclaimer: I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain. The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages. It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time. This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in preparing for a trip to Australia or to learn a bit about Australia. My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences.
This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)
