MACHINE ROOM 1983 – Ray Belt

From Points Magazine, June 1983

Since our arrival at the Netley complex on 2nd January, 1974, members of the Machine room have grown used to change. From that first day of seeing all the machines set out in organised rows, there has been constant change of machines being moved here, there and everywhere.

Two events in recent times have caused me to look back into the past and to write about change.

One was the visit of the retired people on 7th June,. It was good to see the faces of so many people who have retired since the arrival at Netley. I counted 22 in their category, and seeing them in the building again gave a strange feeling of being “Home Again”.

The other event was to see a list of names of workers who have earned their 20 year badge and were connected with the Machine room at the time of arrival at Netley. Although still employed by the Government Printing Division they were also moved here, there and everywhere. They are:

Barry Cagney (DRU)

Eric Swann (DRU)

Bob Downs (DRU Elizabeth)

Paul Raby (DRU Education)

John Dawe (DRU SGIC)

Alan Dell (Production Office)

Keith Luce (currently in the Store)

Brian Long (Planning)

Jim Fisher (Planning)

Only three people on that 20 year list remain in the Machine Room, they are: Norm Fellows, Lawrie Hussin and Jan Keizer.

Yes, the winds of change have affected us greatly in so many ways in the machine room since we have moved to Netley.

Postscript; Of those men that Ray has mentioned above the following have passed on:

Barry Cagney, John Dawe, Jim Fisher, Lawrie Hussin, Jan Keizer, (unsure about Norm Fellows).