David Tomkins

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Biography

I was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on the 19 March 1948 the eldest son of William (Bill) Francis Tomkins and Zena Harriet Tomkins (nee Whelan).

We lived in Broseley Road, Toowong near the Mt Cootha Reserve, where I enjoyed exploring and playing in the bush. I went to Toowong State Primary School.

I attended Taringa Methodist Church becoming involved in many spiritual and youth activities. This lead to involvement in social justice and environmental commitments later.

I attended St Peters Lutheran College at Indooroopilly and sat the Junior Public Examination in 1963. I was very interested in science, especially electronics.

I worked part time for St Lucia Radio and TV while at high school and completed a 5 year radio and television mechanic apprenticeship with them studying at the Central Technical College in Brisbane.

I then went to work for Philips Service in consumer electronics. I completed a post apprenticeship course in communication electronics and taught introductory electronics at Yeronga Technical College.

In 1969 I married Helen Trigar and we bought a house in Merring Street, Oxley. Our son Christopher was born in June 1972.

I transferred to Philips Scientific and Industrial Division installing and repairing equipment ranging from electron microscopes to intercoms. When colour television started I was convinced to sell test equipment part time and this expanded to full time sales of Philips scientific equipment in the life sciences.

I transferred to Medical Applications, a joint venture of Philips and Siemens medical divisions selling medical equipment. Helen and I separated at this stage with Helen moving to Perth, Western Australia and then to Melbourne, Victoria.

In 1977 Chris and I moved to Melbourne and I lived at Clayton South. I transferred to Medical Applications in Melbourne selling neurophysiology and audiology equipment. When a course in electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology started at RMIT, I enrolled and studied part-time for 7 years.

In 1983 I met Anthea Underwood (nee Alford) and we began a relationship. We enjoyed camping and bushwalking, especially walking in wilderness areas of Tasmania and the Victorian Alps. We moved into a house with Anthea’s sons Jason and Paul in 1986. At that time I was retrenched by Philips and found work in Clinical Neurophysiology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

In September 1987 Anthea and I married.

As a member of my professional association I helped to organize the 4th International OSET Congress, established the Neurophysiological Sciences Society of Australia and affiliated with the Medical Scientists Association of Victoria so that scientists working in clinical neurophysiology received a much-improved salary.

In 1991, Jason died which devastated the family. We moved to Northcote.

Anthea and I decided to take up cross-country skiing to stay fit for bushwalking. We joined Melbourne Nordic Ski Club and enjoyed participating in club activities for many years, including skiing one of the shorter legs of the Kangaroo Hoppet. We are now members of Winter Group Cross Country Ski Club and like to day tour and participate in club activities.

In search for a summer retreat and a base for skiing in winter we bought 10 acres of land with a small cabin on the Tolmie tableland, north east of Mansfield. Lake Mountain is on the way; it is close to Mt Stirling and half way from Melbourne to Falls Creek or Mount Hotham.

We installed a solar power system, planted hundreds of mostly native trees and shrubs, created a small dam, built a hot house, and installed an automatic 12 volt watering system. We added a small extension to the cabin with an indoor shower and composting toilet. We recently and reluctantly sold this property.

We enjoyed attending the Tolmie Sports. This is a country fair and sports meeting that has been running since 1886. The wood-chopping and equestrian events are particularly strong and are combined in the final event, the "3 man challenge". This relay race is invariably very exciting, involving a wood chop, a runner (carrying a bag of chaff) and a horse ride.

When the Kennett Liberal/National government excised Mt McKay from the Alpine National Park in 1997, I joined the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) to help fight this move. As part of the VNPA Alpine Committee we ran a campaign that led to the reversal of the excision by the Bracks Labor Government in 2000. In the process, I helped establish the VNPA website. Anthea and I were also members of the Mt Stirling Alpine Advisory Group.

In 2000 I accepted a retrenchment package from the Royal Melbourne Hospital and now work part-time for the Medical Scientists Association of Victoria, Victorian Psychologists Association and Association of Hospital Pharmacists as a membership information officer. For 18 months I worked part-time for Gorman ProMed Pty Ltd developing electronic devices for medical research. I now work part-time for Diamond Valley Neurodiagnostic performing nerve conduction studies and evoked potential studies.

I am currently researching my family history and Anthea's family history and would like to hear from relatives who are doing the same. (See email address above.)

Anthea and I are renewing our links with Aireys Inlet on the Surf Coast where Anthea's family spent many happy holidays. We have joined ANGAIR to learn about and protect the flora and fauna of the area.

Sources

• First-hand information. Entered by David Tomkins at registration.