About author
I was born in 1936 and I'm the youngest of four (two sisters and a brother). They reckon being the youngest means you were spoilt rotten - could well be true, maybe, I admit to nothing.

My schooling was as follows.....
  • 1941-1947     Kaikorai Primary School.
  • 1948-1949     Macandrew Intermediate.
  • 1950-1951     King Edward Technical College.
    Class E1a (1st year electrical) and Class E2e (2nd year electrical).
Early recollections of leisure hours: Probably the most popular and well remembered times were those messing with bicycles and later of course several motorcycles and many cars (not all at the same time - of course).

I do remember my first bicycle was a collection of parts, gradually collected with the final 'missing' bits like good tyres being supplied by my father. The paint also came courtesy of my dad. In those days we must have travelled 'miles'!!!! We thought nothing of riding our bikes down the gravel Kaikorai Valley Road to Brighton on a Sunday afternoon. On the odd occasion a canoe ride up the estuary at Brighton was an added bonus. If Brighton was decided as being too far on any occasion the old Caversham tunnel from Burnside was always a good thing to do, using either a battery cycle lamp or none at all and mostly getting at least some water on us from the many puddles on the tunnel floor. The problem was, you had to do it all again to get back to the 'valley' road or face a long hike up the hill to Lookout Point then ride down to Burnside.

Music: With one of my sisters being a piano teacher it was thought that I should take up this instrument and follow an already established family tradition of music. Within the family I always was one to buck the trend, or be the first to do something, or NOT do something. I managed to wangle out of the piano eventually but did play the bugle in the Kaikorai School Band and a cornet in the 'Tech' band for two years. That went no further but subsequently the guitar was my instrument of choice with many hours of enjoyment being had.

Warning: Next follows quite a few employment experiences in my working years plus a few of the hobbies I've tried..!

  • 1951-1957 Apprentice Automotive Electrician with Wooff & Salvesen (Dn) Ltd. where I learned to drive their old 1928 Chev truck to cart rubbish to the tip.
    See also 1950s vehicles a subtle change from pre-war ones.
  • 1957     Tried rabbitting in Omakau Central Otago - outdoor job.
  • 1958     Filled in truck driving, Kanes Transport, Alexandra, then...
  • 1958     Started truck driving for Crust & Crust back in Dunedin
  • 1959     6th April joined NZ Police in Dunedin. Left in 1964 and joined Radio-TV trade.
  • 1968     1st August moved to Cromwell (Alan Gilchrist - Radio & TV Service).
  • 1968     Founder member of Central Otago Stock Car Club.
  • 1973     Appointed Civil Defence 'Area Communications Officer' for Upper Clutha.
  • 1976     Took up flying at Central Otago Aero Club - Alexandra.
  • 1977     Sold up business - 24th April moved back to Dunedin.
  • 1977     20th June joined Group Rentals TV Service in Dunedin.
  • 1977     Completed flying training and passed Private Pilot Licence.
  • 1978     Passed Amateur Radio Operators Certificate examination, callsign ZL4PZ.
  • 1980     2nd August transferred with Group Rentals to sunny Hawkes Bay (Hastings).
  • 1982     October moved to be Service Manager in New Plymouth.
  • 1984     2nd May opened new service branch for GR at Hawera, South Taranaki.
  • 1986     31st March left GR and started up on own as Television Services (Hawera).
  • 1988     Opened retail computer shop - name change to Computer Concepts in 1989.
  • 1990     6th July - sold out and moved back to Dunedin.
  • 1999     September - created purpose-built "Commodore Home Computer Museum (NZ)".
I should add that interest in computers and Internet web sites continues as does recording things historic such as a history of amateur radio in the lower South Island which I call "Amateur Radio - south of the Waitaki". This is a rather large collection of information and for that reason it is only available in CD format. See more at Amateur Radio - south of the Waitaki.

One could say that for some things I have been there and done that. Still more in the pipeline with any luck.........
Alan's Signature
Alan Gilchrist
Animated signature - my own creation