A history of Telstra to 2018
Welcome to the 1958 intake of PMG trainees Queensland
This site has a list of all trainees inducted into the Post Master Generals technician training schools situated in Bulimba and another in Chermside. Over three hundred were inducted and spread between the two schools. The numbers dropped quickly in the early days as young hopefulls either found it a bit hard or decided on another career. We all found “working” was much more difficult than high school. I remember the first time I opened my pay packet and found a total of £14-10-7, That converts to about $29.00 a fortnight. No changes were made to this amount until we had our 17th birthday, all pay rates changed at our birthday date. This was a small fortune in those early years and to think I was going to get this every two weeks. I soon learned to spend the lot in the first week.
The ride to Bulimba on my old push bike was 15 miles or 35Km, took a while and I managed to get quite fit doing this exercise twice a day. I loved the technical side of the training and still remember most of it today.
Training for the first year took the full year with the occasional posting to a local exchange for on the job experience.
Trainees will remember the bosses of old that ruled the exchange with an iron hand. Do something wrong and believe me you would never ever do it again. The boss was fully in charge at all times and we all cringed in fear when the boss was doing his rounds. If you were caught smoking either inside or outside near the exchange you were banished to the dirtiest job the boss could find. Trips back to the training school were a relief from the worry of doing everything right.
The above written By Ron Poole
Commonwealth Government Gazette 6/2/1958, Page 439. (Our history begins).
List updated with some changes to addresses etc. (Sep/2018)
If anyone knows of any changes let me know so I can do the updates.
A reunion was held on MONDAY 15 OCTOBER 2018
See new reunion page on menu.
Function was at the Easts leagues Club Brisbane
Meantime feel free to email me on this Contact form.