In 1990 while working as Manager Regional Stations for the Northern Territory, the Central Australian branch of the Australian institute of Management presented me with their inaugural “Manager of the Year” award.
Author: Rae Allen
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First cell phones arrive in Darwin
Sometimes it appears that mobile phones have been with us always, yet in 1988 the arrival of a cellular phone network in Darwin was big news.
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Journalist of the year 1987
Receiving the award from the Administrator Commodore Eric Johnstone, and President of the NT Branch of the Australian Journalists Association, Richard Creswick. In 1987, primarily through a body of work surrounding the world heritage listing of Kakadu National Park, I was the joint winner of the Electronic Journalist of the Year award for the Northern Territory.
I shared “The Eric” with my colleague Phil Smith, who had a reputation for the quirky stand-up.
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Pine Gap protests
Covering Pine Gap demonstration In 1987, the lease on the satellite monitoring base, Pine Gap, near Alice Springs was up for re-signing by the Federal Government.
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Barra classic
It wouldn’t be the Top End without a bit of barramundi fishing.
While a keen fisherman myself, in 1987 I covered the annual Barra Classic, on its return to Corroboree Billabong.
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INXS newser
One of the benefits of working in smaller TV newsrooms is that you do get to do a bit of everything.
In August 1987, I was heading for an early finish to my day when asked to cover a media conference with Australian band INXS, and songstress Jenny Morris.
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Victoria River murder
In June 1987 I was asked to take a camera crew and helicopter to Victoria River to cover the search for two Western Australian fishermen who had gone missing.
The two men, father and son Marcus and Lance Bullen, had left their wives at the Victoria River Roadhouse to go fishing. They had spent the night at the roadhouse and were expected to be back in time to move on that day.
Soon after we arrived the police made the grizzly discovery, the two men had been found murdered.
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Gurig National Park
Port Essington ruins Sometimes as a reporter you get to go to those beautiful, out-of-the-way places most only dream about.
One of these is Coburg Peninsula, the original European settlement in the Top End.
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Manbulloo mangoes
Mangoes One of the countries largest mango plantations was established on Manbullo station.
The plan: to take advantage of an earlier growing season to get mangoes on supermarket shelves before the Queensland crop arrives.
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Wildlife on Woolner Station
Wild buffalo While in the Top End I came across a number of cattle properties which were diversifying into tourism.
One of these was Woolner Station, where the pastoralists were using off-season mustering helicopters as observation platforms.
