Thomas Edwin Hodgkinson
Thomas Edwin Hodgkinson
(1918 - 2017)
Thomas Edwin Hodgkinson, known as Ed, was born Auckland, New Zealand in 1918. He attended school in Auckland and lived there until aged 18. His secondary school was a technical college, but he left at age 15 and went to sea for a few months.
His father worked for the Transport Department and thought there was a future in radio, so Hodgkinson attended a private college full time, studying for a radio servicing certificate. He obtained the certificate aged 16 and did a further course in radio, and as a wireless operator while working and studying part time This embraced a technical certificate in broadcasting and he gained this aged 18. The ability to send and receive Morse Code at 25 words per minute was achieved later.
The Post Office offered him a job as a wireless operator at sea. He met his future wife, Zena, in a ship named Ayshleglia, which had the largest open hold in world. Hodgkinson visited the Clarence River and other ports in Australia.
The Broadcasting Service offered him a job as a junior technical officer in Wellington and he worked there between 1936 and 1946. During the war years this transmitter was of strategic importance. He also taught at the Technical College as he had been studying electrical engineering in Wellington since 1941 and graduated.
Hodgkinson worked in Wellington until 1946 and then lived three years in Dunedin after the war he was promoted to senior technician. In 1949 he came to Australia as his wife was keen to return to her homeland, so he applied for positions in Sydney and worked as a design engineer with Standard Telephones and Cables for 10 years. He became an Associate Member of Electrical Engineers Institute and of the Institution of Engineers, Australia.
He then moved to a company manufacturing transformers and worked there three years. At this time, he was approached by Electronic Industries Ltd, a big group controlled by Sir Arthur Warner and offered the position as Manager of their Canterbury works. The number of employees grew to 200 so a new factory was purchased in Erskineville.
Hodgkinson developed an interest in industry associations, so joined the Australian Telecommunications Development Association, later becoming a councillor then the chairman.
The Telephone Manufacturing Company of Australasia was formed with Electronic Industries as a 50% shareholder and AWA-Pye of England the other 50%. He was appointed to the board of Holding Industries. Philips acquired a shareholding, and the business took over and a new factory was bought in 1970 at Moorebank. Hodgkinson was appointed to the Philips Committee and other International committees with the Chairman based in England. They met every three months and pooled ideas.
He became a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia and in1971 was a delegate to an Asian conference in Manila. He was appointed a member of a Government Advisory Council, under the Fraser Government, the chairman being Mr McPhee. A report was presented to Parliament emphasising the Importance of high technological industries.
Hodgkinson retired from Philips in 1977 but remained a part-time executive director of the Electronics Industries Association. He retained contacts with the Industries Assistance Committee and wrote articles for the press.
He fully retired in 1983 but then had five years on the Board of Directors of the Lakes Golf Club and other interests including the Institution of Engineers.
Hodgkinson lived until 14 November 2017 and the age of 99. He and Zena had two sons Darryl and Ashley.
To access an oral history interview with Thomas Edwin Hodgkinson please use this link:'
