Bob and his wife Pat were keen
members of the Begonia and Cacti Societies and regularly made treks over the
border for shows.
Bob was first introduced to
aircraft and flying during the Second World War, where he trained and
qualified as a pilot with the RAAF. On his discharge in 1945 he joined
Guinea Airways and just seven months later transferred to ANA. He moved to
Ansett after the ANA purchase in the 1950s.
Bob quipped that he was never
one to see the grass grow under his feet.
He moved from the grass strip
at Parafield Airport to the then �new� Adelaide Airport in the mid 1950s and
was made Duty Airport Manager, a position he held until his retirement.
It�s a position that has seen
him responsible for the well being of a seemingly never ending list of pop
stars, politicians, Royalty, Governors and other VIPs throughout the years.
�The Beatles, Nelson Eddy, Cilla Black, Gough Whitlam, Liberace,
Governors-General�� you name them and I�ve probably had to look after them
at some stage,� he said.
But there�ll be one person Bob
remembered most � country singing star Dolly Parton, whom Bob met in his
last few days before retirement. �She had to be the nicest of all VIPs that
I�ve looked after in all those years,� he said.
The most embarrassing time
during Bob�s period at Adelaide Airport was �losing� the luggage of Sir Paul
Hasluck. �We rarely ever misplaced luggage but whenever it came for the
changeover on the Sydney-Perth flights the gremlins took over and it always
seemed to be Sir Paul�s luggage that went missing,� he said. �It was very
embarrassing to say the least.�
During his 42 years Bob has
seen 30 different types of aircraft from Lockheed10s to Boeing 767s, waybill
preparations change from pencil and carbon paper to computerised listings
and direct ticketing to international airlines.
�Now it�s time to put the feet
up � more time for the grandchildren and more time to get under the wife�s
feet,� he said just before he retired.
Unable to stay away from the
airport after his retirement, Bob became tour guide for Federal Airports
Corporation, taking many school groups over the International and domestic
terminals.
After all who better to explain
the workings of the airport!
A poetry tribute from Nanushka
Down at Adelaide Airport
In the sun and wind and rain �
Who was it saw the aircraft out
Then saw them in again?
At Parafield and Gawler
With water to our knees
Whose smiling face was always
there
To greet the DC3s?
And when we went to Woomera
Upon the DC4s
Who brought the papers to us �
Then threw them through the
door?
And who was there for the
DC6,
Smart cap and shiny booted,
Lined up with the hosties
As the skipper saluted?
Who will be remembered
As friend to Pete the cat
And who was master of them all
At waving ping pong bats?
From DC3s to Boeings
He became more mellow and wiser
Until the Ansett powers that be
Made him the Supervisor �
Well what a great career he�s
had
And what a ball it�s been
We�re very proud to be his
mates
That Robert Haseldine
Reproduced by kind permission
of Nan Witcomb