Southern View: July 01, 2021

SOUTHERN VIEW Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday July 1 2021 5
office alive at Ferrymead park
“We’re still at the same address
with the same phone number in
Avondale.”
Wealleans loved the idea
of being able to help facilitate
communication between others.
The biggest change he
witnessed over time was cell
phones. But as someone who
championed communication,
they were “abhorrent,” as they
created too many distractions.
He also prided himself on accuracy
– his boss once said his
wire tying and lacing skills were
always neat. “It’s the technology
too that got me hooked, and
the data from one computer to
another. The theory of how a cell
phone works is just as important
as the piece of equipment,” he
said.
“Each component leads to a
core computer, then it goes out
through a cellular network and
up to a satellite, passing bits of
messages, then back down to say,
the phone of your mate who just
happens to be having lunch in
San Francisco.”
OPERATOR: One of the society’s oldest telephones, a Bell/Blake transmitter, used
in New Zealand in the 1880s. Left – George Wealleans using some of the old post
office equipment.
PHOTOS: GEOFF SLOAN
But after 31 years in the
industry, it all changed when he
was made redundant in 1992 –
two years after deciding to take
a decade-long hiatus as president
of the historical society.
He spent the next 17 years after
that working in a factory making
plastic bags before he “weaseled”
his way back into the society’s
presidential role about 10 years
ago.
“In every job I’ve had, there’s
be an element of being your own
master,” said Wealleans.
“Obviously you’re following
the instructions. Like at the
plastic bag machine, you’re given
instructions on how long to
make the bag, but they didn’t tell
you how fast to make it.
“So I fine-tuned the machine a
bit to get it going at say, 65 bags a
minute, instead of 50.”
Wealleans is at the
heritage park nearly every day,
and he would not have it any
other way.
But a major regret was not
becoming an architect after
nearly failing a technical exam
in high school – a dream that
grew momentum the second he
received his first Meccano set.
Said Wealleans: “I wouldn’t
go as far as saying I’m an artist
but I can visualise things from a
technical perspective, put it on
paper and draw it, like a circuit
diagram. I’ve always treated my
job as a hobby because I love my
work. I’m able to share all my
experiences with a whole lot of
people, even those who aren’t
ex-post office.”