| Notes |
- unknown newspaper
John Curror COX (2 August 1993, aged 80)
John first went to New Guinea in 1936. He followed his two older sisters to Rabaul where Thyrza ("Tick") was nursing at Namanula and Jean Mary, also a nurse and the first to work at Salamaua in 1930, was on her second visit to Rabaul.
These were the days not too far removed from the devastating experience of the two volcanic eruptions in 1937 in Rabaul. John once said that the night Vulcan blacked out the town was one of the eeriest he had spent. He was one of those the Chief Judge 'Monte' Phillips (later Sir Beaumont) co-opted to help with security in some of the more vulnerable areas. A letter from the Commonwealth Government subsequently commended John and the other young men who carried out similar duties that night.
At this time John was working for a group of business men who operated a cinema and held agencies for wireless and electrical equipment. He decided to return to Melbourne, his home town, and complete a course in Maths, radio and wireless technology. World War II curtailed this and he joined the rush to enlist in 1939. Drafted to a Signals Unit he spent his 6½ years' service in various sections of Signals organisations: in the Middle East, Africa, Greek/Crete and South Pacific theatres, achieving the rank of Major. In 1947, he returned to the Territory to work with the Department of Education: first in the Visual Aids Section and, later, the Technical Division.
In 1962 he transferred to the Department of Labour and became the Executive Officer of the Apprenticeship Board, with an opportunity to further develop the infant Apprenticeship Scheme. It was here that he obtained a great sense of personal pleasure and general satisfaction. When he retired in 1968 the number of tradesmen qualified as a result of the Scheme had risen from 106 to 452. In addition, about 1,000 prospective tradesmen were at that time in training. John felt it a great compliment when on his retirement, a number of apprentices approached the Board with donations in appreciation of his work. It was agreed that these would represent the foundation of a fund to provide a prize each year to a top apprentice. The prize to become the John Cox Prize.
On hearing of John's death, the present Secretary for Labour and Employment, Mr Aphmerledy K. Joel, OBE, said in a letter of sympathy to John's family that "the Award remains to this day a prestigious award for the promotion of trade skills". John lived out his retirement running a few beef cattle, growing vegetables and playing bowls at farms in Moss Vale and later Byabarra west of Wauchope, and also enjoying the company of his children and grandchildren who were frequent visitors. He is survived by wife, Jean, daughter Loris, son Ross and four grandchildren.
|
1913 - 1993 (80 years)
[1] 
