Sixteen Years of Effort to Build a Club House
The memorial plaque pays tribute to Ken Ayes, VK4KD for his dedication in establishing the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Club to cover the Gold Coast area in 1970 when he was a member of the small Southport Radio Club.
This new club absorbed the members and assets of the Southport Club and began its operations 1974. It successfully obtained the FIRST 2-meter Repeater License in Australia in that year which was erected at Mt Tamborine by active member Mike Adams, VK4ZDA where 30 call-ins were made. Also in 1974 was the First Club Newsletter, edited by Bob Rigg VK4BR with membership increasing.
The club held its meetings for many years at member’s homes and other locations. Ken drew up plans for a permanent club house and began raising money in many ways for many years with support from his wife Daphne VK4IA and active members. Regular raffles and functions were organised with Xmas and children parties hosted by Daphne while the club ran Novice classes, project Competitions and Fox Hunts.
One milestone money raising event was the first Hamfest in 1978, organised and run by Ken.
By 1983 he was granted a block of land on which the club still stands. It was cleared and fenced off by a few members including Daphne, then levelled out by a member with a dozer and grader, while other tradesmen-members poured foundations and erected Besser block walls to roof level.
By 1985, Ken had transported to the site, windows, doors, sink, basin, toilet, floor tiles and materials for the internal dividing walls while electric wiring, plumbing, drains and roof and guttering was also done.
By January 1986 the first Committee Meeting was held in the new club house. Later the first Members Meeting was held but no official opening was ever held.
At its November meeting the club was incorporated as the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Society. GCARS.
