The History of UT
Uniting Technology - The Beginning
| In the beginning was God. | John Secombe |
| In the beginning God created heaven and earth | In the beginning JS moved heaven and earth (Synod heavies) to create a formal tech group to service NCYC85 |
| And God said, let there be light: and there was light | And JS said let there be light: and there was light (and audio and video and stage management and communications) |
| And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. | And for the first event - NCYC 85 he called Day and Night continuous work time! |
| And God saw the light and it was good | And JS saw the light that this group was good - and it was too good to lose - and he formed UT |
| And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass and the fruit true yield fruit: and it was so. | And JS said let us serve the Uniting Church: and it was so ... and still is. |
BUT, before UT
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
Well at least one might call before UT unorganised chaos, but at least there was light (and audio). So there is another 'beginning'.
-------------------------------------------------Before UT
Probably the first major event the Uniting Church provided with volunteer tech support was ...
NCYC No.2 (Jan 1957)
Week day meetings held at Wayville Showgrounds
Evening rallies in Centennial Hall
Saturday night public rally held at Norwood Oval
Audio managed by John Grivell
- equipment probably 'borrowed' for the night from employer - Engineering division of Australia Post Office (now Telstra)
Lighting managed by Brian Robertson
- equipment probably 'borrowed' for the night from employer - ETSA (now ETSA Utilities) and Her Majesty's Theatre
- Brian held a theatre projection licence and was competent to operate manual feed carbon arc follow spots!
After this landmark event two individuals, who worked together at ETSA, emerged and carried the 'central' technology support for a number of years...
Bruce Kemp - Audio. Developed a collection of 'PA' equipment of his own - much of it manufactured by himself.
Brian Robertson - Lighting. Borrowed, begged and temporarily 'stole' equipment from whatever source possible (largely from ETSA)
Under the care of these pioneers we saw events such as...
Hills Festival (annual event in March - April)
- Held on a Saturday all day including the night in the grounds of Nunyara Conference Centre.
- Essentially a large fundraising fete.
- Power supplied to stall holders.
- Flood lighting and festoon lighting through the trees provided basic illumination
- Follow spots et. al. for an evening concert on the 'permanent' outdoor stage at the bottom of the hill
- Audio for fete requirements and evening performers.
Stories to be told...
How to climb a suspended ladder?
State of the temporary switchboard
MYF (later MYA) Rallies (Saturday night monthly)
- Probably the period from around 1958 to 1962.
- Held at the tivoli, Grote Street (now her Majesty's Theatre).
- A central attraction for the rapidly developing local church MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) Groups that were superseding the more structured groups of OK's and Comrades.
- A 2 half program with skits, humour and items first and then a message.
- Standard theatre style audio and lighting support.
- Follow spots still carbon arc lamps.
Stories to be told...
How do you play a tape that has been recorded on a Grundig tape recorder (which operates in the opposite tape direction)?
MYA Rallies then morphed through several incarnations and venues...