Geoffrey Wickham

My early life was on a dairy farm but, at an early age, developed a fascination with science and after attending Camperdown High School commenced a career which by autodidactic study evolved from radio technician to electronics engineer with the Dutch Philips company in Adelaide S.A. in 1955. In 1958-59 Philips relocated me to England and Holland to study the emerging technology of the transistor, relocating after that to Sydney.
In 1961 commenced my own small company in Sydney, designing and manufacturing electro-industrial equipment which evolved into a partnership with another engineer Noel Gray whose company "Television & Electronic Services" formed the basis for incorporation of Telectronics in 1963. In the following year we were invited to participate in research into artificial pacing of the heart by technician Keith Jeffcoat and surgeon Mr Rowan Nicks of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The rest is history, and great gratitude for the opportunity given must go to both.

It was with surprise in 1982 that I was elected an Honorary Life Governor of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in recognition of that pacemaker research and even greater surprise to be appointed in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 2000 as an Officer of the Order Of Australia in recognition of "Service to the design of medical equipment, particularly in the development of the implantable cardiac pacemaker". I was also most honoured to be the recipient of Engineers Australia "David Dewhurst Award" for 2007.My interest and involvement with medical technology continues and I endevour to contribute usefully to this subject and others in Wikipedia. My other interests include aviation as a private pilot with over 1000 hours experience, and solar energy extraction (Vortex engine) in which I am working on a well advanced research project which has the potential for enabling development of a large scale energy source.