ALARAmeet is a once in every three years event to meet other YLs of our organisation and other Amateur Radio Operators in person, having communicated over the airwaves for years.

ALARAmeet Hobart 4-5 November 2023


COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the 20/21 scheduled Meet in Bendigo but our resilient YLs were back this year with a fantastic Meet in Hobart, Tasmania VK7. The Meet took place over the weekend of 4-5 November 2023. Ladies and their partners travelled from far and wide to meet up for 'Eyeball QSOs' and to celebrate friendship and the common interests of Amateur Radio plus many other hobbies.

On the Wednesday evening after ALARAmeet, Margaret ZL3YF and Ken ZL4KD visited REAST and met with Justin VK7TW. Their chat is a great wrap of ALARAmeet.You can watch the YouTube video:

Below is a slide show of photos from ALARAmeet. You can pause the slideshow by clicking/tapping the centre of each image, and you can select the Previous or Next image by using the 'arrows' on the right or left of each image. To view in 'Full Screen', select the square symbol at the top right of the image.


  • ALARAMEET 2023 HOBARTWelcome to ALARAmeet 2023 in Hobart, Tasmania, a gathering of Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association.
  • Let the fun begin!
  • Registration table for ALARA L to R Jane VK7JN, Kathy VK7KJJ, Catherine VK7GH
  • Welcome bag – full of goodies, all the work of Kathy VK7KJJ and her daughter Becc. Their work was the star of the show.
  • The Welcome bag goodies, all the work of Kathy VK7KJJ and her daughter Becc. Their work was the star of the show.
  • Jeanne VK5JQ with her knitted shawl
  • MacFisheries shop on the model train layout
  • Model railway layout – Linda VK7QP
  • Model railway layout – Linda VK7QP
  • Name the animals competition. These are the animals used in the Fox hunt at REAST on Sunday. They needed to be named before we could put them out in the wild to be hunted.
  • L to R Margaret (friend of Jenny, VK3WQ), Jenny VK3WQ, Irene VK2VAN, Dot VK2DB
  • L to R Shirley VK5YL, Marilyn VK5DMS, Linda VK7QP looking at the photo of the Ulverstone ALARAmeet 2008 – who was there, and how we have aged.
  • Radio certificates and memorabilia on display
  • L to R Michelle VK2AYL, President, and Linda VK7QP, ALARAmeet 2023 Coordinator in front of our new banner
  • Michelle VK2AYL welcoming everyone to ALARAmeet 2023
  • Shirley VK5YL describing the Mars Bars awards – to be awarded at the final dinner to anyone who did something silly during the weekend.
  • Everyone at ALARAmeet 2023 Hobart
  • All the OMs
  • All the YLs
  • The ALARA Committee Front row Tina VK5TMC, Michelle VK2AYL, Shirley VK5YL, Catherine VK7GH Second row Dot VK2DB, Marilyn VK5DMS, Jenny VK3WQ, Jean VK3VIP Back row Deena VK6DEE, Marija VK5MAZ, Linda VK7QP, Jean VK5TSX
  • VK5 group Front row Marilyn VK5DMS, Jenny VK3WQ/VK5ANW, Sue VK5AYL, Shirley VK5YL, Jenny VK5FJAY Back row Christine VK5CTY, Tina VK5TMC, Jean VK5TSX, Lesley VK5LOL, Jeanne VK5JQ
  • Saturday afternoon – getting ready for the YL talks
  • Michelle VK2AYL presentation on Girl Guides and Scouts
  • Shirley VK5YL on the ANZA net with a picture of Tex VK1TX
  • Catherine VK7GH/VK7C on contesting
  • Marija VK5MAZ on VKFF parks
  • Lino VK3EI and Carla in their convict bonnets.
  • L to R Tina VK5TMC, Alison Alexander, Linda VK7QP
  • Jeanne VK5JQ bonneted
  • Alison Alexander, Linda VK7QP, Dot VK2DB (Ist prize), Shirley VK5YL (2nd prize), Jenny VK5FJAY (maker of many bonnets for the group) and Jean VK5TSX congratulating Christine VK5CTY (off camera) as the third bonnet prize winner
  • All dressed up for dinner
  • Dressed for dinner – Norma VK2YL, Founding President in the centre
  • Display of convict bonnets
  • Dot VK2DB celebrating her 80th birthday = her birthday was on 26th August so she was the first of the group of three to be called out. Jean VK5TSX 3 October and Jenny 9 November were the other OBEs.
  • Happy birthday cake for Dot VK2DB, Jean VK5TSX and Jenny VK3WQ
  • The birthday girls Jen VK3WQ, Jean VK5TSX and Dot VK2DB
  • Naming the animals ceremony Linda VK7QP and Kathy VK7KJJ with Roar the Tassie Devil being named
  • Naming the animals ceremony Linda VK7QP and Kathy VK7KJJ with Roar the Tassie Devil being named
  • Tassie tiger is named Tyler Thylacine by Margaret
  • An early start for the Female Factory – Jim VK5TR and Marilyn VK5DMS
  • Notorious Strumpets and Dangerous Girls presentation at the Female Factory
  • One of the notorious strumpets at the Female Factory
  • Another notorious strumpet
  • At the Female Factory
  • At the Female Factory
  • After the Female Factory visit, REAST Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania hosted an Open Day and Gourmet BBQ for ALARAmeet. Murray VK7ZMS brought his field day van with hydraulic lift antennas to show.
  • What is a BBQ without a dog to hypnotise the sausages? Jenny VK2TOT and Peter VK7KPC both brought their dogs for the occasion.
  • L to R Michelle VK2AYL, President, and mother Norma VK2YL Founding President contacting Shirley on the Echolink net. Founding President and Current President, Mother and Daughter.
  • Christine VK5CTY with a REAST member
  • Mark VK6BSA, Kevin VK5AKZ and Jan VK2FEB at the REAST Open Day
  • Tyler Thylacine, Roar Tassie Devil and Patty Platypus waiting to be put out for the ‘fox’ hunt
  • Patty Platypus is out in a tree waiting to be found by the ‘fox hunters’ and is looking back towards the REAST club house where the hunters will come from
  • Deena VK6DEE winning a prize for the fox hunt. A harp bookmark donated by Justin VK7TW whose wife, Helen, is a harpist
  • Echolink net at REAST Shirley VK5YL and Tina VK5TMC
  • Echolink net at REAST Shirley VK5YL and Tina VK5TMC
  • Richmond – a pleasant Sunday afternoon in Richmond
  • Sunday dinner. Phil Tyson, from the Sound Preservation Association of Tasmania gave a talk about the early years of broadcasting. Phil is sitting between Linda VK7QP and Kathy VK7KJJ.
  • Raffle prizes were drawn at the dinner
  • Michelle VK2AYL presenting Marilyn VK5DMS with her life membership of ALARA
  • Meg VK5YG has been the traditional presenter of Mars Bars awards at ALARAmeet. Unfortunately she is not well enough to be with us. Shirley VK5YL presented healthy alternative to the Mars Bars. Linda VK7QP presented Shirley with a Mars Bar to start the presentation. We toasted Meg at the conclusion of the presentations.
  • Display of radios brought by Phil Tyson, Sound Preservation Association of Tasmania, to Sunday dinner
  • John VK3DQ in a great shirt at Sunday dinner
  • Mark VK6BSA being presented with the ICOM 50A by Phil Tyson. ICOM generously donated this as the first prize in the raffle. Mark had it operating from his car the next day.
  • Thanks to Linda for coordinating the event – a large bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. Still smiling !!!
  • The Planning Group – Jane VK7JN, Kathy VK7KJJ, Linda VK7QP and Catherine VK7GH. Angela VK7AMP was also part of the group but could not attend the dinner. Kathy was presented with her flowers for the effort put in by her and her daughter Becc for the graphic design and production of the program, bags, name badges, etc.
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