On November 21, 1954, a small boat slipped quietly out of the Indonesian port of Tanjung Priok, Jakarta. There was no fanfare as the gentle breeze filled the sails and the converted ship’s lifeboat rode easily to the swells of the Java Sea.
But live to tell the tale of the voyage they did: the intrepid pair made it to Dili, Timor-Leste; then Merauke in what was Dutch New Guinea, where they stayed and worked to replenish funds; and to Thursday Island. Down the Australian coast, they passed Cooktown, Cairns and in February 1955, three months after leaving Jakarta, they sailed into Townsville, ready for anything.What happened next is the stuff of legend.
So began an association of employment for Joh in the commercial radio industry that was to last many years. First with Townsville radio stations 4AY and 4TO, Cairns station 4CA, and later in senior management positions in Sydney. Joh became an integral part of AWA, further developing the network and 2CH in Sydney. He became the industry voice in Canberra on the National Disasters Committee and a member of the Federation of Australian Radio Broadcasters council for 10 years. He was inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame in 2002.
After the divorce, Joh met his second wife, Annette, a secretary at 2CH in Sydney. For many years until age took its toll, Joh was an active member of the Historical Radio Society. He was an avid collector of prized wireless transmitters and receivers, and a provider to all those similarly inclined who needed a new valve or part. His Sydney home was not spared any space that could accommodate new valves to replace old ones.