James Stanley William Malone (1943-2021)
Nat Map Cartographer 1970-1994
Prepared by Laurie McLean March 2021
Jim Malone circa 1985.
XNatmap image.
Jim Malone made a significant contribution to the post-World War II mapping of Australia for over 30 years, initially as a Draftsman and later as Chief Executive Officer, Cartography with the Division of National Mapping and then with the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group.
A tall, quietly spoken man of even temperament, Jim was something of a gentle giant who was greatly respected and admired by his work colleagues. Jim was always a thorough gentleman, as well as a good bloke. Nat Map Senior Surveyor Charlie Watson found Jim to be a bonza chap.
Peggy Bright worked closely with Jim Malone in the early 1990s when she was a Client Liaison Officer with Communication Partners, an advertising agency and communication consultancy based at Lyneham in northern Canberra. One of her firm’s clients was the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group. Peggy recalled that: Even though I was (supposedly) the communication expert, Jim taught me some valuable lessons.
The one I have relied on ever since was a lesson he learned in cartography. I can hear Jim say: Never pass on a problem. Jim added: You could be forgiven for not recognising a problem, but once you saw one, you had to do your best to fix it.
Jim Malone’s early life - growing up in Glebe
James Stanley William Malone was born at Glebe (Sydney) on 6 July 1943. Jim was the first of the 4 children born to Wilfred James Dunlop (Boyd) Malone (1918‑1991) and his wife Joyce Isabel Malone née Smith (1920-2011). Jim’s 3 younger siblings were his sisters Helen, Gail, and Robyn.
Jim’s parents Boyd and Joyce Malone married in Sydney in 1942. Their marriage registration number was 76, implying the wedding was early in the year. On their marriage registration index, the bride’s given names were Joyce Isabel. (This ordering of given names was also used by Jim’s Mum for her various electoral roll entries. However, on her birth registration index and on her grave marker the given names Isabel Joyce were used.)
When Jim Malone’s parents married, his father Boyd was serving in the Australian Army (Militia Forces). Wilfred James Malone enlisted in the Army on 12 August 1940 at the suburb of Forest Lodge that adjoins Glebe in Sydney’s inner west. His Service Number was N51798, the sole prefix N indicates he served in the Militia (which by the mid-1940s was called the Citizen Military Forces, and is now called the Army Reserve). Wilfred Malone was discharged from the Army on 19 December 1945 and then held the rank of Private in 9 Field Company, presumabley with the Royal Australian Engineers. Private Malone is understood to have served in New Guinea. However, no further details of his World War II service were discovered.
Soon after the wedding of Jim Malone’s parents and while his father was serving in the Army, Jim’s mother resided with her parents William and Annie Smith in a single front double storey terrace house at 80 Campbell Street Glebe, the terrace is still standing today. By 1949, at latest, Jim’s father had joined his wife and family together with his father-in-law at 80 Campbell Street. As further discussed below, Jim’s maternal grandmother Annie Smith had died in 1945. By 1949 Jim’s father Boyd was working as a storeman.
Move to Rydalmere
From electoral roll entries, by 1954, at latest, Wilfred and Joyce Malone and their children had moved to Rydalmere on the north side of the Parramatta River in western Sydney. Here the Malone family resided in a double-front weatherboard, tile roofed home at 11 Crowgey Street. From around the time of the move to Rydalmere, Boyd Malone was employed as a rivetter and remained in that occupation until at least 1980.
More on Jim Malone’s parents
Jim’s father, Boyd, was the youngest of the 5 children born to Athelstane (Athol) and Annie Malone. Boyd’s 4 older siblings were sisters Florence, Pearl, Vera, and Mildred. Boyd was born at Glebe (Annandale) on 24 May 1918 and died in Sydney on 24 February 1991 at age 72 years. The remains of Wilfred James Dunlop (Boyd) Malone were interred in the general lawn section at Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium on 28 February 1991.
Jim’s mother Joyce was born at Gundagai on 6 November 1920. She died at Nerang, Queensland on 24 August 2011 at the age of 90 years. Joyce’s remains were interred with those of her late husband at Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium, North Ryde on 7 October 2011. Joyce was the youngest of the 4 children born to William and Annie Smith. Joyce’s 3 older siblings were William Hartley, Annie Myra, and Stanley Thomas.
Jim Malone’s grandparents
Jim’s paternal grandparents Athelstane Malone and Annie Barrett married in Sydney in 1907. As mentioned above, there were 5 children from this marriage. Jim’s paternal grandfather Athelstane (Athol) Malone (1873‑1945) was born at Emerald Hill (South Melbourne), Victoria and died at Glebe in 1945. Athelstane Malone’s remains were buried at Rookwood General Cemetery. Athelstane Malone had resided at 7 Cowper Street Glebe from at least 1903 and was variously employed as a bricklayer, labourer and timber worker. Jim’s paternal grandmother Annie Malone née Barrett died at Glebe in 1919. Annie’s remains were buried at Rookwood General Cemetery on 4 April 1919.
Jim’s maternal grandparents William Henry Smith (1891–1959) and Annie Palmer Hartley(1891 1945) married at Tumut in 1914, there were 4 children from their marriage.
Jim Malone’s maternal grandfather William Henry Smith was born at Narrandera on 3 May 1891 and died at Rydalmere on 15 August 1959 at 68 years of age. His remains were buried at Rookwood Cemetery.
Jim’s maternal grandmother Annie Palmer Hartley was born on 11 January 1891 at Alexandra, Victoria and died at Camperdown, New South Wales on 10 October 1945 at 54 years of age. At the time of her death Annie Smith resided at 80 Campbell Street Glebe. Her remains were buried at the Church of England Cemetery at Rookwood.
In 1930, William and Annie Smith resided in Dalgety Street Narrandera where William was occupied as a shearer and Annie in home duties. Later that year they moved to 104 Glebe Road Glebe in inner western Sydney. Here William worked as a labourer while Annie worked on home duties. By 1934, the Smiths had moved to 75 Mitchell Street Glebe, both with the same occupations. By 1936, the Smiths had moved to 80 Campbell Street Glebe and William was working as a storeman. Annie Smith resided at 80 Campbell Street until her death in 1945. William Smith resided at 80 Campbell Street and worked as a storeman until at least 1954. From 1958 (then retired), at latest, until his death in August 1959, William Henry Smith resided with Boyd and Joyce Malone and their family at 11 Crowgey Street Rydalmere.
Education
Jim Malone started primary school at Glebe prior to his family moving to Rydalmere in the early 1950s. Jim later attended Parramatta High School on the Great Western Highway at Parramatta, about 4 kilometres from his home in Crowgey Street Rydalmere. Jim was awarded the New South Wales Department of Education Intermediate Certificate in 1958. In 1960, he was awarded the New South Wales Department of Education Leaving Certificate.
Tertiary Education
Surveying Certificate
While employed as a Cartographer with the New South Wales Department of Lands and later with the Sydney County Council during the early to mid 1960s, Jim Malone studied for the Surveying Certificate at Sydney Technical College in Ultimo, a few blocks west of Central Station. Jim was awarded the Certificate for completing the Surveying Course on 31 December 1967.
Bachelor of Applied Science degree
During the mid-1970s while working with Nat Map, Jim Malone studied for the degree of Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Geography at the then Canberra College of Advanced Education (now the University of Canberra) located in the Belconnen suburb of Bruce.
In July 1976, Jim was awarded a final year undergraduate scholarship by the Commonwealth Public Service Board for attendance at the Canberra College of Advanced Education while undertaking the Bachelor of Applied Science degree course. With the awarding of this scholarship, Jim was able to take study leave to complete the final year of his degree.
Nat Map’s Supervising Draftsman Trevor Imhoff was also undertaking this course at CCAE. Trevor recently recalled that for one unit of the course, he co‑authored a major assignment with Jim Malone into future development in the Jerrabomberra Valley. Together they researched the cultural and natural history of the valley basin, native grasses and woodlands, soil and sediment samples, flood predictions and mitigation, etc. Trevor met regularly with Jim at his home in 10 Folingsby Street Weston to develop their report. Trevor said this was his closest time spent working with Jim.
Jim Malone was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Geography from the Canberra College of Advanced Education on 29 April 1977.
Department of Lands, Sydney – 1961-1965
On 1 July 1961, Jim Malone was appointed on probation to the position of Clerk within the Clerical Division of the New South Wales Department of Lands. Jim was then a few days short of his 18th birthday. It appears that Jim was appointed to the Department itself rather than to its mapping branch. (The Central Mapping Authority was established as a branch of the Department of Lands in 1952. In 1976, the Authority was made an autonomous body under the Minister for Lands and relocated to Bathurst.)
Jim apparently decided fairly soon after joining the Department of Lands that clerical work was not to be his vocation. On 1 December 1961, Jim Malone was appointed on probation to the position of Cartographer (Professional Division) with the Department.
Senior Cartographer Peter Rogers (Nat Map/AUSLIG 1974-1997) worked with Jim Malone at the NSW Department of Lands. Peter recalled that: Jim worked in the Cadastral Mapping Section of the Department undertaking the revision of Parish Maps using survey plans and gazettal notices and preparing them for publication. The maps (rolls) Jim worked on were mainly made of wax‑coated linen.
This waxed material allowed removal of old information and for new information to be added by hand. Ink lines and text were erased carefully, allowing the new information to be added using pens and ink similar to the way that it was done for nearly a century beforehand. The revised maps were assembled on large boards and then photographed. The film was then used to make a printing plate to produce the final map.
Sydney County Council 1965-1970
The Sydney County Council was formed in 1935 to produce electricity and to operate the electricity network in a number of municipalities within metropolitan Sydney. In 1950, the Electricity Commission of New South Wales was formed to take over and manage electricity generation across the state. As a consequence, the Sydney County Council became an electricity distributor. In 1989, the NSW State Government formed Sydney Electricity, to take control of electricity distribution from the Sydney County Council and several other Sydney municipal councils.
Peter Rogers recalled that Jim Malone left the NSW Department of Lands in 1965 when he was offered a job as a Mapping Draftsman with the Sydney County Council. Initially, Jim operated out of the Queen Victoria Building located at the corner of Druitt and George Streets in the Sydney CBD. The building opened in 1898. Sydney City and County Councils was the main occupants of the building between 1959 and 1971. In 1967, the County Council’s mapping office moved to a new building opposite the Sydney Town Hall. (The Sydney Town Hall is located in George Street on the opposite side of Druitt Street from the Queen Victoria Building.)
During his time with Sydney County Council, Jim was involved in maintaining plans for the County Council’s reticulation system. Jim left the Sydney County Council in 1970 to take a position with the Division of National Mapping in Canberra.
Marriage to Dianne Fisher - 1965
In 1965, James Stanley William Malone and Dianne Agnes Fisher married in Sydney. Jim and Dianne had gone to school together in Parramatta. They were to have 2 children, sons Andrew and Peter.
Professionally, at the time of her marriage to Jim, Dianne was a school teacher with the New South Wales Department of Education. Dianne Fisher was appointed on probation as a teacher with the Department on 20 September 1963 and her appointment, as Dianne Malone, was confirmed on 13 May 1966. Dianne resigned from the NSW Department of Education on 9 September 1968.
On a 1968 electoral roll, Jim and Dianne Malone were listed as residing at 20 Fairs Avenue Cronulla. Jim was then listed as being a draftsman and Dianne was listed as a teacher. Now located within the suburb of Woolooware, 20 Fairs Avenue is about 1.5 kilometres north west of Cronulla railway station.
Jim and Dianne Malone moved to Canberra in 1970 following Jim’s appointment as a Draftsman, Grade 1 with the Division of National Mapping. By 1972 (at latest) Jim and Dianne resided at 10 Folingsby Street Weston. This was to remain their family home until their marriage ended circa 1977.
Marriage to Ann - 1978
Jim and Ann married in Canberra in 1978. Ann was originally from Sydney but at age 17 years moved to Tamworth with her parents. Here Ann trained as a nurse at Tamworth Base Hospital. Ann had 2 daughters, Melissa and Katherine, from her previous marriage. Ann and Jim Malone were to have 2 children, sons James and Steven.
By 1980 (at latest), Ann Helena Malone and James Stanley Malone resided at 6 Kirkton Street Wanniassa. On an electoral roll for that year, Jim was listed as a draftsman and Ann as a nursing sister. In 1987, Ann and Jim Malone and their family moved their residence from Wanniassa to Weston.
Nat Map 1970-1987
As mentioned above, Jim Malone came to National Mapping in Canberra as a Draftsman, Grade 1 (Third Division) during 1970. Initially at Nat Map, Jim was engaged in the compilation and fair drawing of geographical maps. As outlined below, Jim was soon recognised as a talented draftsman, manager and senior officer. As a consequence, Jim advanced quite quickly in Nat Map.
Initially with Nat Map, Jim was located in Derwent House at 28 University Avenue on the west side of Civic. Between 1976 and 1981, Jim worked in Nat Map’s office at Morisset House, 9 Morisset Street Queanbeyan. In 1981, Jim moved with the rest of Nat Map’s head office to Unit 3 in the Cameron Offices, Chandler Street Belconnen.
Draftsman, Grade 2 1971-1972
On 11 March 1971, Jim Malone was formally promoted to Draftsman, Grade 2, in the Compilation and General Mapping Section of Nat Map’s Geographic Mapping Sub-section. In this position Jim’s designated duties were to carry out fair drawing, scribing and relief shading on the more difficult and prestige projects. He was also required to select and adjust cartographic data.
Senior Draftsman 1972-1974
On 2 November 1972, Jim Malone was promoted to Senior Draftsman in the Thematic Mapping Section of the Geographic Mapping Sub-section. In this position Jim’s formal duties were to check and edit compilations and maps produced by either the Sub-section or by contractors.
Senior Cartographer Colin Kimber, who joined Nat Map in 1969, recently recalled that the early 1970s saw the start of the production program for the 1:100 000 scale National Topgraphic Map Series. For this program, Nat Map used various contractor firms stationed in Canberra.
As a Senior Draftsman, Jim Malone was the Nat Map inspection officer for one contractor who had premises at the Jamison Shopping Centre in Macquarie. Nat Map received advice that this contractor was in financial difficulties. As a consequence, Jim was obliged to stay on the premises to stand guard over the locked vertiplans that stored the mapping material to ensure the contractor did not attempt to take the repromat, claiming it as their property even though they had completed only some of the required fairdrawing work.
Supervising Draftsman 1974-1978
On 6 June 1974, Jim Malone was promoted to Supervising Draftsman, in the Geographic Mapping Sub-section. In this position, Jim was in charge of the Geographic Mapping Sub-section and was responsible for maintaining quality control of the mapping produced by the Sub-section. He was also responsible for carrying out investigations and evaluations of work methods, control and source material
Jim Malone socialising with Mario Benassi in the 1970s.
In background from left: Trevor Imhoff, Elizabeth Munn, and Carlos Smittz.
XNatmap image.
Chief Draftsman, Grade 1 1978-1982
On 2 February 1978, Jim Malone was promoted to Chief Draftsman, Grade 1 in the Series Mapping Branch. This position saw Jim move from a mainly professional drafting role in to a more management focussed role. Here Jim’s primary duties were to assist Nat Map’s Chief Cartographer in the management of the Series Mapping Branch. In part, this role included preparing estimates of expenditure, staff and equipment required for efficient Branch operations, as well as organising staff recruitment and controlling Branch expenditure.
However, Jim’s work as Chief Draftsman, Grade 1 was not soley confined to management duties. He also had hands-on involvement in some major projects; a few of these are outlined below.
Kongsberg Project
Kongsberg GT 5000 scanner-plotter in Nat Map’s Belconnen office.
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Nat Map’s Special Projects Section in Queanbeyan between 1976 to 1981 included Claude King, Senior Surveyor; John Payne, Senior Research Officer; and Andrew Greenall, Principal Research Officer.
One of the major projects the section worked on was assessment of tenders for Nat Map’s first flatbed scanner-plotter, a Kongsberg GT 5000. A product of the Norwegian Kongsberg Group, the Kongsberg GT 5000 was then considered to be the state of the art for this equipment. The GT 5000 was purchased in 1981 and installed in the C4 Offices in May 1983. Such was the versatility of this machine in this era, both the Royal Australian Survey Corps and the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic Office also had Kongsberg GT 5000 plotters.
Located 70 kilometres south west of the Norwegian capital Olso, silver mines were established at Kongsberg in the early 1600s. In the early 1800s the mines and town at Kongsberg suffered an economic recession with associated distress and poverty. To create jobs and meet the desires from newly gained national independence, a government weapons factory was established at Konsberg in 1814. Today a private company, the Kongsberg Group is an international technology systems and solutions provider to the marine, defence, aerospace, oil and gas industries, and to the renewable and utilities industries.
In March 1981, Nat Mappers Bob Kennard and Jim Malone travelled to Kongsberg in Norway to undertake familiarisation and operator training on the Kongsberg plotter. This training was part of the purchase contract.
View over Kongsberg railway station in March 1981.
Bob Kennard image.
Mapping for the 1981 Census
Together with fellow Nat Map draftsmen Mario Benassi, Ruth Dodd, and Colin Kimber, Jim Malone was instrumental in streamlining the production of maps for the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 1981 Census of Population and Housing and for subsequent censuses. The 1981 Census was the first to use a new format of A3 maps instead of the larger, more difficult to use in the field, A0 and A1 size maps. The A3 maps were printed from paper plates in two colours at the ABS sub-printery in the Cameron Offices. The printing was supervised by Nat Map’s Mike Piper.
Later in 1981, Jim Malone prepared National Mapping Technical Report 30 Mapping for the 1981 Census. This report detailed Nat Map’s preparation of the field maps required for the 28 000 individual census collectors during the Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for 30 June 1981. [See Malone, James (1981), Mapping for the 1981 Census, Technical Report 30, Division of National Mapping, Department of National Development and Energy, Canberra.]
Chief Draftsman, Grade 2 1982-1985
On 18 February 1982, Jim Malone was promoted to Chief Draftsman, Grade 2 in the Thematic Mapping Branch. Here Jim’s role was to direct and co-ordinate the work of the Thematic Mapping Branch and liaise with client departments, contractors and other mapping authorities.
Between 25 February and 18 March 1983, Jim Malone, visited United States government mapping organisations. Specifically, Jim visited the United States Geological Survey at Reston, Virginia; the National Ocean Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at Silver Springs, Maryland; the United States Bureau of Census at Washington DC; and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at La Cañada Flintridge, (Pasadena), California.
Chief Executive Officer, Cartography 1985
Nat Mapper Bob Robinson (1924-1994) retired as Nat Map’s Chief Executive Officer, Cartography on 10 July 1985 after some 37 years of Nat Map service. Bob was replaced in that position by Jim Malone. Jim was confirmed in the position of Chief Executive Officer, Cartography on 3 October 1985. In this position, as well as being the head of Nat Map’s Cartographic Group, Jim was also a member of Nat Map’s executive team.
Jim Malone at a Nat Map executive meeting in Cameron Offices, 1986.
From left Peter O’Donnell, Jim Malone, Ruth Dodd, Alan Thomson, Con Veenstra, Rom Vassil, John Payne, and Don Gray. Rodney Garnett image.
When Jim Malone became the head of Nat Map’s Cartographic Group in 1985 it comprised:
• Geographic Branch under Geoff Parkinson
• Series Mapping Branch under Volker Zimmerman
• Thematic Mapping Branch under Murray de Plater
• Digital Mapping Branch under Drew Clarke.
The main functions of the Cartographic Group at that time were to:
• Produce and publish topographic and bathymetric maps
• Produce thematic maps
• Produce and publish the Atlas of Australian Resources and the Atlas of Population and Housing
• Prepare field maps for the Census of Population and Housing
• Prepare specialised maps for client departments
• Investigate, develop and operate digital map production
• Develop and maintain digital cartographic databases.
When Jim Malone became CEO, Cartography, Murray de Plater’s Thematic Mapping Branch included photolithography and mechanical operations that were then located in Derwent House under Supervising Draftsman Woldemir Wally Tatarow. Colin Kimber recalled that Jim, Murray and Wally had considerable input to planning the layout of the new Photolithograhic Laboratory at Fern Hill Park, Bruce in consultation with staff associations and Nat Map staff. The new Laboratory opened in March 1986 and was later named the Lambert Building for Bruce Philip Lambert (1912-1990) who was Director of National Mapping from 1951 to 1977.
Wally Tatarow and Jim Malone, at the Cameron Offices in the 1980s.
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Nat Map’s new Photolithograhic Laboratory at Bruce in 1986.
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National Mapping Council activities
From 1945, coordination of the national mapping activities of Commonwealth, State, and Territory government mapping agencies was undertaken by the National Mapping Council. The Coucil comprised the heads of these agencies and was chaired by the Director of National Mapping. Over the years, the Council established various committees and working groups to address specific mapping and surveying related matters.
In 1985 and 1986, at least, Jim Malone represented the Division of National Mapping at meetings of the National Mapping Council’s Technical Advisory Committee. These meetings were held in Sydney and and Bathurst, respectively. In addition to meeting attendance, Jim Malone’s Cartographic Group prepared numerous graphical mapping progress reports and other material for the National Mapping Council. In 1988, the National Mapping Council was replaced by the Intergovernmental Committee on Mapping and Surveying.
Professional body involvement
In June 1971, Jim Malone joined the Australian Institute of Cartographers as an Associate Member. Incorporated as a national body in 1952, the Institute sought to advance the art and science of making maps and to improve the knowledge and standards of cartography. In April 1982, having obtained his degree of Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Geography, Jim was re‑graded to Member of the Institute. In 1995, the Australian Institute of Cartographers changed its name to the Mapping Sciences Institute, Australia.
AUSLIG 1987-1994
Under revised government administrative arrangements inplemented in July 1987, National Mapping functions became part of the newly formed Australian Surveying and Land Information Group within the Department of Administrative Services. Initially with AUSLIG, Jim Malone continued to be located in the Cameron Offices at Belconnen. However, from June 1991, along with other AUSLIG elements Jim was relocated to the Scrivener Building at Fern Hill Park, Bruce. Jim continuued to work at Fern Hill until his Public Service retirement in 1994.
Peggy Bright, a Client Liaison Officer with the Lyneham-based marketing and communication agency Communication Partners recalled that people who knew Jim mainly through National Mapping and AUSLIG might not have known about another important job he did beyond cartography. During the early 1990s, Jim worked closely with Communication Partners to implement a broad marketing program for AUSLIG. That working relationship lasted until Jim retired from AUSLIG in February 1994. Peggy recalled that Jim was passionate about showcasing AUSLIG’s work. For this purpose, over five or so years, Communication Partners produced more than 350 products; from stationery, calendars and a style manual to product catalogues, user manuals and packaging.
Peggy remembered the AUSLIG Map Product Catalogue as the nicest surprise. In 1992, AUSLIG entered this catalogue in the annual Australian catalogue awards competition. This competition was initiated by the Sydney-based Huntingdale Design in 1990 and was later run by the the Australian Graphic Design Association. The Map Product Catalogue won a Gold award in the miscellaneous category in 1992. A year later and in the same category, the AUSLIG Digital Data Product Catalogue won an award. Unfortunately in the 1994 competition, the AUSLIG Remote Sensing Product Catalogue was not successful.
Public Service retirement 1994
On 25 February 1994, Jim Malone retired from the Department of Administrative Services under the provisions of Section 76W of the Public Service Act 1922. Jim was then classified as a Senior Professional Officer Grade A. He was 50 years of age.
Work after the Public Service
Soon after Jim retired from AUSLIG in 1994 he joined the marketing and communication agency Communication Partners at Lyneham for several months as acting General Manager.
The agency’s Client Liaison Officer Peggy Bright recalled that Jim had developed a good working relationship with Communication Partners when he was with AUSLIG. This working relationship lasted until Jim retired from AUSLIG in 1994. Peggy recalled: But Communication Partners wasn’t letting him off the hook that easily. When the agency’s owners, Keith and Karen Barlin, decided to take an extended overseas holiday, they roped Jim into serving as the agency’s acting general manager. He was perfect for the job, but we welcomed him with a funny card, saying: What's next now that you’ve painted yourself into a corner?
Peggy also recalled that Jim later worked with Communication Partners on the production of a manual for the Department of Administrative Services’ Driver Training package.
Senior Cartographer Peter Rogers had worked with Jim Malone at Nat Map and AUSLIG and before then at the New South Wales Department of Lands. Peter recalled that he also worked with Jim for a short period at Sinclair Knight Merz in the 1990s. This work involved managing the printing and distributing of over one million Sydney public transport directories for the New South Wales State Government.
Founded in 1964, Sinclair Knight Merz was an Australian private firm that operated world-wide in the fields of strategic consulting, engineering and project delivery. In April 1997, SKM formed a subsidiary, Landinfo Pty Ltd. In that year, SKM’s Landinfo division took over part of AUSLIG’s mapping function. In late 2013, SKM was acquired by the United States international technical and professional services firm Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated for some $Aus 1.3 billion.
Ann and Jim Malone in recent years.
Image supplied by Ann Malone.
Vale
From around 2018, Jim Malone had suffered with indifferent health. In April 2019, Jim was admitted to the Canberra Hospital in Garran. By August 2019, Jim was diagnosed as suffering with dementia and was residing at the RSL LifeCare Fred Ward Gardens nursing home in Curtin. Sadly, Jim Malone died on Wednesday 27 January 2021 at age 77 years. Jim was survived by Ann, his wife of over 40 years, by their 6 children: Andrew, Peter, Melissa, Katherine, James and Steven and by their 13 grandchildren: Matthew, Elizabeth, Hazel, Olivia, Caelan, Aiden, Seanna, Mykah, Mia, Lana, Frances, Eloise and George.
Jim Malone’s funeral commenced at 1:30 pm in the Chapel at Norwood Park Crematorium on Friday 5 February 2021. The arrangements were conducted by Toscan Dinn Funerals of Weston. A number of Nat Mappers were among the mourners at Jim’s funeral, namely Wally and Irene Tatarow, John Payne, Peter Rogers, Colin Kimber, Trevor Imhoff, Seamus Donoghue, Tony Tkachenko, Mike Klug and Gareth Thomas as well as Peggy Bright (from Communication Partners).
All Nat Mappers who knew and worked with Jim Malone over the years extend their condolences to Jim’s wife Ann and their family for their sad loss. Jim is sadly missed but fondly remembered by his wife and family and by his many Nat Map colleagues.
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank the following people who kindly provided valuable information that greatly assisted with the preparation of this article:
· Ann Malone
· Paul Wise
· Charlie Watson
· John Payne (who also kindly coordinated information from others below)
· Peggy Bright
· Murray de Plater
· Peter Rogers
· Bob Kennard
· Colin Kimber
· Trevor Imhoff.