Bill Denham
Vale Bill Denham
Macca 49 and Mawson 61
‘..Dad passed away, very peacefully, last night….The funeral is on Friday at 2.30 George Hartnett Funerals, Anzac Ave. Redcliffe…’
Debbie can be contacted on and would be pleased to hear from any ANARE expeditioners who knew her father.
David Carstens wrote:
Hello Debbie Hayman,
Thank you for letting us know about your Dad, Bill Denham’s death. The information has been circulated by Queensland Club President, Richard Unwin, and further by the Federal President of ANARE Club, Ingrid Mccaughey.
Bill Denham was one of the regulars at Queensland Midwinter Dinners for many years; he and Ken Bott usually travelled together to attend. The records I have, although incomplete in more recent detail, show that Bill attended every Midwinter Dinner from 1986 to 2001 plus the Jubilee Dinner in 1997. I have not analysed the records after 2001 but am aware that Bill regretted not being able to attend these reunions in more recent years but recorded his response / apology each year.
I travelled to Mawson with Bill as part of the 1961 Party, but then I returned to Melbourne on Thala Dan, due to the loss of the aircraft in the blizzard in December 1960. I returned to Mawson 1962 on the Nella Dan, which was the relief ship for the 1961 Party. ( I then stayed for the year in 1962.)
It was always highlighted at Midwinter Dinners that we had two 1949 Macquarie Island expeditioners present, Bill and Noel Haysom. These were normally our “oldest” expeditioners. Of course there were also Ken Bott from Heard Island 1951 and Trevor Boyd from Macquarie Island 1950.
The Queensland Branch of the ANARE Club always enjoyed the company of Bill Denham at Club Gatherings.
Please accept my personal condolences on the death of a great fellow and a good expeditioner.
David Carstens.
This was posted on 22 September 2010
