Vale Mike Smyth

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Mike Smyth, radiocommunications industry legend and journalist extraordinaire, who passed away yesterday.

Mike Smyth was one of those people who had seen through the mobile mania, telling anyone who would listen that two-way radio, especially HF, would remain essential for all public safety and critical communications operations. He was vindicated. Critical Comms magazine, which some people also thought would be decimated by the mobile market, weathered the storm and is today stronger than ever.

Mike was unashamedly English. (How English? Well, there were rumours that he actually supported the England cricket team.) He spent much of his early working life as the chief subeditor on a daily newspaper in Ipswich, a major town in the incredibly beautiful county of Suffolk. After a time, he made the journey to Australia (rumours suggest he was deported, but we’ve been unable to confirm that). He ended up editing a Sydney suburban newspaper before finding his way to Westwick-Farrow, the publishers of this magazine, 19 years ago.

Over the years Mike was at the helm of many of our publications — including Radio Comms Asia-Pacific, What’s New in Electronics, What’s New in Process Technology, What’s New in Telecommunications, What’s New in Scientific and Laboratory Technology, What’s New in Computing, What’s New in Pneumatics and Hydraulics — and assisted in editing and writing for every other magazine in the Westwick-Farrow stable. His long experience, technical knowledge and passion for quality journalism were huge assets.

Mike was one of those incredibly strong planks that all good businesses rely on — there was no job he would not tackle; he would do everything he could to make the business the success it has been and still is today.

To some of his colleagues, Mike was affectionately known as Mr Grumpy — immortalised with his Grumpy page in What’s New in Electronics. But in reality, he was always ready to help and always the first to put up his hand when the wheels were falling off within the editorial department and a magazine or editor needed some help. There probably hasn’t been a single editor in the whole organisation who hasn’t turned to Mike at some stage for advice or a witty headline.

Mike retired three years ago to spend more time with family and his hobbies.

On behalf of everyone in the Australasian radio and electronics scene, we extend our sympathies and thoughts to his family.