transcription by Anna Hepworth
(being a transcription of p2, the third page of the SwanCon 7 Program Book)
Guest of Honour
ROBIN JOHNSON
My first recollection of Robin is in the old Melbourne SF Club at one of the small conventions held there. He had driven down from Sydney where he was living at the time, having only recently come out from England. A year or so after that if my recollections are correct, he then came to stay in Melbourne for what I think was about ten years. He now resides in Sydney again.
During this time he became involved with the bid to hold the World SF Con in Melbourne in 1975 and I believe his main interest in fandom is convention going. He has attended most of the major conventions held in Australia over the last ten years and at least four World Cons. Most recently he was a member of the Australia in ’83 bidding committee.
Robin is probably best known to people on the fringe of fandom as the Chairman of Aussiecon, the 1975 World SF Convention held in Melbourne, but to the rest of us he has not only been a very active fan but the un-official travel agent for Australian fandom. Although trained as a computer programmer his aim has always been to open his own travel agency, meanwhile as an employee or part-time agent for travel firms he has been organising trips for not only Australian fans going overseas, but visiting fans and pros from overseas to Australia.
Robin was born in Tasmania when his father was aid[sic] to the Governor of Tasmania, his parents being English born. Although they returned to England eventually, and Robin went with them of course, he was eventually drawn back to the place where he was born. I am glad he was. Everybody will agree he is a real nice guy and a true friend. He did a great job holding the AUSSIECON committee together or apart as the case may be and I am very pleased that SWANCON has finally recognised the great job that Robin has done for fandom by making him their Guest-of-Honour.
Merv Binns.
[at the bottom of the page there is a silhouette drawing of an air craft flying past an individual standing on a balcony of what might be the top of a light-house. The picture is signed ‘Ken Fletcher ’69.]