30th anniversary 2012: How things have changed 1982–2012

Technology and communication

The single greatest change over the past 30 years has not been to the ride itself but to the communication technology supporting it. In 2012, with the ACTERA and NSWERA websites being the main source of ride information, and instant communication being available by voice, email and social media through a range of mobile devices, it is easy to overlook the fact that 30 years ago most ride-related information was obtained through the printed media, letter or fixed-line telephone.

In the early 1980s the monthly magazine Hoofs and Horns was still the main means of disseminating information about endurance riding, including the ride calendar, point scores and ride reports. Most of the photos and reports of local rides that were published in Hoofs and Horns at that time were provided by Brigitte Heyer from Queanbeyan, who was the official photographer at the National Capital ride for many years. It was not until the late 1980s that the NSWERA newsletter began to include general information from members, such as ride previews and reviews. ACTERA also placed notices about forthcoming rides, and stories about rides, in the Canberra Times and sometimes in other newspapers such as The Land. Notices about club meetings were placed in the ‘Pets and Livestock’ section of the Canberra Times.

In 1986 the then ACTERA secretary, Carol Sparkes, started a newsletter to help communication among ACTERA members. This newsletter, which was printed and posted, was produced several times a year up to the late 1990s and occasionally until 2004, when it became redundant due to increased use of electronic communication. In 1990 ACTERA purchased an electric typewriter to help the secretary with correspondence, material for rides and production of the newsletter. This was regarded as quite advanced technology at the time as very few ACTERA members had access to word processors. Up to the late 1990s the ACTERA newsletter had to be posted to the majority of members as they did not have access to email. In late 1998 it was emailed for the first time, but only to around 25% of members. An ACTERA website was established in 1998 but was perhaps a bit ahead of its time. A new ACTERA website was established in 2003 and has now become the main vehicle for communicating information from ACTERA.

For the rides held in Canberra, with mains power available at the ride office, it has been the practice for several years to enter ride data directly into a laptop rather than filling in master sheets by hand. It was not until 2009 that, with some trepidation, we dared to do this at Brookvale - using two deep-cycle batteries as the power source and a portable solar panel to recharge them if necessary. Happily, the experiment was a success and electronic data entry is now also routine practice at Brookvale.

In the last few years technology has also made the course organisers' task easier by enabling them to measure proposed courses accurately and produce altitude profiles through Google Earth. GPS navigation equipment helps riders find their way to the ride base (except when something goes wrong), and many riders now carry personal GPS units and are quick to tell us if they think we are a bit out with the length of a leg or the placement of a distance marker.

Despite the advances in technology, though, the ride base and a substantial part of the course are still out of range of normal mobile phones.

By Melanie O'Flynn

Back to 30th anniversary home page