I hope it's not a going away present and that Parkes will remain operational in the long term. There was talk of closing it down just a year or two ago.
I first knew John during our University days and hadn't seen him for over 30 years until I met him again at CWAS Astrofest a couple of years ago.
His passion for science/astronomy hasn't wavered.
Well done john, and well deserved,you have been a tireless contributor to the amateur and professional astronomy community for many years, not to mention your ongoing work tracking down the remaining original Apollo tapes and preserving them. That is a legacy the whole human race can appreciate
regards brad