Julie Townsend
| Fan | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Julie Townsend |
| Alias(es): | |
| Type: | fan, fan club staff, fanzine editor, huckster, teddy bear crafter |
| Fandoms: | Star Trek, multimedia |
| Communities: | Down Under Space Kooks, Astrex |
| Other: | |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Julie Townsend (25 August 1961 - 29 September 2024) was an Australian fan who helped to run a number of Star Trek clubs, newsletters and fanzines in the 1970s.
Background
Julie Townsend was born on 25th August, 1961. Her mother passed away from leukaemia when Julie was around 7 years old, and she was brought up by her father and her Auntie Dot, assisted by neighbourhood families.[1]
Julie met Edwina Harvey at high school when they were around 14 years old. They shared an interest in science-fiction, especially Star Trek and Dr Who. They were both interested in reading, and this led to them both becoming assistants for the school library, along with a younger student, Cate Morgan, who shared their love of science-fiction.[1]
Finding the address of the Star Trek Welcommittee in one of the Star Trek (TOS) novelizations by James Blish, they decided to write to the Welcommittee (UK) asking if there were any active Star Trek fan clubs in Australia. This led to them being put in contact with Australian Welcommittee representative, Diane Marchant, who provided contact details of other Australian Star Trek fans who had contacted her over the years. Julie and Edwina sent letters to these other fans who included Shayne McCormack and Sue Clarke who had formed two SF/ST clubs; DUSK, (Down Under Space Kooks) and STAC (Star Trek Appreciation Club).
From Sue’s enthusiastic response, and the interest shown from other Star Trek fans Julie and Edwina had contacted, ASTREX, (aka ASTREX, the Star Trek Club of NSW to avoid confusion with Austrek, the Star Trek club formed in Victoria around the same time) was formed.
Julie is remembered by childhood friend, fellow fan, Edwina Harvey:
Julie had aspirations of either joining the police force, or training Guide Dogs for the Blind, a charity she long supported. Her father took her on a road trip to Melbourne so she could visit the Guide Dogs for the Blind training centre one summer holiday. Instead of pursuing either of these interests once she graduated high school, Julie studied librarianship. She managed to combine two of her loves by working at the Australian Institute of Police Management library at Manly, NSW. Julie also worked in the library of Australian Catholic University at Strathfield and spent many years working at Bankstown TAFE.
Julie had several trips abroad during her life, touring parts of England and Scotland with Edwina in 1985, going on a package tour of China with her friend from library studies, Cathy, primarily to see panda bears, a few years later, and going to Alaska and California with Edwina in 2006. Julie played basketball in primary school, and was a keen fan of the Sydney Swans.
Julie had several Shetland sheepdogs throughout her life, starting with Mat, then Knight, followed by Phantom. After that she rescued a sheepdog cross called Cindy from a local pound around 2007. She also had a budgie named Hookie (after her favourite band, Dr Hook) who was a real little character and cherished pet of hers, her father’s and Aunt Dot (and anyone else who got to know him!)Julie counted The Osmonds, especially Donny because his favourite colour was purple, same as Julie’s) The Beach Boys, The Bay City Rollers and The Moody Blues among her favourite bands, but her all-time favourite band was Dr Hook and the Medicine Show. She went to their concerts every chance she got, including a concert they performed in Nottingham, England, when she was travelling in the UK. She had met the members of the band many times by then, and they’d got to know her. When she met them backstage in Nottingham they asked if she’d come all the way from Australia just to see them. (She said they weren’t the only reason, but she was thrilled to be able to see them while overseas.)[1]
Fandom Activities
Julie combined forces with Edwina Harvey, Cate Morgan, Sue Clarke and her family to start ASTREX, the Star Trek club of NSW. Julie was an active member of ASTREX, searching for Star Trek news and articles in magazines such as TV Week, attending collating weekends for club newsletter, DATA, and fanzines Beyond Antares and Blake’s 7 fanzine Chronicles. She was also instrumental in organizing judges and prizes for the first few ASTREX literary Awards.
She and Edwina attended the monthly Star Trek marathons at Anzac House, Sydney, where they promoted the club and sold copies of newsletters and fanzines.
Julie also attended SF conventions over the years including Medtreks 1, 2 & 3, organized by Sue Clarke and family.
She attended Aussietrek, the Star Trek convention organised by Karen and John Lewis, held at the Menzies Hotel, Sydney with George Takei as Guest of Honour in 1978.
In 1985 Julie and Edwina toured parts of England and Scotland, where they managed to attend three science fiction conventions in six weeks: A Star Trek convention at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, where they met the Guest of Honour, Mark Lenard, a Blake’s 7 convention, and a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy convention in Birmingham where Mark Wing-Davey (Zaphod Beeblebrox in the HHG radio and television series) and special effects person, Kevin Davies, were Guests of Honour.
A few months after returning to Australia, Julie attended Aussiecon 2, the second Australian Worldcon in Melbourne, where she dressed as an “Unconventional Conventioner” from Rocky Horror Picture Show along with Sue Pears, Moira MacDougall and Edwina Harvey on the night of the masquerade, but the group didn’t enter the masquerade competition.
In 1986, Julie was asked by Bob Johnson to coordinate a "Stuffies" exhibition (in the style of "Crufts: The World's Greatest Dog Show") at Time-Warped convention and award the prizes to the winning owners.
She also attended the Worldcon in Anaheim in 2006.
Julie’s interest in collecting Teddy Bears started when she was in high school and grew enormously. She made sure she visited the teddy bear museum in Brisbane on a road trip up the coast she and Edwina did in the late 1970s. She often attended the annual Teddy bears picnics at Wentworth Park, and doll and bear shows at the Sydney Opera House, amassing quite a collection that eventually populated their own room when she was living in Rosebery. She also started a club for teddy-bear enthusiasts called "In Teddies We Trust".
Apart from Star Trek and Dr Who, Blake’s 7, Star Wars, and the Lord of the Rings movies, Julie was also a big fan of TV series such as Knight Rider, T.J. Hooker, Starsky and Hutch and The Professionals.
Later Years
Julie retired from work on medical grounds when her osteoarthritis (?) became more severe. She frequently visited Aunt Dot (who had shared the family home with Julie most of Julie’s life) when her Aunt moved to a nursing home in Maroubra. When Aunt Dot passed away in 2017, Julie sold the Rosebery home and moved to Brisbane to be closer to her cousins.[1]
Susan Smith-Clarke paid tribute:
Julie Townsend, one of my longest friends in fandom, part of the creative team of Harvey and Townsend, along with Cate Morgan, made her first ST Club in her school, then joined me, Ron Clarke, and the Smith Family of Blacktown to start Astrex in 1976. We had great weekends together and long phone calls... about Dad and Aunty Dot, Cindy the dog, the teddy's and everything Star Trek, The Professionals, Blake's 7 and Dr Who. And just about everything else. Life, the Universe... I made it finally to the newest Bears Den last where Julie's dream home shared with her dog Katy and all her bears and memorabilia, that she had described to me in her letters and calls. It was magical, catalogued, ordered and incredibly loved. Julie was a gentle, intelligent soul who lived with passion... football and bears and family. She was 63 years young when she joined her family again last Sunday. Have fun, Julie.[2]
Zines
Beyond Antares | In Teddies We Trust | Data (newsletter)
Photos
Aussiecon 2, 1985. Back row left to right: Moira MacDougall, Edwina Harvey, Sue Pears, Julie Townsend. Front row left to right: ? and Liz Czepiel (photo supplied by Edwina Harvey)
Some of Julie's bears, 2023 (photo by Susan Smith-Clarke)
Julie's den in 2023 (photo by Susan Smith-Clarke)
Some of Julie's collection in 2023 (photo by Susan Smith-Clarke)
