Sailing with Cousteau

by C & G McCulloch

On Monday 4th December at the Attadale Rotary Club meeting President Colin McCulloch was delighted to welcome the Guest Speaker Patrick Allioux and his wife Sue.  Rotarian Patricia Robertson introduced her friend Patrick and spoke a little about his background.

Patrick was born in Brittany on the west coast of France.  After school he enrolled in the French Navy and trained as a marine engineer. He then served on the "grey" boats for 15 years.  The navy then seconded him to the Cousteau Society to crew Commandant Jacques Cousteau's new second boat "Alcyone".  They criss-crossed the Pacific Ocean making documentaries along the way.  Patrick shared his stories and photos of all the places they visited as well as speaking about revolutionary sails on tanker ships that were four to five times more efficient than regular sailing boats.

After six years and the Kimberley expedition, while up-keeping the boat in Fremantle, Patrick met a young nurse, Sue.  After Patrick and Sue had married he left the French navy but still worked as a civilian for Jean-Michel Cousteau.  After another couple of years the Cousteau Society began to decline, there was no expedition coming and life at sea is not a family life.  Patrick then began working at a Perth company doing the maintenance of diesel generators in mine sites.  After various other jobs in the maintenance industry, he landed in Kwinana looking after the maintenance of a flocculent production plant where he stayed for 20 years before retiring.

Patrick still keeps himself very busy with the Cockburn Sea Rescue Group and the Cockburn Pipe Band.

Pictured is Attadale Rotary President Colin McCulloch with the Guest Speaker Patrick Allioux and his wife Sue and Rotarian Patricia Robertson.

Also two of the hard working Attadale Rotarians Greg James and Gail McCulloch who both gave a very interesting, entertaining and enlightening thumbnail sketch of their early days and what led them to joining Rotary.