About Ivan
Retired underground coal miner, Whitsunday wedding celebrant, Justice of the Peace (Qual) and pilot. These days I help celebrants and other computer users get the most from their software and computer systems.
Celebrant Suite and Windows support
I provide email, telephone and remote Quick Assist support for both the Desktop and Web editions of Byronware’s The Celebrant Suite, and for any Windows-related issues. I also created The Celebrant Connection program for The Celebrant Suite, including the new web edition.
Having spent more than two decades as a celebrant myself, I know how the software is used in practice. You can reach me by email, mobile phone, Messenger or the Byronware Facebook User Group.
From the coalfields to the Whitsundays
Almost 40 years underground
I worked in the coal mining industry for almost 40 years as an underground miner, machine operator, Deputy, Safety Officer and Training Officer. I retired from mining in December 1997 to pursue a new career as an Authorised Marriage Celebrant and Justice of the Peace (Qual) in the Whitsundays.
Whitsunday Celebrant, 1995–2019
I officiated at more than 3,500 wedding, commitment, renewal of vows and naming ceremonies between December 1995 and October 2019. They took place across the Central Highlands coalfields, Rockhampton, Townsville, Mackay and the Whitsundays, and I always aimed to maintain the highest standard of professionalism.
There were many highlights. I officiated at my daughter’s wedding on Hamilton Island and the weddings of many friends and colleagues. I conducted ceremonies aboard beautifully restored sailing ships, on Whitehaven Beach, at island and mainland resorts, and on luxury vessels and charter yachts. One was held in a helicopter hovering over Heart Reef on Valentine’s Day, and another was the wedding of the late Jason Moran on Hamilton Island. My final wedding was for the daughter of a great coalmining mate I had worked with for years, and we remain good friends to this day.
Home on the Sunshine Coast
The Whitsundays had been our family holiday destination since 1974, and I was christened on Daydream Island in 1944. My parents occasionally managed the island, hosting concert parties for American sailors on leave during the war, and the island’s owners, the Moody family, were my godparents. My wife Maureen and I lived in Airlie Beach from December 1997 until October 2019, when we moved to the Queensland Sunshine Coast to be closer to family. I continue my role as a Justice of the Peace (Qual) and my ongoing role supporting the Byronware Celebrant Suite program.
My life in photos
The Coalminer
The Celebrant
Father-Grandfather
The Support Consultant
The Adventurer
The Pilot
Flying
I gained my Private Pilot’s Licence in 1971 and later owned my own aircraft. It gave me fast access to island resorts and inland towns, which made travelling to ceremonies much easier. My most memorable flight was around Australia in a Cessna 172 with Maureen and five other aircraft, visiting scenic locations along the way.
Rising costs, health issues and vision impairment eventually made flying unaffordable, but I still treasure the memories of more than 3,000 flying hours.
My 160HP Cessna 150M VH-SKR
My Cessna 150M, known as SKR], was fitted with a 160hp four-cylinder Lycoming engine and long-range fuel tanks. That gave it six hours' endurance at a 120-knot cruise, and it was a pleasure to fly. I logged many enjoyable hours in SKR, including at air shows, flying events and competitions. After I reluctantly parted with her, she was crashed at Eneabba, Western Australia, on 16 December 2007 and removed from the register the following year.
