The Pigeon Radio Australia Team

Ivan Fonti

Executive Producer/Presenter

Ivan Fonti has over 30 years of experience in radio broadcasting. Having produced a number of multicultural programs on
various community radio stations in Australia.

He started back in 1980 involved in producing the Croatian radio program on 3EA Melbourne, which is now known as SBS.
He then went on to produce the Croatian radio program on 3ZZZ 92.3FM.

He was involved in producing many multicultural programs. at many stations,88.3 Southern FM,979FM Melton 97.9FM,3CR,3BBB 99.9FM Ballarat, WYNFM 88.9FM and Canberra Multicultural Service Community Radio 91.1FM.

In the 1990s, Ivan was the producer of “Croatian Television Vukovar”
on community television station Channel 31 Melbourne.

Peter Matic

Peter Matic is a 53 yr old pigeon fancier that was born in Australia of German and Croatian parentage. At the age of four, his family decided to move back to Germany where they purchased a house not far from the Dutch/Belgium border, and this is where his love affair with pigeons began. Peter said that as a child he could still remember his first contact with pigeons, as a neighbour kept and raced pigeons and that as a fascinated child would spend most of his free time in the loft with his neighbour. Peter said that his neighbour became his mentor and even after all the years that have past can still remember all the secrets and methods that which were told and showed to him. Peter said that his neighbour would always say “nothing comes from nothing, don’t waste your short life with pigeons that are too slow or weak, they belong in Pigeon Heaven”. In those days the pigeon sport was still very big with nearly everyone in our village keeping pigeons, we’re taking 1967 like it was the only sport that existed. Peter saying he always wanted to know how pigeons found their way home and why some were fast and others slow. Living only 15 km from the Dutch and Belgium border made it easy to visit many other pigeons fanciers and do the household shopping while there. On one of his visits, he befriended a Dutch fancier who was racing on the “widowhood” system and was seemly unbeatable. This new friend helped Peter and his father build a widowhood loft and taught Peter how to bring his birds into top condition.

 Charlie Grech

Pigeon Radio Australia Vet
Dr. Rob Marshall, BV Sc, MAVC Sc (Avian Health)

The Avian Veterinarian

Dr. Rob Marshall is a bird veterinarian with more than 30 years experience in treating birds. He has kept birds since the age of eight. The age he decided to become a bird veterinarian.

Since 1975, Dr. Marshall has been attending to birds as a veterinarian. In 1988, he received his M.A.C.V.Sc. degree in Avian Medicine. He is the author of many books and videos and is regularly presents scientific papers at national and international veterinary conferences. His last presentation can be viewed in the budgerigar section. His last books are: “Eclectus Parrots as Pet and Aviary Birds” (ISBN 0-9750817-0-5), which was published in 2004 by Australian Birdkeeper Publications and Canary Health published in 2006 in the USA. His latest book “The Budgerigar” is 430 pages long with more than 1500 color photographs and has taken more than 13 years to write.

In 1988, Dr. Marshall started developing and refining a range of health products and medicines specifically for the racing pigeon. By 1995, a superlative range of bird medicines and health products had been perfected. It is well known that these are the very best and most advanced products available for birds, catering for the bird owner who follows the motto of “when only the best will do”.
Dr. Rob Marshall has a passionate interest in wild ecology and biology and was included as a veterinary consultant for the Northern Territory recovery program of the endangered Gouldian Finch. He has recently completed a ten-year long study of the biology and breeding behavior of the wild budgerigar which is detailed in “The Budgerigar” book. Research into the nutritional requirements and breeding behavior of the Australian Eclectus has also been completed recently. Present research projects include the breeding of old pure families of chicken breeds for the restaurant trade who will be evaluating their inherent flavors and in collaboration with bird trainer Tailai O’Brien explore new methods for treating behavioral problems in pet birds.

There are many different health programmes.

Tony has been racing pigeons for 40 years and has won many federation races n the late ’70s 80’s and ’90s He was struck with a battle with cancer in the late ’90s and had to give the sport away. On his recovery from his illness and cancer in remission, Tony decided to get back into pigeon racing and is a staunch supporter of the promotion of the sport in the community. A great help in behind the scenes works at Pigeon Radio Australia.