Was born in Middletown Ohio, USA. Travelled to Australia with parents and brother Brown (8 months old) on the SS Ventura arriving Melbourne Nov 1929. Lived in a rented house in Caufield, Melb. about 1 year until Dad bought 22 Jesamine Ave, Windsor.
Family visited the USA by Matson liners Monterey and Mariposa in 1937 for about 8 months. This extended time was due to my having a mastoid operation (my 3 rd). Shortly after returning to Melb. the family moved to Sydney in Dec 1937 or Jan 1938. We rented a house on the corner of Warrawee Ave. and Bengala St.(Wahroonga) for about 1 year (with the permission of the owner Dad named the house "Wichita" and it is still so named in May 2003) until Dad bought 47 Fox Valley Rd., Warrawee.
I attended Knox Grammar School from the start of 1938 school year until I finishing the Leaving Certificate at the end of 1942 when aged 17½. I attended the Summerhayse Business College learning shorthand, typing and "business principles" (accounting) for 5 months until my call-up to the RAAF on 14 Jul 1943. I had to swear a special oath on enlistment because I was still an American citizen. In effect I swore to serve the RAAF and resist it's enemies rather than serve the King and resist his enemies.
My 1st camp was the air crew Initial Training School at Kingaroy, Qld. where I studied for 3 months graduating as a potential Pilot. I was then sent to Narromine, NSW. and the 3 month course at the Elementary Flying Training School. I was chosen along with about 1/3rd of the graduates to do my Secondary Flying Training School in Canada. We departed from Brisbane on the SS Lurline landing in San Fransisco, then train to Vancover and on to Edmonton, Alberta arriving March 1944. After a month in holding camp there we went to Penhold (near Red Deer, Alberta) to the No. 36 SFTS as Course 105. What was normally a 4 month course became 7 due to the progress of the war in Europe. Finally in Nov 1944 we were sent home. After some time stationed at Benalla, Vic. I applied for my discharge which I got at Bradfield, NSW on the 14th Aug 1945 - the day before VP day.
Attended Sydney University as a Repat. Student 1946 to 1949 graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree with Chemistry and Mathematics as major subjects. Early 1948
I proposed to Pam Fear and we were married 23 Mar 1949.
Worked at Timbrol Ltd. for 5 yrs [Jan 1950 to Jun/Jul 1955] as a research chemist. Then Wilcox Mofflin Ltd. for 5 yrs as Chief Chemist. Had 2 yrs at Chemical Materials Ltd. then 7½ yrs at Geigy Aust. starting as head of the Quality Control Lab and finishing as the Chief Chemist of the Pendle Hill, NSW factory. I worked for 6 weeks too long for Quality Earths Pty Ltd then for 16½ yrs with ICI Aust. Again I started as head of the Quality Control Lab at the Rural Products factory at Villawood, NSW and retired at 62 in June 1987 as Chief Chemist.
For the first 7 months of our marriage Pam and I rented the flat (in Kuring-Gai Court Roseville) of a friend of the Fears who was overseas. On her return we moved into 47 Fox Valley Rd. with my family about Nov 1949. My mother died in Sept. of that year and Dad announced his engagement to Merle Stevenson not long after. Shortly after their wedding (7 Apr 1951) Pam and I moved into "Palm Court", Garden Square, Gordon to live with her family. While there Andrew was born on the 11 Sep 1951.
We found a ½ built house at 10 Parklands Rd. Mt Colah to buy and I started to finish it. We moved in about Nov. 1951long before we had kitchen cupboards or a lounge room floor. The local council would let you move in as soon as the toilet worked and the bathroom had a door.
While there Jane was born 26 May 1953 and Neil on 10 Dec 1955. We sold Parklands Rd. Jan 1959 while I was still working for Wilcox Mofflin. We rented a house in Waitara until we bought the land at 40a Beecroft Rd. Beecroft on 23 Mar 1959 [our 10th wedding anniversary]. Shortly after this purchase we were fortunate enough to be able to rent 46 Beecroft Rd. which bordered our land. We were able to supervise the building of our house and moved in in Oct 1960.
Shortly before retirement I decided to take up flying again as an interest to pursue after retirement. I joined the Sydney Ultralight Flying Club as one of it's original members. Soloed in the club Lightwing in 5 ½ hrs. after a 40 year break from flying and shortly after became an instructor. I now (2003) have about 900 hrs instructing which I did every Tues. and every second Sunday (weather permitting) until Pam and I moved into 5 Kidner Close, Mowll Village, Castle Hill, NSW 2154 on the 1st July 2002. Since moving I have done very little flying as the traveling time has increased from 1½ hrs to 1¾ hrs.
We bought the Beecroft land of just over 1 acre for £2000 and had the house built for the tender price of £5000. We sold for $1.35M.

Was a bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force 2 yrs as a bomber pilot between high school and college. Got a BS from Sydney University in Chemistry and Math. Worked as a chemist formulating pesticides, ending 16 years with ICI as chief Chemist of their Rural Products factory. Was retired and officer in Sydney Ultralight Flying Club. Involved in several charitable organizations, blood donations, etc. He was playing tennis up to 2-3 months before he passed away.
In mid Dec 2008 they discovered cancer in his liver. He died early in evening of 20th February 2009 with his family around him. Bob was an extraordinarily decent man, a good family man and very community minded; if anyone wanted something done Bob was always there to do it with pleasure and no fuss. His wonderful Family Tree was his final achievement - and he was very pleased with it!
[Obituary]. Scotch College Melbourne - Publications
Robert Smock CONROW (’42) was born on 27 June 1925 at Middletown, Ohio, USA, the son of an engineer at American Rolling Mills (Armco). The family arrived in Melbourne on the SS Ventura in November 1929. Bob attended Scotch from 1933–37, and his brother Ransom attended from 1934–37. They went to Knox Grammar School in Sydney when their father moved Armco’s headquarters. Bob served in the RAAF from 1943–47 and was demobilised as a flight sergeant. As an American citizen, he had to swear a special Oath of Allegiance provided by the US Consulate and acceptable to the Australian Government. He completed his pilot training in Canada near the end of the war in Europe, and was not required as only experienced pilots were being sent to Japan. From 1946 Bob studied Science at Sydney University and graduated in 1949. Like his brother, Bob was an industrial chemist, working firstly for agricultural chemical company Timbrol, and eventually becoming chief chemist in ICI’s Agricultural division. He married Pamela Fay Fear in St. Albans Anglican Church, Lindfield, NSW on 23 March 1949 and they had two sons (who also attended Knox) and a daughter. He played tennis until two months before his death and was a foundation member of the Sydney Ultralight Association, becoming its senior flying instructor and honorary treasurer. At 81 he decided against renewing his pilot’s licence and joined a computer club. Bob was involved in Scouts, the Liberal Party, Meals on Wheels, Probus, and gave 250 donations to the Blood Bank. Bob lived in Mowll Village, Castle Hill, NSW. He died in the Sydney Adventist Hospital at Wahroonga, NSW, on 20 February 2009, saying ‘83 is a good innings’.