Not sure where my interest in things electrical came from but as long as can remember I liked to tinker.
Army surplus places under Melbourne Flinders St rail lines were heaven to me and consumed some of my limited funds.
A school friend in our small Victorian country town was a self trained radio buff and some rubbed off.

PMG training was offered and I took the telephony path rather than radio.
After training a love of travel took me to Pt Moresby where shared workshop with radio techs rubbed a little more on to me.

Back in NSW, at an Apex meeting I saw my first computer and I was hooked.
That path and the travel bug gave me a few years overseas until I returned home as Mainframes were dying out.
A dislike of cities saw me going bush where I ended up with own Maintenance business.

Now eventually retired the interest in things electrical is still there but am smart enough to know my limitations.
Have forgotten so much but firmly embedded, amongst others are cable colour code and a sign on training room wall I=E/R.
Strangely my interests in things electrical never included TV. Just not interested.

I was so fortunate to have enjoyed the "repair to component level" era rather than "toss it out and buy another".

That's a great intro Graechel,

The physics behind electrical phenomena sums up the entire universe in my opinion, perhaps gravity too (yet to proved )

Electricians, Radio mechanics, TV Repairmen, Linesmen, Engineers, Tinkerers, Experimenters, we all get our kicks from electrons negotiating with insulators, conductors, semiconductors.

I reckon you are in good company here.

Cheers.

"Electricians, Radio mechanics, TV Repairmen, Linesmen, Engineers, Tinkerers, Experimenters, we all get our kicks from electrons negotiating with insulators, conductors, semiconductors."

All electron wranglers!

I once lived in Tamworth. I collected my first few radios from antique shops that once existed there. Munro's Mill and a big antique shop (I can't remember the name of it) that was located opposite the railway station on Marius Street were the main two 'haunts'. Noel Park House sits where the latter shop once stood.

Electricians, Radio mechanics, TV Repairmen, Linesmen, Engineers, Tinkerers, Experimenters

Just pondering that list of careers/interests:

Electricians ... flourishing
Radio mechanics ... gone
TV Repairmen ... gone
(telco) Linesmen ... endangered
(power) Linesmen ... seem safe
Engineers ... critical shortage (which is a disgrace)
Tinkerers ... will always be with us
Experimenters ... will always be with us

Gee Brad I remember Munro's Mill and a huge shed ( called the museum ) in Marius Street Tamworth but that was a long way from the Railway Station. It was however across from the railway line. I know Noel Park house but don't remember a antique shop there!
My Friends and I used to frequent the Museum and buy $5 valve radios . Gee I wish I kept them.
Noel Park House was built in the early 80s and was next to the Northern Daily Leader ( our local paper) . Now ya got me thinking. I might ask around.

There is a place on Peel Street called the Power Station Museum, where there are replicas of the original power station. There are old appliances including radios, fridges, televisions and irons on display but to my knowledge they did not deal in those things. I am not sure where museum shop may have been.

Noel Park House was built in the 1990s and the antique shop that was previously there was levelled about six months before construction began.

Brad , on further investigation the antique shop you speak of was part of the Tamworth Co op, I left tamworth in 1984 which is why I have no recollection of that shop, I came back to tamworth in late 1991.
The Powerhouse Museum in peel street is a awesome place to visit, its very well run.
The big shed Called The Museum was about 5 or 6 blocks up towards Armidale. It was truly a sight to see with a full size Tiger Moth hanging from its ceiling. There were many a antique radio to be found there.

Engineers ... critical shortage (which is a disgrace)

I've certainly discovered that myself. I'm in my second year of electrical engineering at RMIT (Which certainly gave me the best pathway in this field compared to any other) and I can say that once you take out all those going towards civil, aero, etc, there isn't many who strive towards electronics. Most I'd say do Mechatronics over straight up electrical.
People either like computing engineering (as it's all programming) or, as I say, Mech.
The amount wanting to learn component level stuff isn't very big. Which is a shame as I love circuit design.

But this year, everyone in my course is being taught Automation (with a Siemens controller), programming with Python, Adv. electrical (Which has just been inductors, caps and resistors and their resulting impedance, and transmission media which is 99% internet configuration with routers and switches etc.

Other than for intellectual aspiration, why would anyone want to be an engineer these days. You’d earn more as a “not very clever” electrician, construction worker or even as an untrained billy boy on a project site.

The long hours and sweating underground in tunnels is indeed well paid but the work is not secure (the average tunnel build in Sydney is 3-5 years) and there is compulsory overtime and pretty much compulsory union membership even though closed shops are supposed to be illegal these days. It is not everyone's cuppa tea.

As an engineer you can sit at a computer in an air-conditioned office most of the time and work eight hours a day, five days a week and not need to be on call.

No, it’s certainly not my cuppa tea, although working conditions aren’t that bad these days as they employ some pretty soft people.