Astonishing Progress Made by Wireless In Australia

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18465, 2 August 1934, Page 12

Astonishing Progress Made by Wireless In Australia

SURVEY of wireless progress in Australia from its experimental beginnings has been made by Amalgamated Wireless in view of the twenty-first anniversary of the formation of the company on duly 11, 1913. On that date it fusion of the interests of the Marconi and Tclefunkcn groups was effected uuder the control of Mr E. T. Fisk, who immediately planned for the manufacture of Australia's wireless, requirements within the Commonwealth.

After making two trips from England in Orient steamers with a view of demonstrating the utility of wireless services at sea, Mr Fisk went to Sydney in 1911 as resident engineer for the Marconi company. The first order for ships’ equipment came from the Adelaide company for the steamer Grantala; the first operator appointed was the late W. 11. Payne, who afterwards became a captain in the Australian Light Horse, The second ship fitted was the ftnroola, the third the Tofua and the fourth the Ivoomlninn. As each order was secured Mr Fisk appointed and trained the operators. To do this he had to sail in the ships with them. He also went to New Zealand to fit some vessels of the Union Steamship Company.

Manufacture In Australia The manufacture of Australia’s wireless requirements within the Commonwealth commenced in the workshops of A.W.A. to such good purpose that a profit of £4OO resulted in the first nine months. In war time a station was erected on Garden Island in four days. Watching stations were placed at various places around Sydney, where signals which passed between the enemy ships in code were picked up. Warships and transports were fitted with wireless. Every ship sailing from Australia carried A.W.A. apparatus and A.W.A.-trained operators. The factory quickly became inadequate for the manufacturing operations, and after two removals spacious premises were occupied at Ashfield, New South Wales. During the war the company dispatched ships’ equipment to Japan, Hongkong, and South Africa. Constant Communication

Direct communication by wireless octween Australia and Great Britain was first made on September 22, 1918. The IS orman Commission in England recommended that a wireless telegraphic service be established in six .clays, the messages to be repeated over and over again half way round the world. Against this proposal Mr Fisk fought. Ten years elapsed before beam wireless —the longest and fastest direct telegrapnic service hi the world—actually came into operation. The coastal network hurriedly built when wireless was in its infancy was in 1922 take/i over from the Post Office by A.W.A., and has since been provided with the most modern equipment, which enables the stations to keep in constant touch with shipping in Australian waters. The trawling fleet in Australian waters is also in constant communication with the shore by means of a wireless telephone system developed by A.YV.A. Five stations in Fiji havo been taken over, and the Pacific network, in addition, embraces two commercial stations in Papua and eight in the mandated territory of New Guinea. The Anglo-Australian radio telephone was opened on April 30, 1930, the success of this 'enterprise resulting in similar services between Australia and New Zealand, and Australia and Java. was entrusted with the construction of the principal broadcasting stations, including 2FC Sydney, 3LO Melbourne, 4QG Brisbane, SCL Adelaide and 6WF Perth. There are now nearly 600,000 Australian citizens operating their own licensed receivers. Dozens of radio factories have sprung into existence, and all are working at high 'pressure.