WIRELESS STATION

Southland Times, Issue 21221, 23 October 1930, Page 8

WIRELESS STATION

FATE OF AWARUA

TO BE SCRAPPED OR TRANSFERRED ?

REFERENCE IN HOUSE

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, October 22.

The rumour that'the Awarua radio station would either be scrapped or transferred to Christchurch which received publicity in a Christchurch paper ten days ago, was referred to in the House of Representatives to-day when Mr W. J. Polson (1., Stratford) asked the Postmaster-Gen-eral (the Hon. J. B. Donald) if the Department had any intention of disposing of the station in the manner indicated and if so what cost would be involved.

.Mr Donald replied that the removal had not been contemplated by his Department, but made no reference to the scrapping of the station.’

The article referred to by Mr Polson appeared ip the Christchurch Sun on October 11 and reads as follows: Scrapping of the Government wireless station at Awarua, on the mainland not far from Bluff, is contemplated, a Sun reporter was told on good authority to-day. No definite information could be gained from the Christchurch Post and Telegraph Department, such questions of policy, it was explained being decided in Wellington. There is a possibility that the station may be transferred to Christchurch, but on the other hand there is a probability that dismantling of the station at Awarua would be a further step in the policy of concentrating wireless transmission and reception in the construction of one powerful new station, situated at Wellington, which is spoken of. As far as can be ascertained, Awarua, though classed as the most powerful station in New Zealand, serves no particularly useful purpose in its present location, and would, if not actually abandoned, be of more general value if transferred to a city, either Dunedin or Christchurch. The other wireless stations, at Auckland and Wellington, are concerned chiefly with dealing with the island stations, Fiji, Samoa, and so on, in keeping in touch with the bulk of the shipping, and maintaining constant communication with the Chatham Islands. Shipping and the Chathams make up the bulk of New Zealand’s wireless work, it is stated. No sending to speak of is done through Awarua, and it is thought likely that if the station were shifted to a centre, this part of its activity would develop considerably. It is significant, however, that the station at Awanui, Doubtless Bay, north of Auckland, which was similar to Awarua, was taken out of service a year or two ago, and the work previously done through it was transferred to Auckland. This meant that the high-power station at Awarua became the only one of its kind in the country. Its chief service now, however, appears to be keeping in touch with certain ocean-going vessels, and picking up news put out from Rugby, in England, on a short-wave reception. For this class of work, Awarua has been termed the best receiving station in the world. Tests have been carried out between it and Rugby, and letters of congratulation have come from England as the result.