History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Publications/Australian Radio History/On this day/June

1 June
6AM Northam 1934 First Whitfords station. Designed, built, and installed by Chief Engineer and Manager, Walter Coxon (see 6AG, 6WF, 6BY, and 6ML). Known as “The Happy Station”. Most programs were from a Perth studio. Couldn’t be heard in Perth so the technician telephoned the studio daily to confirm that they were on air. (They originally believed they would cover Perth).

1RPH Canberra 1985 Radio for the Print Handicapped. Started as 1PHR on 1620 KHz., with an A.B.C. 500 watt transmitter. Their main announcer was Roger Mallison from 2BE, 2DU, and 4CD. Moved to the broadcast band on 17-10-1994 using 2,000 watts. Their on-air slogan was “Turning Print into Sound”.

6KY Perth 1991 Moved to F.M.

2 June
1947 Legislation is passed guaranteeing an independent news service for the A.B.C.

3 June
2UW Sydney 1964 They ceased broadcasting serials and received over 50,000 complaints from listeners.

4 June
6WF Perth 1924 Started by Westralian Farmers. Designed by Chief Engineer and manager, Walter Coxon (6AG), and equipped by A.W.A. Started on longwave 240 KHz. using 100 watts, believing that all of Western Australia would be covered. Moved to medium wave on 1-9-1929 using 650 watts. Before moving, they conducted Australia’s first stereo broadcast; a concert with separate microphones connected to each transmitter. Listeners needed two radios to hear stereo. They sold their own receiver called a Mulgaphone, designed by Walter Coxon.

3BO Bendigo 1931 A.W.A. installed their equipment. Owned and operated by L. Shepherd, then bought by A.W.A. with Ernest Fisk as a Director. Heard all over Australia, N.Z., and the U.S.A.  First station to employ John Laws in 1953 (18 years old) as an office boy. Opened stereo studios on 4-6-1981, despite stereo not yet being authorised for A.M. stations. Bought by Ray Gamble in 1993 for $3,000,000.

2ST Nowra 1972 Southern Coast and Tablelands. Known as “2ST- Part of Your Life”. Their “Swap Time” program was popular for 40 years. Now has relay transmitters in the Southern Highlands covering Moss Vale with some local programs (see 2MV 15-12-1930) plus Ulladulla. Bought 2EC in 1990.

5 June
2ZH Sydney 1923 A short-lived station owned by the Palings Music Company.

6 June
2CC Canberra 1978 They organised a successful attempt at the world record for non-stop disco dancing, achieving 90 hours.

7 June
2LT Lithgow 1939 They used a wire draped over a tree as an aerial for their opening, which was a concert from the Theatre Royal, chaired by Mayor and 2LT director, R. Fullager. Their 100 watt transmitter (500 watts in 1947) situated in a house at Bowenfels with their studio and the manager and his family, covered 18 miles at day and 10 miles at night. All the studio and transmitter equipment were installed by Wally Grant (2KY technician) who also installed the 2KA equipment. Their main revenue source was birthday calls which cost 2/6.

8 June
2WL Wollongong 1958 They opened a relay studio in Nowra, which closed when 2ST opened there.

9 June
2EA Sydney 1975. Ethnic Australia with ethnic programs. An offer by the Australian Government for the A.B.C. to take over the station in 1976 was not taken up. Became the Special Broadcasting Service in 1978, presenting programs in 44 languages (57 languages in 1990 and 75 languages in 2013).

10 June
7LA Launceston 1970 They opened a relay studio at Georgetown.

11 June
5DN Adelaide 1989 Jack Hume, founder of 5DN Adelaide passed away.

12 June
1922 Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph, said “The Radio Craze Will Soon Fade”.

13 June
2009 Commercial digital radio transmissions commenced in Sydney, using the proposed but never activated television channel 9A.

14 June
7BU Burnie 1936 launched a new transmitter designed and built entirely by their staff.

15 June
7ZR Hobart 1958 They installed two wind-up tape recorders for use in recording outside interviews. Photo is John Bennett in 1939.

16 June
2MO Gunnedah 1930 (Originally an experimental broadcast licence issued on 16-6-1928). Started by Marcus Oliver using 100 watts and all home-made equipment. He sold the station to 2TM in 1939. In 1973 they established the world’s third largest Ag-Quip Field Days in Gunnedah.

17 June
4TI Thursday Island 1979 A.B.C. Originally, programs came from the A.B.C. in Cairns to Bamaga via an open landline, then a U.H.F. radio link to the Thursday Island telephone exchange, then a coaxial cable to the transmitter at Rocky Point. They now receive their signal via satellite.

18 June
2WS 1984 :  Their Chairman and founder Keith Graham, plus Ken White and the station’s secretary, were killed in a car crash. They were returning from Gympie after finalising a deal to purchase 4GY. The only survivor was Bob Scott.

19 June
3GI Sale  1952 Army DUKWs were used to deliver supplies to technicians stranded at their transmitter by floods.

20 June
1948 Columbia Records released the worlds’ first 33 1/3 R.P.M. L.P. record.

6NA Narrogin  1951 Owned by, and relayed, 6KY, using 2,000 watts, with a one hour daily local breakfast program. A fire, caused by a computer monitor overheating, destroyed their transmitter in 1997, but they were back on air within 24 hours.

21 June
2SM Sydney  1932 They were the first Australian station to install an active antenna.

22 June
7ZR Hobart  1938 A.B.C.  First planned to open as 7HN (Hobart National). On air 12 hours daily using 500 watts (2,000 from 24-12-1953). Their tower fell down on 21-10-1953. Moved into the former railway station in the 1980s, as did 7ZL.

23 June
3EA Melbourne  1975 Ethnic Australia with ethnic programs. An offer to the A.B.C. to take over the station in 1976 was not taken up. Became the Special Broadcasting Service in 1978, presenting 75 languages by 2013.

24 June
1940 The Federation of Radio Broadcasters (now Commercial Radio Australia) formed the Radio War Service Committee to arrange the recording and broadcasting of materials designed to boost public morale, counter rumours, and promote recruitment and WWII Savings Certificates.

25 June
2CR Tamworth 1925 Broadcast station owned by Lionel Todd (the first Tamworth amateur - 1921). Broadcast music on Sundays from 1030 when 2MO went off the air on the same frequency. A microphone was placed in the horn speaker of a gramophone. On Sunday nights, Lionel often relayed programs from 2CM Sydney (which was received off air when conditions were good). Lionel changed his callsign to 2LS on 29-4-1937 when the ABC commandeered the 2CR callsign for their Central Region Service at Orange.

26 June
7RPH Hobart 1982. Radio for the Print Handicapped. First of the network of R.P.H. stations. Started with test transmissions outside the broadcast band. Moved to the former 7HO frequency (864 KHz.) in 1991.

27 June
7ZL Hobart 1932 : They broadcast live the opera “Maritana” from the Bush hotel in New Norfolk (legend is that an aria from “Maritana” was written at the Bush hotel). Photo is the old Hobart railway station housing 7ZL and 7ZR.

28 June
5UV Adelaide 1972. Owned by the University of Adelaide. First community licence in Australia (actually started as a Limited Commercial Licence). Their transmitter was installed without a crystal. In order to get on air, they borrowed a spare one from 3UL, which was on the same frequency. Their tower fell in 1990 due to guy wire failure.

29 June
4CA Cairns 1941 : Their manager’s safe was blown up with £23 pound stolen.

30 June
2BH Broken Hill 1934. Started by their Chief Engineer Ronald Hipwell (founder of 3SH). Programs pre-recorded at 5AD were sent by train. During the 1950s they broadcast a ‘cheerio’ call to passengers on all flights departing Broken Hill. Jack Davey broadcast his Ampol Show from the Town Hall live across Australia in 1958. A new building in the shape of an old Phillips radio was opened on 20-9-1990. Visitors are welcome with a souvenir shop and antique radio display.