THE HISTORY OF SHORTWAVE RADIO IN AUSTRALIA

1924 - 3AR - Melbourne's first broadcaster

Home
Project Overview
1800s - Land Telegraphy
1874 - Guglielmo Marconi - a Tribute
1895 - Wireless Telegraphy
1901 - Wireless Telegraphy
1902 - Wireless Telegraphy in Australia
1904 - Australian Coastal Radio
1906 - Wireless Telephony
1912 - Melbourne Radio - VIM
1914 - Shortwave Wireless Telephony
1920s - Commercial Shortwave Telephony Development
1920s - Receivers
1920 - The huge RCA Longwave Station in New York
1920 - Wireless broadcasting in Australia
1920s - First shortwave stations in Victoria
1921 - Discovery of Shortwave Propagation
1921 - Koo Wee Rup (Victoria) Experimental Wireless Receiving Station
1923- Longwave Broadcasting in Australia
1923 - Evolution of Australian Domestic Radio
1924 - 3LO - Melbourne's Second Broadcaster
1924 - 3AR - Melbourne's first broadcaster
1924 - The Braybrook (Melbourne) Transmitting Site
1925 - First Shortwave Stations in Western Australia
1926 - First Shortwave Stations in New South Wales
1926 - RAAF Communications - Laverton (Vic)
1927 - Beam Wireless Worldwide
1927 - Beam Wireless from Australia
1928 - ABC Lyndhurst (Victoria)
1930 - AWA Receiving Station at La Perouse (Sydney)
1930 - AWA Radio Centre at Pennant Hills
1933 (to 1969) - Shortwave Radio Clubs in Australia
1936 - Ship Broadcaster - the MS Kanimbla
1939 - Belconnen Communications Station (Canberra)
1940 - RAAF Receiving Station at Werribee (Victoria)
1941 - RAAF Frognall (Melbourne)
1941 - ABC Brisbane
1942 - Army Wireless Chain - west of Melbourne
1942 - Dutch Stations in Australia
1943 - ABC Radio Australia - Shepparton (Victoria)
1943 - Army Shortwave HF Stations in Melbourne
1944 - ABC - Radio Australia - Looking Back
1945 - PMG Receiving Station - Highpark (Victoria)
1945 - Radio Australia - DXers Calling
1946 - Radio Australia - Communications Programs
1946 - VNG Time Signal Station
1948 - Radio Australia QSL Cards
1948 - ABC Sydney
1966 - ABC Cox Peninsula (Darwin)
1970 (to 2012) - Shortwave Radio Clubs in Australia
1975 - ABC Gnangara (Western Australia)
1975 - ABC Carnarvon (Western Australia)
1978 - Omega Navigation Station - Woodside (Victoria)
1985 - ABC Northern Territory
1989 - ABC Brandon (Queensland)
2003 - Private Shortwave Broadcasters
Timeline - Part One - 1839 to 1927
Timeline - Part Two - 1928 to 2012
SPECIAL - Licencing of Shortwave Broadcasters
SPECIAL - Radio Receivers for Shortwave
SPECIAL - Radio Monitoring as a Hobby
Epilogue
Bibliography, References and Resources
Links to the author's personal websites

3aressendonoriginalstation.jpg
July 1925 - 3AR Transmitter and Antenna, Essendon

3aressendonnewmastbeingraisedaug41925.jpg
July 1925 - 3AR - erecting the new mast at Essendon

3AR was the first Melbourne suburban Melbourne broadcaster, and was owned by the Sydney-based Associated Broadcasting Company.

January 26 1924
It commenced on mediumwave, using 480 metres (620 kHz). Its studios were in Elizabeth St, and transmitter at a’Beckett St, central Melbourne.

December 31 1924
Power increased to 1.6 kW

July 4 1925
The transmitter was relocated to a new location at North Essendon (Broadmeadows), in Melbourne's north, with an antenna mast 100 metres high.

August 13 1928
A new studio was built next to that of 3LO, off Russell St, central Melbourne.

July 1 1932
It became part of the newly formed national Australian Broadcasting Commission

October 1938
The N. Essendon facility was closed down, and transmissions continued from the new PMG site shared with 3LO, at Sydenham. Power increased to 10 kW.

1942
program production transferred to studios located in the newly built Broadcasting House, in Lonsdale St.

Early 1950s
Power increased to 50 kW

1975
Frequency changed from 620 kHz to 621 kHz

1995
Studios were relocated to the newly built ABC Victoria Heaquarters at Southbank.

sydenham11960.jpg
1960 - Sydenham transmitter building - 3LO and 3AR

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