Australian Radio Monitoring Clubs 1920-1949

OVERVIEW: EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIAN RADIO MONITORING CLUBS 1920-1949

1920s
Hobby radio monitoring clubs emerged worldwide during the early days of radio broadcasting, from as far back as the early 1920s.

They were created to support the activities of people who had developed an interest in tuning in to distant and overseas radio broadcasting stations on the mediumwave and longwave bands, and, later, on shortwave.

Their purpose was threefold: to provide news and information about broadcasters and their operating schedules, to facilitate members tuning in to these stations, and to create “listening targets”.

The term “DX” was originally an amateur radio abbreviation for “distance“, and the terms “DXing” “DXer” and “DX Clubs” evolved for use across the shortwave, long wave and medium wave listening community by people who were mot necessarily amateur radio operators.

THE LISTENERS’ LEAGUE OF AUSTRALIA

Radio enthusiasts had banded together in the early 1920s to form the Listeners’ League of Australia, which was to develop into the Wireless Institute of Australia in later years.

Branches of this early club were formed in many States, with regular meetings, and its area of interest was mediumwave, (regular shortwave broadcasting had not yet begun!)

1927
To inform listeners as to what could be heard, a weekly national publication began appearing on Australian newstands. This was the “Listener-In”, and was basically a program guide, providing details of all broadcasts to be heard on mediumwave from across Australia in the following week. The LI was published by the Herald and Weekly Times, in Finders St, Melbourne, and included constructional information and amateur radio.

1929
commercial shortwave broadcasting had started, and the activities of the League moved into amateur radio.

1930

The Listener-In started to publish news about SW broadcasting, 1n addition to its regular mediumwave notes.

1933

A new Club was announced, sponsored by the “Listener In”, titled “The Australian DX Club” (ADXC). This was mediumwave only, with a membership subscription of one shilling annually.

The Listener In of August 19, 1933, carried these headlines:

"AUSTRALIAN DX CLUB - WHAT IS ON THEN AIR - OUR NEW SECTION - MEANING OF DX - WHEN TO LISTEN - CORRESPONDENTS WANTED"

There was no physical newsletter, and people who joined were allocated a membership number, based on their State of residence. News about the ADXC was published in the LI.

A membership fee of 1/- was required, and Melbourne members met at the Wireless Institute of Australia rooms in Queen St, later in members’ homes. The fee entitled members to recei9ve a Memberaship Cedrrticate and Badge

1938

In March 1938, this mediumwave Club started its own magazine, and subsequently introduced a shortwave section.

Initially, its newsletter was a four-page publication commercially printed. Then, it became foolscap size, ink duplicated. By 1946, commercial advertising filled the front cover, from the Magrath’s electrical parts company in Melbourne, to assist in printing costs.. The format was half-size A5.

In February 1942, the bulletins were suspended due to the War, but resumed in 1946.;

Many ADXC members chose not to subscrtiobeto the bulletin, preferring to buy the weekly Listener In at newsagencies or bookstalls for hobby news.

1938
The ADXC started a monthly radio program over Melbourne's only all-night commercial broadcaster 3AK, 1500 kHz, at the convenient time of 2 am! 3AK used to come on the air at 6pm, and was owned by the Mack's furniture company. This was abandoned in 1939 due to ill-health of its producer.

1939

ADXC produced special one-off programs over various mediumwave stations in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, usually late at night.

Station 2CA Canberra began a weekly ADXC program, which was discontinued after a few months.

A program, entitled “All DXers” over station 2HD Newcastle was also closed down.

In September 1939, the ADXC had its 300th member joining.

In that eras, there was substantial iterest in social events orgnized by the Club, which included cricket matches, picture nights, excursions, dances, One of these dances was held in July 1940 at Smokey Dawson's Dance Hall, Elizabeth St, Melbourne, with admission being 1/6, which included supper. Over 100 people attended!

The Club also conducted competitions, such as its Amplifier Contest

1949

The Second World War impacted heavily on the activities of the Club, and by 1949 the bulletins had ceased and Melbourne meetings had been abandoned.

1950
The weekly column in the Listener In was quite small, only a few paragraphs, mainly devoted to station schedules.

At that time, the reactively small band of radio monitoring enthusiasts in Australia had the following outlets available to them for news and information

The weekly program over Radio Australia (DXers Calling – commenced in 1946)
The weekly column in the Listener In
The section in the national commercial magazine Radio and Hobbies covering shortwave
Membership of the New Zealand DX Radio Association and the New Zealand Radio DX League.

From 1950 until mid-1957, interest in long-distance radio monitoring activities was at its lowest ebb across Australia, as there was no national hobby organization.

1954

The final monitoring column was published in the “Listener-In” – when the magazine became “The Listener In TV”.

The pictures below are scanned enhanced images from the ADXC's newsletters, and a page from the Listener In!

NOTE

All editions of the "Listener In" are on file in the Serials Section of the State Library of Victoria, Swanston St, Melbourne, where they may be viewed and copied..