This essay traces through the significant dates in the history of the Western Australian Coastal Radio Station at what is now called Wireless Hill Park. It discusses the varied services the station provided and many of the controversies surrounding it, to reveal its values to the Nation over more than half a century from 1912 to 1971.
Abbreviations
AA Australian Archives
AWA Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited.
AW Co Australasian Wireless Company.
WAA Western Australian Archives.
OTC Overseas Telecommunications Commission.
This research will examine the development of a Coastal Radio Station by the Commonwealth Government on forty hectares of bushland in Applecross, Western Australia. It will trace through its fifty six years of valuable telecommunications service to Australia, to its closure and declaration as a Class A Reserve.
Wireless Hill Park situated on Canning Highway ten kilometres south west of Perth City and eight kilometres east of Fremantle is an area of natural bushland, park and museum. It holds pride of place in the City of Melville whose councillors in the late 1950s and 1960s were foresighted enough to see the long term value to the community of retaining this land in its entirety. They, with the State Government and public support convinced the Commonwealth Government and the Overseas Telecommunications Commission who owned the Station that the returning of the property to public open space would benefit all.
With Marconi's development of wireless telegraphy in 1895 came telecommunication between ships and the shore. However stations had to be constructed to transmit and receive messages.
Initially the Australian Government was not interested in this new technology despite the Marconi Company's demonstrations and the Navy's recommendations of the value of the concept. But by the inter-Imperial Conference in Melbourne in December 1909 the Government of Australia announced its plan to build land stations around the coast as part of the development of the Australian/Pacific wireless link.[1]
By 1912 the Commonwealth Government had established in Western Australia, the second in this network of stations to be built around Australia. The building, maintenance and staffing of the Applecross Wireless Station was carried out firstly by Australasian Wireless Company, then by Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited and finally by the Overseas Telecommunications Commission. All three organisations were answerable to the Postmaster General of the day. During wartime, the Department of the Navy took control and implemented specific regulations.
Over the next seventy years, technology advanced from Morse Code to satellite communication resulting in the role of the original stations changing. When control was transferred to O.T.C. in 1947, the equipment was upgraded and the services were extended considerably. Often the old stations were closed and new ones were built to house the more advanced equipment. Eventually the Wireless Telegraph Station at Applecross became one such base. Because of further technological advances over the next twenty years, the equipment and the Station itself were obsolete. Once a more sophisticated centre was built at Gnangara, just north of Perth, the old Station was closed and vacated.
Then followed years of negotiation and discussion between the Local, State and Commonwealth Governments about the future of the buildings and the surrounding bushland. Finally the property was declared Class A Reserve and vested in the City of Melville. This history making declaration guaranteed the area to be public open space into perpetuity.
Having passed the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905, the Commonwealth Government investigated nine sites all in close proximity to the river and the ocean. The selection of a site for the station required certain criteria. These were clearly documented in a letter to the State's Electrical Engineer.[2]. Such aspects as distance to a township and telegraph wires, freedom from obstructions like trees or high hills and earth suitability for good aerial connections were listed. Initial selection of the site for the western coastal station in the Fremantle area was given by Captain Cresswell, Director of Naval Forces.[3] Finally, after further consultations between Lieutenant Slee, Mr Moens an A.W Co. representative and Mr Hasketh the Chief Electrical Engineer of the Postmaster General's Department agreed. The site of ninety five acres of steep, virgin bushland on the south side of the Swan River in Applecross was chosen. Its proximity to Fremantle, to a road and telegraph lines and its suitable elevation from both a defence and communications point made it ideal.[4] It was on two portions of land owned by the London and Australia Investment Company.[5]
On 21 October 1909 the Postmaster General called tenders for the construction of a Marconi Telegraphy Station.[6] By 4 April 1910 four tenders had been received.[7] The Australasian Wireless Company of Germany was successful because its tender was the closest to the Department of Treasury allowance of A3325.[8] The site was surveyed by Mr H. T. Hardy of the Department of Lands and Surveys for the fee
of A115.5.0.[9] The survey showed the area referred to as the Wireless Telegraphy Station near Applecross covered sixty seven acres of Swan Location 74 and twenty eight acres of Cockburn Sound Location 356.[10] This land became Commonwealth Government property with transfer number 6636/1911.[11] However a road traversing this land had to be closed and rerouted along the eastern boundary. This caused a considerable quantity of correspondence between the Commonwealth, State and Local Governments. Each one stating claims and regulations trying to outwit the other. Eventually on 21 September 1912 the Commonwealth Government, by enforcing the Land Acquisition Act of 1906, acquired the road.[12] Thereby extending the area of land to 99 acres. It was classified as Cockburn Sound Location 605.[13] The State Government claimed compensation of A30.00 for the soil. This payment was made eighteen months later.[14]
The Station and residences were built by the State Public Works Department. The three aerial towers and their glass anchor boxes were constructed by A.W. Co. A Dutch engineer K. L. Mowen was in charge of the project with a young Australian Joseph Johnson assisting the German and Norwegian engineers.[15] The equipment was supplied by Telefunken.
The final building inspection was held on 4 June 1912 despite the fact that the outside construction was incomplete.[16] The long range wireless telegraphy station was fully operational by 30 September 1921.[17] The Station was called Perth Radio with its original call sign being POP. Later this was later changed to VIP.[18] Communication with ships reached up to 400 miles in daylight and up to 2000 miles during the night.[19] Mr. L.J. Tilney was appointed the first officer in charge with a salary of 310 per annum.[20] He was one of several post office trained men who answered the advertisement in the Government Gazette of 30 December 1911.[21] Their knowledge and experience with Morse Code made them highly prized recruits because quick thinking and the careful analysis of the Morse Code message was essential.
At one of the earliest marine training schools offered by Marconi was a nineteen year old Mr. Ellis Smellie. On leaving school at twelve years of age he quickly picked up Morse Code whilst working as a telegram boy at the local Post office. Having attended the training school he then completed forty one years service with the Coastal Radio Service at most of Australia's stations including Applecross.[22] He was there in the early 1920's.
During the six hourly shifts the duties of the two radio operators always on duty were varied. Skill in Morse Code and concentration were crucial. During the oral reminiscences of Ellis Smellie, he claimed to have reached the high level of forty words per minute. He likened the learning of Morse Code to that of music when eventually a single sound becomes a sentence not just individual dots and dashes.[23] Other duties included sending weather reports and time signals twice daily. Ships reported their positions at regular four hourly intervals and these had to be logged. The receiving of SOS messages was most important. During the oral reminiscences of Ellis Smellie, he recalls receiving SOS messages from four ships. Three had their cargoes of coal on fire and the fourth the "Saros" actually went down.[24] The fear of failing to receive such a message or the inaccurate interpretation both leading to the inability to assist, contributed to the strain of the work.[25] Communication was the role of the Station.
The increased distances of communication between ship and shore can be attributed to the development of equipment by Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited. This company was created in 1913 by the merger of the Marconi Company and the A W Co.[26] There was a worldwide legal battle for the infringements of patents involving the Marconi and Telefunken Companies. This includes the A.W. Co. and then the Commonwealth Government.[27] The new company was formed as one of the results of the litigation. However Telefunken had to withdraw at the outbreak of World War I leaving its shares to Australia.[28]
Security was questioned when, early in the war, an operator at Perth Radio began intercepting messages from Nauen in Germany.[29] The Department of the Navy took control, giving the staff naval rank and uniforms. Services to commercial shipping continued under wartime restrictions. Perth Radio became a vital link in Australia's communication with troopships, warships and as part of the general network to Europe which included the intercepting of further German messages.[30]
These communication links around Australia remained under Naval jurisdiction until 1920 when the Postmaster General's Department resumed control.[31] Two years later, exclusive rights to construct and operate all new and existing stations were transferred to A.W.A. The complete Coastal Radio Service remained in A.W.A's control for twenty five years.[32]
An insight into Perth Radio appeared in July 1931 "The Radiogram". Having described the station's position and surroundings, its writer went on to present a guided tour from the highway up past the staff quarters to the station itself. The buildings and their uses were described. These included a unit that supplied power to the police service transmitter which was operated at VIP by remote control from Police headquarters. In the radio operating room the radio-telegraphist sat at a table in front of a variety of panels including a transmitter, a receiver and telephone switchboard. Beside the telegraphist was a table on which were the short wave and feeder receivers. The high aerial and systems of wires connected to it was used for daylight with ships up 2,400 miles away either across the Indian Ocean to Durban or Colombo or across the continent and beyond. Reports of distant interception were numerous with the furthest at that time being by a ship off the West African coast. The lower aerials provided the majority of the Station's work with the coastal shipping. Fremantle was also the first and last port of call for the Royal Mail Ships. Consequently the value of the station's services ranged from nationwide to affecting the lives of all Australian citizens waiting for their mail. [33]
The international wartime value of Perth Radio was recognised again when World War 2 commenced. The Department of the Navy used the facilities but the staff remained on A.W.A. payroll. The Station became a relay station connected directly to the Royal Australian Naval radio H.M.A.S. Harman in Canberra during which the call sign was changed to VIP 6.[34] Radio silence between commercial ships and shore was maintained throughout wartime with all messages being encoded except in emergencies or to report enemy sightings. The receiving and sending on of these extra messages combined with the transmitting of four daily fleet weather reports and hourly time pips, and the principle function of listening for SOS calls were the main duties of the telegraphists.[35] The work of the nine staff at Perth Radio increased in difficulty as they 'kept watch on a multitude of frequencies of HF (high frequency) band.'[36]
In a letter by Ted Reynolds who served in the Royal Australian Navy as senior communicator of A/S Group 52 (anti-sub group), he wrote of two incidents when Perth Radio was of service. "This station in August 1941 intercepted the transmissions of fourteen Japanese vessels off Bunbury and Cape Leeuwin. A/S group 52 was the only RAN force in WA at that time and three small ships were sent to ward off the 'enemy'. Fortunately for us in the 'Wyrallah', 'Bingera' and 'Yandra' they turned out to be only whalers, returning to Japan. The second incident was a mayday and enemy report in 1942 which was sent by A/S Group 52 whilst off the NW coast near Darwin. It was not received by the station at Darwin because of radio reception problems. However the message was heard and transmitted from Perth Radio to Darwin Radio." [37]
These added demands of wartime had brought about the necessity to
re-organise Australia's communication network, particularly in relation to radio-telegraphy links with America.[38] After the war some of these circuits were retained, despite the major restructuring which culminated in the formation of a new statutory authority, the Overseas Telecommunications Commission in 1946. Within months A1425 million had been paid to A.W.A. for the rights and assets including the twenty two coastal radio stations.[39]
This transfer occurred at a time when frustrations and hardships, because of wartime shortages and lack of money, were high. Staff morale was low. Trying to maintain the usual services on small budgets was difficult. These services had by now been extended to include free medical advice in conjunction with Commonwealth Health Department to all ships without medical officers and telegrams to and from ships. Advances in technology continued with direct radiotelephone links to ships being introduced to all main stations including Perth Radio.[40] Gradually other equipment was upgraded and staff living and work conditions improved.
As early as 1955, Professor Gordon Stephenson in his master plan for the development of Perth metropolitan area, commented that if the land at the Wireless Station was ever vacated it would make an admirable reserve.[41] However it was not until August 1958 that the Melville Council began initial negotiations with O.T.C. for all or portion of the land for their future Civic and Administration Centre.[42] There was discussion at a Council meeting about OTC vacating the site. This was not the case as there were no immediate plans to move. In 1960 an offer was made by OTC to sell 13 acres for A40 000, but as the land was too steep for the proposed Civic and Administration Centre the offer was not accepted by Melville Council.[43] In 1962 the Melville Council made an application for an alternative site to be considered but OTC refused because it would interfere with radio transmission. This request also included the idea of fixing a price for the sale of the whole property when it was eventually vacated.[44]
However, the vacating of the site seemed unlikely because of Perth Radio's value to Australia at both national and international levels. Its multifaceted uses were outlined in a letter from Mr Davidson, the Postmaster General to the Minister, Senator Shane Paltridge.[45] These included the long distance radiotelephone services, radiotelegraph circuits to Antarctica, the normal coastal services and the facility connected with the American space research "Project Mercury". This letter was discussed at the Council meeting on 15 October 1963 and consequently it was decided to conclude all negotiations with OTC.[46]
Three months later a telegram was sent to the Melville Council by Mr. Molloy, the Manager of OTC stating clearly four points - namely that the station was to be transferred away from Applecross; it must continue to operate until a new station was built; no extra land was available and the reason given was the "changing international requirements and conditions".[47] Suddenly with this news there was renewed interest within the Council. Suggestions were promoted as to whether the high part of the land could be leased for a building of which the top floor could be rented back to OTC then the land, once vacated, could be sold for Class A Reserve.[48] A deputation from the Melville Council to the Minister for Lands requested State Government assistance for negotiating for the release of the land.[49] It was told that OTC as a corporate body was at liberty to dispose of its land as it wished.[50] The rumours of subdivisions for houses and flats could become a reality. There was an alternative. The land could be declared public open space But this was an expensive plan which the State Government could not afford to consider especially as OTC assumed the right to sell its assets at full price to offset future costs.[51]
Negotiations continued for a further two years until in June 1966, OTC formally notified the Minister for Lands, Mr. Bovell that it would be vacating the site in 1968 when the new station at Gnangara was completed.[52] This station was opened in February 1967.[53] A formal request to purchase the hundred acres at a reduced rate was submitted by the State Government to OTC.[54] The Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Holt was asked to consider a concession on the price of the land. Over the eighteen months the public, the press, the Metropolitan Regional Planning Authority, the Town Planning Department and many State and Commonwealth Government politicians including the Prime Minister were behind the Melville Council's continuing negotiations for all the land to be returned to public open space.[55]