The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905 gave control of all wireless communications to the Commonwealth Government. In 1909 the House of Representatives resolved that wireless telegraphic stations should be established around the coasts of Australia, and that merchant ships should be equipped with wireless installations to:
a) gain intelligence of the appearance in Australian waters of hostile forces, and
b) assist in saving life and property imperilled by accidents upon the sea.
The Australasian Wireless Co. of Sydney won the tender to install, on behalf of the Postmaster General, wireless stations at Perth and Sydney.
This company virtually established Australia's radio industry by taking the initiative of installing radio equipment in merchant ships and operating experimental shore stations. In 1910 they were granted a licence to operate a wireless station and conduct telegraphy tests with ships at sea. Their station was located in the Hotel Australia, Sydney. The aerial mast was attached to the hotel's chimney. Thus in 1911 the first coastal radio station was established. The transmitter had a range of 520 kilometres.
The permanent network of stations initially involved the two high powered (25 kW) stations at Sydney [Carlingford*] and Perth (Applecross), and a network of 17 low powered stations. These were installed between 1912 and 1914. [*The site of present day St Gerard's Primary School and Carlingford High School]
For the commercial (then, now ABC stations) The 1920s was a decade of extremes in Australia, Europe and the United States. For some it was the age of fast living, with motion pictures and motoring, booze, jazz, cabaret and fashions for women that showed some leg. But for others, the years following World War I were years of hardship and suffering that were only to worsen when the Great Depression hit in 1929. The First Radio Broadcast During the evening of 23 November 1923 people across Sydney gathered eagerly in their homes around pieces of wondrous new technology to hear the first radio broadcast in Australia. At precisely 8 o’clock they tuned in to hear the St Andrews Choir with soloists Misses Deering and Druitt, and Messrs Saunders, Pick and Thorp. The ensemble performed 'Le cygne’ (The Swan), from Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals). The advent of the ‘wireless’ and the first radio broadcast was a keenly anticipated event. The radio station’s call sign was 2SB, for Broadcasters (Sydney) Ltd. The company staff breathed a sigh of relief at the success of their radio broadcast, particularly as they had beaten their rival station, Farmer and Co. (2FC), who did not achieve transmission for another two weeks (5 December 1923). Soon after their initial broadcast, 2SB changed their call sign to 2BL. 2FC went on to become ABC Radio National. So now 2FC 576 is Radio National, and 2BL is 702. And while the callsigns are no longer used on-air they still exist as the official callsigns of the stations as far as ACMA are concerned for the licences.
This was also the transmitter site for 2FC and 2SM for many years.
Now onto the cache. It's only a multi because I want you to read the sign, and the prize at the end is a fair sized ammo tin a fairly short walk away.
Coords are S33 45.7CD E151 3.3AE
Look at the sign about the Pennant Hills Wireless Station. 2FC started broadcasting here in 19AB. C=A+B. D=B-A.
AWA purchased the rights to the Telefunken transmitters in 19E0.
The cache is now a little further in and under a bush, watch for spiderwebs but there is a rough track.
Did you know that NSW has a geocaching association? Geocaching NSW aims to enhance and improve the activity of geocaching and holds regular events where geocachers meet to enjoy their common interests. Visit the association website here.