Australian Amateur Radio Leading to the First National Convention
An Arena of Wonder-QSP - Bibliography
The following Bibliography is published in the interest of helping others wishing to further research aspects of our early history or to further flesh out this article. For the complete article, refer to January/February, March, April, May and June 2010 copies of Amateur Radio magazine.
Comments about sources of information
Primary sources of information dealing with the early days of wireless activity in this country are relatively scarce, particularly those relating to the commencement of private or amateur radio experimentation.
We are lucky, and lucky is the correct word here, that Dr. Deane Blackman, VK3TX, discovered the minutes of the first experimenter's meetings held in Melbourne during 1911. These were found in a "shack" originally belonging to his uncle, H.H. Blackman, XOE. The fortuitous find is now located in the Australian Academy of Science in Canberra with photocopies held in the WIA Archive, Melbourne.
Another significant work was done some years ago by Marlene Austin VK5QO, who scoured South Australian Division's Minutes and published The First Sixty Years of the WIA - S.A. Division 1919-1980. A copy of this is also held in the WIA Archive.
Reports in daily newspapers become the next best reference. Whilst journalists at that time, seldom had a good grasp on the technical aspects of the "new science", they at least reported (rarely journalised as they do today) on what they observed! So in that respect, I believe that early newspapers can be reasonably reliable source of information on our subject - especially if details can be confirmed from another independent observer or newspaper. The risk in all of this is of course is that we merely continue to propagate folk-lore based on what we want to believe!
The establishment of the WIA Archives in Melbourne has given us a "last minute opportunity" to rescue small segments of the jigsaw puzzle and when combining these individual documents, (licences, official notices from the Navy Office or PMG's Department) with newspaper articles and other writer's published works, we are in a position to more accurately arrive at a reasoned conclusion about our early days. But there is still much more work to be done before an accurate account of the history of amateur radio in Australia can be made!
This list of sources should help others wishing to further research aspects of our early history. Not all of these references are held in the WIA's Archive.
Main sources of information used in preparing this history:
 Amateur Radio: An International Resource for Sociological, Economic, and Technical Development, Stamford Research Institute, American Radio Relay League, Newington Connecticut, 1966.
Amateur Wireless Society of Victoria and the Wireless Institute of Victoria, Minutes,(1911-15), Photocopy, Melbourne, WIA Archive.
Austin, M, VK5QO, The First Sixty Years of the WIA (S.A. Div.) 1919-1980, WIA, Adelaide, 1984.
Austin, M, VK5QO, The First Sixty Years - 1919-1980, Amateur Radio Mag., WIA, October 1985.
Amos, DJ, The Story of the Commonwealth Wireless Service, Adelaide, EJ McAlister & Co., 1936.
Blackman, D, Dr., VK3TX, The Amateur Wireless Society of Victoria, OTN #37, Journal of the Radio Amateur Old Timers'Club of Australia, Melbourne, September 2006.
Butement, A, Dr., VK3AD, Amateur Activities leading to Professional Results, Voice Recording, WIA Archive, 1967.
Byrne, MW, Background to I.R.E.E., Monitor, IREE, March 1978.
Clarricoats, J, O.B.E., G6CL, World at their Fingertips, Radio Society of Great Britain, 1967.
Cotton, A, A5HY, Station Radio Log Book/Diary 1913-1927, WIA Archive copy.
Credlin, EJ, The early History of the Postal Electrical Society of Victoria, Telecommunications Journal of Australia, June 1938.
Delegates Council, Minutes, WIA (NSW), Sydney, 11th December 1925, WIA Archive.
DeSoto, CB, Two Hundred Meters and Down, American Radio Relay League, 1936.
Dougherty, I, Ham Shacks, Brass Pounders and Rag Chewers, ISBN 0 473 04729 2, NZART and Historical Branch N.Z. Dept. of Internal Affairs, 1997.
Feenaughty, L, Maj., VK4LG, Final edition editorial QTC, Official journal of the WIA, November 1931.
Garland, D, Studying Wireless, Letter to Editor, Dominion Newspaper, Wellington NZ, September 11th 1913, WIA Archive.
Glover, G, VK3AG, Federal Historian, History of Amateur Radio, Unpublished, WIA, 1967.
Hannam, WH, XQI, 2YH, VK2AXH, Radio interview, Voice recording, WIA Archive, c1965.
Hodder, I, VK3RH, First Pirate?, OTN #3, Journal of the Radio Amateur Old Timers' Club of Australia, Melbourne, March 1987
Hodder, I, VK3RH, File, Letter from PMG to amateurs (dated 23 September 1924), WIA Archives.
Howden, WFM, A3BQ, Voice recording, Melbourne, WIA Archive, December 1950
Inglis, KS, This is the ABC, ISBN0 522 84258 5, Melbourne University Press, 1983.
Jensen, L, VK7LJ, Tasmania celebrates its Golden Jubilee, Amateur Radio Mag., WIA, April 1973.
Jenvey, B, OA3AY/ VK2ZO, RAOTC Address, Voice recording, WIA Sound Archive, Melbourne, 1978.
Linton, J, VK3PC, Victoria: Premier Division, Amateur Radio Mag., WIA, July 1985.
Maclurcan, CD, A2CM, The Wireless Institute of Australia (NSW Div.), Amateur Radio, August 1985.
Mills, T, VK2ZTM, The WIA in VK2, Amateur Radio Mag., WIA, March 1985.
Murray, J, Calling the world, 100 years of Alcatel in Australia, ISBN 1 875 359 22 2, 1999.
Nightingall, V, XKK, File, WIA Archive, Melbourne.
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania, Website, http//www.reast.asn.au/history.php, Hobart, September 2008
Radio Communication, History and Development, Science Museum, London, 1934.
Radio Revolution (The) Part 1: The Pioneers, OTC Information Broadsheet #3, c1977.
Ross, JF, A History of Radio in South Australia 1897-1977, Plympton Park SA, 1978.
Royal Australian Navy, Website, http//www.navy.gov.au/History, September 2008.
Ryder, JD; Fink, DG, Engineers and Electrons, ISBN 0 87942 172 X, IEEE, New York, 1984.
Shawsmith, A, VK4SS, Pre-World War Two VK4 History (abridged), Amateur Radio Magazine, WIA, November 1985.
Sounds of Amateur Radio (The) - Volume 1, Voice compilation compact cassette tape, Wireless Institute of Australia, Melbourne, 1985.
From Spark to Space, The Story of Amateur Radio in Canada, Saskatoon Amateur Radio Club Canada, 1968
Sweeny, W, Wireless Telegraphy, (For Professional or Amateur Students), EW Cole, Melbourne, 1920.
Tyler, HM, The beginning of IREE - How it all came about, Amateur Radio, WIA, January 1985.
Where is Queenscliff? The Listener In, Melbourne, June 19th 1926.
WIA Book Volume 1, Wireless Institute of Australia, Melbourne, 1982.
WIA Bulletin - W.A. Editorial, Wireless Institute of Australia, Perth, October 1931.
Wireless and Electrical Exhibition and Convention, Melbourne Town Hall, May 14th to 19th, 1924, Souvenir Program, WIA, Victorian Division. 1924, WIA Archive
Wireless in Australia, Wireless Institute of Victoria, Melbourne, 1914.
Wireless information wanted. Old records sought, Letter to Editor, Electrical Weekly, March 3rd 1954.
Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony (The), Marconi Press Agency Ltd., London, 1913.
Newspaper reports in order of date of publication
Extension Lectures "Wireless Telegraphy", Advertisement, Adelaide Advertiser, September 13th 1899, p2
Wireless Telegraphy- Experiments in Melbourne, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, April 3rd 1901
Wireless Telegraphy- Proposed Welcome, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, April 11th 1901, p5
Wireless Telegraphy- Mr. Jenvey's Experiments, Advertiser Newspaper, Adelaide, January 23rd1902, p7
Australian Wireless, Important New Invention, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, July 28th 1908, p4
Wireless Telegraphy, The New Development, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, July 30th 1908, p5
Institute of Wireless Telegraphy, Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper, 14th March 1910, p4
Wireless Experiments - Licences, Herald Newspaper, Melbourne, March 14th 1910.
Wireless Telegraphy Society, Argus Newspaper, Melb., December 1st 1911, p11.
Australian Wireless, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, April 4th 1913, p15
Marconi Debate, House of Commons Crowded, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, June 20th 1913, p4
Question of Interference, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, June 25th 1913, p13
Amateurs' Complaints, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, August 5th 1913, p6
Australian Wireless, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, April 4th 1913, p15
Navy Scandal, Mr. Jensen's Case, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, December 18th 1918, p8
Amateurs and Wireless, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, October 4th 1922, p11
Proposed Amateur Relaying League, Argus Newspaper, Melb., June 20th 1923, p14
Remarkable Wireless Achievement, Argus Newspaper, Melbourne, June 22nd 1923,
Wireless Licences Withheld, Argus Newspaper, Melb., September. 24th, 1924, p22
Magazine/Journal reports in order of date of publication
Sea, Land and Air, Magazine, May 1919.
Radio Laws for the Amateur, Wireless Weekly Magazine, December 1st 1922, p4
Miss F.V. Wallace, Australasian Wireless Review, Magazine, Sydney, January 1923,
Stott's Advertisement, Australasian Wireless Review Magazine, Sydney, May 1923, p6
Radio Laws for the Amateur, Wireless Weekly Magazine, December 1st 1922, p4
Minutes of First Australian Convention, Radio Experimenter & Broadcaster Magazine, Melb, June 15th 1924, p15.
Editorial, Popular Wireless Weekly Magazine, Melbourne, March 11th, 1925, p5
Wireless Club Reports, Listener In, Magazine, Melbourne, 14th March 1925
An Aerial with History, Popular Radio Weekly Magazine, Melb, May 27th 1925, p5 & p14
Will WIA and ARTL Fuse Without Losing Identities?, RADIO Magazine, 15th October 1928, p60
Editorial, WA WIA Bulletin, Perth, May 1932
Unity is Strength, Editorial, Amateur Radio Magazine, 1st February 1934, p5
Addendum
Since this article appeared in Amateur Radio, further historical information and recollections have been forwarded to the WIA. We thank all for their contributions to the Archive. In time, more accurate histories relating to the Institute and amateur radio in Australia will be possible.
VK3RV June 2010
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