Request for historical documents

Henry Ford has been reported as saying: "History is more or less bunk. It’s tradition!" However, he also said: "All Fords are exactly alike, but no two men are just alike. Every new life is a new thing under the sun; there has never been anything like it before, never will be again….."

So despite all Ford cars being "exactly alike", Henry acknowledged that human aspects can vary? The purpose of an archive is to collect, collate and make available interesting variations about involvement over the years – in our case involvement with amateur radio. It is history that makes us who we are today and helps guide us not to repeat mistakes! The WIA’s archive in Bayswater has been steadily sorting documents, some dating back prior to the foundation of organised amateur radio in Australia in 1910.

During the "100th year" in 2010, many documents and articles were received as a result of the "Call for Articles" column in AR. Some submissions have been, or will be published in the WIA’s magazine. All will be kept and added to the archive shelves to assist those researching wireless/radio history at some later date. You may be able to help preserve our history by forwarding relevant historical information in your possession. We are particularly seeking material relating to radio activities within Australia. You may have been involved in some activity of importance, or related to an earlier amateur whose paper work may still be held in the family. If you were an office bearer of the Institute, or one of the more active clubs, you may have copies of official correspondence with the old PMG’s Department relating to early special permits, e.g. for modes like RTTY, ATV, Moon Bounce or early repeaters. Even copies of OT’s licences and permits are very worthy of preserving, for they all help to build up an accurate image of days gone. We would like to hear from you.

Please consider forwarding documents to the WIA Archive and perhaps, more importantly, commence collecting information about amateur radio in your area of Australia. Look back on some of your activities, talk to old-timers in your town, bring together historical documents and help preserve them for posterity by scanning them, copying them and forwarding copies or originals to the WIA Archive at Bayswater.

The Institute’s Archive, is rapidly developing into a source of historical material not only relating to the development of amateur radio in Australia but also radio communication generally in this part of the world. Please forward suitable material to the Bayswater office, marked "Attention Archive" or you may contact the WIA Historian, Peter Wolfenden, VK3RV at vk3rv@wia.org.au

Click Here To Return To Previous Page