Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 1954), Sunday , page 6
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Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 29 September 1912, page 6
Wireless Wizard
A
Stations
for
— Five
Western Australia
Under middle-age, clean shaven,
pleasant-faced, pleasant-spoken,
neither fat nor lordlybut keen and
—
business-like
that would fairly sum
flashlight description
up a of Mr. J.
Balsillie,
G. the man who bossesthe
Commonwealth
wireless system, or the
projected system.
He doesn't waste time or words.
appointment, suggested
Make an the
interviewer,
if you are busy now.
"Go right ahead here," he said, as
he was ambushed in the corridor up-
stairs at the P.O. "You've had it all,
I think,in 'The SundayTimes,'but
questions,
ask me any and take a
note."
With a subject of that sort, you
interro-
have got to be primed full of
gations.
Well, we should like to know some-
Commonwealth
thing as to the whole
scheme of wireless stations.
"Thatis very simple. We shallen-
circlethe whole continent, and Papua BALSILLIE,
and Tasmania,
with a chain of sta- MR. J. G.
continuous Commonwealth
tions that will be in com- Director of the Wire-
munication." less Department.
Have you fixedthe site of each sta-
tion?
mercial purposes only and a high-
"We have fixed the places. Say we communication
power station for with
begin at Port Moresby in Papua, the the world."
next stationwill be Thursday Island, Fremantle station
The is one of the
then Cooktown, Rockhampton, Bris-
most powerful?
bane, Sydney. Gabo Island, Hobart,
"Yes,it is exactlythe same as the
Melbourne, Mt. Gambier, Adelaide,
Esperance or Fremantle, Sydneystation, and will have a radius
Albany, Ger-
aldton, Roebourne, Wyndham and of 1250miles by day,and 1500to 2000
by night."
Port Darwin— eighteenstations alto-
gether." When do you take it over?
All thesestationswill be for com- "As soon as we are
satisfied
that the
mercial purposes? technical conditions of the contract
"Certainly.
They will have a com- have been complied with. It must
plete day arid night servicethrough- have a day radius of 1250 miles."
Commonwealth, completed
out the and within Will the tests be this
Australian
1000 miles of the coast in week?
directions."
all "Ah! we cannot say. They may
The latter
will be for the benefit
of take three months— even 12 months."
shipping? without benefit
Then we may be of
"Yes, and We shall meteorology. wireless?
be able to receiveweatherreports "No, we shall make arrangements
fromat least 1000 miles out at sea, to start commercial operating at
and probably 1500 miles." once. The stationwill be openedfor
When will the other Westralian sta- public business without delay."
tions be begun? What are the rates?
apparatus "Fourpence shipping
"The and gear for three per word for
sixpence per overland,
of these have alreadybeen shipped and word plus
Melbourne.Geraldton the ordinary inland telegraph charges."
from will be By the way, Mr. Balsillie,is the
the first stationerected. Then the
southern Esperance;
at Albany or we whole Commonwealth schemeto be on
haven'tdecidedwhich yet; and next your own principle?
Roebourne. "Fremantle
will be and PennantHills are
Telefunken principle;
"Of course you know Port Darwin both on the all
mine."
will connectwith the Empirescheme
Singapore
the rest will be on
eitherby way of or Col- Wirelessought to cheapencommu-
nication to the world.
ombo. At Port Darwinthere will be
two stations — a smallone for com- "The rates from Port Darwin have
Postmaster-
not yet been fixed. The
General will decide the matter."
National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57734316
Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 29 September 1912, page 6 (2)
General will decide the matter."
National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57734316