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Extracts from the Mercury newspaper re King Island Wireless
Station
Richard Rogers, VK7RO, 20/5/93
25th July 1911 extract
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY
FATHER SHAW AT KING ISLAND
STATION TO BE ESTABLISHED
On Sunday, the 16th [July], another important addition, . . . was made
to the annals of King Island history, . . . in the shape of the
arrival of the Rev. Father Shaw, accompanied by a staff of [11]
engineers and workmen with [about 30 tons] of the necessary material
for the equipment of a wireless telegraph station on the island. . . .
The apparatus, which is similar to that employed at his Randwick
(N.S.W.) station is capable of transmitting and receiving up to a
distance of 2000 miles; it is, therefore, anticipated that . . . the
. . . system will be capable of communicating in due course with the
Government wireless stations at Sydney and Fremantle respectively.
. . . Father Shaw decided upon a site adjoining the agricultural show-
grounds, near Camp Creek, about a quarter of a mile N.E. of Parer's
Hotel, Currie.
. . . He hoped that the weather would not interfere with . . . the
erection of two conductor poles to a height of about 250ft. above the
surface of the earth. . . .
3rd August 1911
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ON KING ISLAND
Captain Davis, of the s.s. Wanchope, which arrived at Launceston from
King Island yesterday, stated that Father Shaw is making good progress
with the installation of wireless telegraphy on the island. The station
is reported to be nearing completion, and the first message is expected
to be sent in a fortnight's time.
25th August 1911
WIRELESS AT LOW HEAD
A wireless station at Low Head, Tasmania, for the use of travellers by
sea, is one of the ambitions of Father Shaw, of Sydney, who has been
experimenting with a new system of wireless at Sydney and King Island
(says the "Age"). The Postal Department has refused the inventor the
right of transmitting messages for the public. On Monday, the Post-
master-General announced that Father Shaw had been granted the usual
experimental licence, but had been refused any further rights.
25th August 1911
KING ISLAND WIRELESS STATION
By the outgoing mail yesterday Senator Keating addressed a letter to
the Postmaster-General, Hon. Josiah Thomas, in reference to the
wireless communication which the Rev. Father Shaw is establishing at
King Island for experimental purposes. Senator Keating urges that
Father Shaw should be given permission to transmit and receive wireless
messages for the general public, and suggests, that the establishment
of such facilities would be of great benefit to, and be immensely
appreciated by, the residents of King Island and the great bulk of the
Commonwealth public generally.
1st September 1911
KING ISLAND WIRELESS STATION
PROGRESS OF THE WORK
The King Island "Record" of August 28 says :- "The wireless station is
an unfailing object of interest to residents in the neighbourhood of
Currie, and many visitors walk across the paddock to the site where the
work is being carried out. One of the masts is now nearing completion.
Yesterday it had been built up to a height of 180 ft., leaving another
30 ft. to be added from beneath. At this height, however, the mast
proves somewhat difficult to handle with a wind blowing, and the fresh
breeze of yesterday afternoon made it necessary to cease raising it
with the winches for the purpose of adding to its growth. Timber was
being placed in position yesterday afternoon for a start on the top
length of the second mast. The building of the operator's quarters is
nearly completed. On Saturday, and again yesterday a trial was made
with the engine and the powerful dynamo which is to supply the
electricity for the wireless telegraphy, - and the glow lamps suspended
from the roof of the engine-room were lighted up - the first electric
lights on King Island. Father Shaw received an urgent message that his
attendance was required at the works in Sydney, and left last week, but
is expected to return very shortly. A great deal, of course, depends on
the weather, but, given favourable conditions, another three or four
weeks should see the station in working order.
5th September 1911
WIRELESS WITH KING ISLAND
A few days ago Senator Keating wrote to the Postmaster-General, asking
that Father Shaw, who is erecting a wireless station on King Island, be
allowed to transmit messages for the public on the same terms as are
allowed the Australasian Wireless Company Limited. By yesterdays mail
Senator Keating got a communication from the secretary to the Post-
master-General, announcing that the request had been complied with.
12th September 1911
WIRELESS WITH KING ISLAND
Senator Keating has forwarded a letter to the Marine Board of
Launceston, in which, after calling attention to the contents of a
letter received by him from the Postmaster-General's Department on 4th
inst., says :- "The letter from the secretary to the Postmaster-General
is in reply to one from me of 22nd. ultimo. As the Postal Department
now expresses its willingness to permit Father Shaw, if he so desires,
to utilise his King Island wireless installation for the transmission
and receipt of messages for the public, may I suggest that you, with
others, take steps to approach Father Shaw with a request, in the
interest of the public, to avail himself of the opportunity so offered.
I am briefly writing to Father Shaw himself on the subject." It was
decided to communicate with Father Shaw with the view of learning his
intention regarding Tasmania. The Master Warden mentioned that Father
Shaw contemplated establishing a station at Low Head.
14th September 1911
WIRELESS AT KING ISLAND
Captain J. Davis, the master of the steamer Wauchope, which reached
Launceston yesterday, reported that Father Shaw had completed his
wireless station at King Island, and was in daily communication with
his own station at Randwick, N.S.W. Last week he got into touch with
the service [naval?] station at Suva. He has also had communication with
several vessels, including H.M.S. Powerful at Sydney. On Tuesday (cables
our Melbourne correspondent) Senator Keating received the following
wireless messages from King Island:- "Greeting by wireless. King Island
station now complete. Place same at service of public and comply with
postal regulation. Communication from Randwick station, Sydney."
20th September 1911
KING ISLAND WIRELESS STATION
Father Shaw arrived at Launceston yesterday from King Island, and
caught the Rotomahana for Melbourne. He stated that the wireless
station which he had erected at King Island was working satisfactorily,
and he was prepared to erect one at Low Head if the Government or the
public found the money.
28th September 1911
ACCIDENT AT KING ISLAND
While a seaman named Denny was engaged adjusting the stays on the
second mast at Father Shaw's wireless telegraphy station on King Island
on Monday, September 18, the pole snapped and Denny was thrown to the
ground and rendered unconscious, in which condition he remained until
Sunday last. Dr. Cunningham is in attendance on Denny, who is now
reported to be in a fair way to recovery.
3rd October 1911
WIRELESS ON KING ISLAND
Our King Island correspondent writes:- "The masts of the Rev. Father
Shaw's wireless telegraph installation are now almost completed, and
show up well, both from seaward and many parts of the island. But for
one of the masts breaking a week or two ago, the whole of the work of
this experimental station would have been completed very much earlier.
Mr. Denney, who unfortunately happened to be on the mast at the time of
its collapse, received a nasty shaking; but as no bones appear to have
been broken, he is now making satisfactory progress. During the exper-
iments with the Randwick station many of the local residents have been
cordially welcomed by the rev. father to witness the transmission and
receipt of messages. One of the masts has yet to be raised a consider-
able height, and during the present week, a strong easterly wind has
impeded the work. On the whole, however, the atmosphere has been
exceptionally quiet since the work commenced. The installation is
certainly one the residents naturally feel proud of possessing, and
everyone is hopeful that the day is not far distant when the station
will appear among the Commonwealth's list of telegraph stations. It
is stated that already the erection of this station has enhanced the
value if King Island land fully 10s. [ten shillings] per acre.
11th January 1912
WIRELESS STATION AT KING ISLAND
On the next trip of the steamer Wauchope from Melbourne, Father Shaw,
who erected a wireless telegraph station at King Island some months
ago, will proceed to the island, taking with him an operator. It is the
intention of Father Shaw to place the operator in charge of the
station, which will then open for public business. A largely-signed
petition will shortly be sent to the Commonwealth Government, asking it
to take over the station in the interest of Australia generally. Since
the station has been completed it has been locked up, much to the
annoyance of the residents, who are cut off from the rest of the world
in the means of telegraphic communication. Only this week the need for
the station being in open in order to chronicle the movements of the
s.s. Wauchope, which was detained in leaving Melbourne, owing to a
strike of wharf labourers, and on her arrival at the island she was
again detained in getting away in consequence of bad weather. If there
had been any means of of finding out the movements of the vessel much
inconvenience would have been avoided. As it was, nothing was heard at
Launceston of the vessel after she left Melbourne last Friday until
reaching Burnie on Tuesday at midday.