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.