Misc. WA Telecommunications History
This page covers miscellaneous WA telecomms historical information not covered on another dedicated page.
Contents
This page covers miscellaneous WA telecomms historical information not covered on another dedicated page.
Contents
- Carnarvon Tracking Station
- Katanning WA Telecommunications page
- WA country telephone exchanges 1976
- WA telephone exchanges at the start of the 21st century
- The PMG/Telecom Workshops WA
- The speaking clock
- WA radio and TV broadcast stations- history
- Other networks
- John F Moynihan
- Australian Postal (Post-Tel) Institute
- Western Australian Telecom Museum demise
- Historic staff lists PMG Telecom Telstra
Carnarvon Tracking Station
The Carnarvon Tracking Station was opened in June 1964 to be a prime station for the Gemini Program. The Verlort Radar and Aquisition antennae were transported from Muchea to Carnarvon after Muchea closed.
Carnarvon was better placed than Muchea to be able to track Gemini spacecraft – and it was also in an ideal position to confirm the orbit of the Apollo spacecraft so that a Go / No-Go decision could be made for Trans Lunar Injection.
The USB section and the 9 metre antenna were built specifically to support Apollo.
Carnarvon Tracking Station was the largest manned space flight tracking station outside the US. It should not be confused with the nearby OTC Carnarvon Earth Station which was built primarily to carry communications from the NASA station to the US.
For a recently updated and detailed history/collected stories from the tracking station go to:
https://honeysucklecreek.net/other_stations/carnarvon/index.html
It contains an interesting story about how Mrs O'Donahue at Hamelin Pool helped avert a disaster during the first Gemini space shot in 1964 here
The Carnarvon Tracking Station was opened in June 1964 to be a prime station for the Gemini Program. The Verlort Radar and Aquisition antennae were transported from Muchea to Carnarvon after Muchea closed.
Carnarvon was better placed than Muchea to be able to track Gemini spacecraft – and it was also in an ideal position to confirm the orbit of the Apollo spacecraft so that a Go / No-Go decision could be made for Trans Lunar Injection.
The USB section and the 9 metre antenna were built specifically to support Apollo.
Carnarvon Tracking Station was the largest manned space flight tracking station outside the US. It should not be confused with the nearby OTC Carnarvon Earth Station which was built primarily to carry communications from the NASA station to the US.
For a recently updated and detailed history/collected stories from the tracking station go to:
https://honeysucklecreek.net/other_stations/carnarvon/index.html
It contains an interesting story about how Mrs O'Donahue at Hamelin Pool helped avert a disaster during the first Gemini space shot in 1964 here
Katanning WA Telecommunications page
This is a page about telecommunications history in this Great Southern WA town. Congratulations to researcher K. Porteous. https://lostkatanning.com/telecommunications/
Western Australian Country Telephone Exchanges at 1976
Rescued Telecom Australia document listing non-metro exchanges at 1976. Courtesy Mr R Herbert. The list has been split into two parts to satisfy file size limits on this page. Click on download file below, pages 1-7 and 8-13.
Rescued Telecom Australia document listing non-metro exchanges at 1976. Courtesy Mr R Herbert. The list has been split into two parts to satisfy file size limits on this page. Click on download file below, pages 1-7 and 8-13.
non-metro_exch_1976-compressed_1a.pdf | |
File Size: | 6351 kb |
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non-metro_exch_1976-compressed_1b.pdf | |
File Size: | 5148 kb |
File Type: |
Western Australian Telephone Exchanges at the start of the 21st century
Click on download file (PDF file). Original source: The National Telephone Exchanges Dataset here
Click on download file (PDF file). Original source: The National Telephone Exchanges Dataset here
wa_exch_list_2012.pdf | |
File Size: | 168 kb |
File Type: |
The PMG/Telecom Workshops in WA
Most states had their own workshops that manufactured and repaired or refurbished a wide range of telecommunications equipment (more here). In WA, workshops were initially in Central Perth, later moving to East Perth, then to Crowther St Bayswater and 342 Scarborough Beach Rd Osborne Park prior to the completion of the extensive facility in Ivy St, South Guildford (sometimes referred to as Redcliffe) in about 1975. Everything from metal fabrication to telephone refurbishing was undertaken at the new centre which was adjacent to the Telecom Lines School and Perth Airport .
Central Perth
By 1920 there was a "Commonwealth Telephone Workshop" located in a lane between Murray and Wellington St (McLean Lane - near Pier St). It was extensively damaged by fire in Jan 1920. A newspaper article appears at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45544528
Two images below of this event - sourced from the National Archives of Australia site (http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/)
Most states had their own workshops that manufactured and repaired or refurbished a wide range of telecommunications equipment (more here). In WA, workshops were initially in Central Perth, later moving to East Perth, then to Crowther St Bayswater and 342 Scarborough Beach Rd Osborne Park prior to the completion of the extensive facility in Ivy St, South Guildford (sometimes referred to as Redcliffe) in about 1975. Everything from metal fabrication to telephone refurbishing was undertaken at the new centre which was adjacent to the Telecom Lines School and Perth Airport .
Central Perth
By 1920 there was a "Commonwealth Telephone Workshop" located in a lane between Murray and Wellington St (McLean Lane - near Pier St). It was extensively damaged by fire in Jan 1920. A newspaper article appears at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/45544528
Two images below of this event - sourced from the National Archives of Australia site (http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/)
East Perth
The workshops moved to Lord St East Perth after the fire and continued there for the next quarter of a century before another move in 1947, although the metals shop remained at East Perth. I clearly remember the metals/blacksmith shop still there in 1965, adjacent to the Technicians' School.
Not much information survives, the only reference I can find on-line is to a fire in June 1940! Ref. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/46723823
From the above article, a description of the damaged part of the East Perth facility: "The building where the fire occurred is constructed of wood and iron, and it was stated that the materials came from the site of the projected naval base south of Fremantle when it was decided to demolish a number of buildings already erected in that area."
The workshops moved to Lord St East Perth after the fire and continued there for the next quarter of a century before another move in 1947, although the metals shop remained at East Perth. I clearly remember the metals/blacksmith shop still there in 1965, adjacent to the Technicians' School.
Not much information survives, the only reference I can find on-line is to a fire in June 1940! Ref. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/46723823
From the above article, a description of the damaged part of the East Perth facility: "The building where the fire occurred is constructed of wood and iron, and it was stated that the materials came from the site of the projected naval base south of Fremantle when it was decided to demolish a number of buildings already erected in that area."
1940 Workshops East Perth: Some names identified: 3 Wilf Hunter, 8 "Tiger" Downey, 13 "Sailor" Carrick, 14 Bill Forward, 22 "Robby" Roberts, 36 Jim Douglas (Training), 7 Ernie Donegan (Foreman), Mr HB Barton (Workshops OIC), 39 Engineers in charge, 44 Syd Battersee, 46 Bruce Morrison, 47 (possibly) Bob Phippard, 48 (possibly) Gordon Ashman, 50 Dick Wearmouth, 53 Noel Wankey
Bayswater
After WW2 (about 1947) the main parts of the Workshops (minus the metal/blacksmith shop) were relocated to a former wartime aircraft factory, built in 1942, in Crowther St Bayswater.
A description of the Crowther St Bayswater site. "The main factory buildings were of saw-toothed roof construction with corrugated iron roofing and fibre cement cladding above a low brick wall below window sill height. The casement windows in the side walls were arranged in groups of four, giving the effect of a continuous horizontal band." From the Heritage WA site (http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au)
Bayswater
After WW2 (about 1947) the main parts of the Workshops (minus the metal/blacksmith shop) were relocated to a former wartime aircraft factory, built in 1942, in Crowther St Bayswater.
A description of the Crowther St Bayswater site. "The main factory buildings were of saw-toothed roof construction with corrugated iron roofing and fibre cement cladding above a low brick wall below window sill height. The casement windows in the side walls were arranged in groups of four, giving the effect of a continuous horizontal band." From the Heritage WA site (http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au)
Osborne Park
Former employees have described a telephone, switchboard etc. refurbishment facility at 342 Scarborough Beach Rd Osborne Park. This was prior to the building of the new facilities at the old "Dunreath" site in Redcliffe/South Guildford which opened in 1975.
Former employees have described a telephone, switchboard etc. refurbishment facility at 342 Scarborough Beach Rd Osborne Park. This was prior to the building of the new facilities at the old "Dunreath" site in Redcliffe/South Guildford which opened in 1975.
South Guildford
The extensive, purpose built, facility off Ivy St, South Guildford (sometimes referred to as Redcliffe) opened in 1975. Everything from metal fabrication to telephone refurbishing was undertaken at the new centre which was adjacent to the Telecom Lines School and Perth Airport .
Recently (May 2019) I was informed by a former employee that the South Guildford WA Workshops were winding down in the early 1990s and closed by 1995. The site has been extensively redeveloped and no evidence remains of its past use.
The speaking clock in WA
The main article about the speaking clock first installed in the east in 1954 is available here.
The Speaking clock was installed in WA in 1960. The following link to a newspaper article of 1960 and extract of PMG document provided courtesy of Mr R Herbert.
Newspaper article: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202793803?searchTerm=speaking%20clock
The WA Engineering Bulletin Feb 1960 records the event;
The main article about the speaking clock first installed in the east in 1954 is available here.
The Speaking clock was installed in WA in 1960. The following link to a newspaper article of 1960 and extract of PMG document provided courtesy of Mr R Herbert.
Newspaper article: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202793803?searchTerm=speaking%20clock
The WA Engineering Bulletin Feb 1960 records the event;
Anecdotes from Mr B Elsner 2019:
"At the Main Trunk Exchange in Perth Western Australia in (sic)1961 (1960), there was still no 'Speaking Clock'. Trunk room operators worked half hour shifts speaking the time into a microphone for callers to 014. Within a year that was replaced by a Siemens tape drive speaking clock rack connected to two massive pendulum clocks. You had to be a Super Tech to work on that system. We also had magnetic drum Weather and Sport machines installed then which we were allowed to service. One of my supervisors was prone to using quotations from Shakespeare to test the recording machines. On one noteworthy occasion he mixed up which machine was on line and callers to the weather 016 were treated to the full rendition of Portia's speech from the Merchant of Venice, "The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven," etc. for several hours until complaints filtered through."
"Jim Hatch has found a photo of WA's original Speaking Clock equipment taken in 1964. As I recall there were two racks of the tape units side by side. Equipment 1 & Equipment 2 plus Equipment 3 & Equipment 4. Each rack had an automatic failure detection system which switched over clocks to the second tape unit if there was a fault on one unit. A second rack provided diversity by allowing manual switch over in case both tape units on one rack went faulty. One of a pair of Pendulum wall clocks is also shown, these provided time accuracy for the tape units and diversity in case of inaccuracy, or failure."
"Taken in the 'Clock Room' a small ~2.5m x 2.5m cubicle in one corner of the 2nd Floor PABX room which housed the GPO PABX. This became a favourite 'resting room' for MTX staff, with a contact switch on the PABX room entry door that sounded a buzzer when anyone entered the PABX room."
"At the Main Trunk Exchange in Perth Western Australia in (sic)1961 (1960), there was still no 'Speaking Clock'. Trunk room operators worked half hour shifts speaking the time into a microphone for callers to 014. Within a year that was replaced by a Siemens tape drive speaking clock rack connected to two massive pendulum clocks. You had to be a Super Tech to work on that system. We also had magnetic drum Weather and Sport machines installed then which we were allowed to service. One of my supervisors was prone to using quotations from Shakespeare to test the recording machines. On one noteworthy occasion he mixed up which machine was on line and callers to the weather 016 were treated to the full rendition of Portia's speech from the Merchant of Venice, "The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven," etc. for several hours until complaints filtered through."
"Jim Hatch has found a photo of WA's original Speaking Clock equipment taken in 1964. As I recall there were two racks of the tape units side by side. Equipment 1 & Equipment 2 plus Equipment 3 & Equipment 4. Each rack had an automatic failure detection system which switched over clocks to the second tape unit if there was a fault on one unit. A second rack provided diversity by allowing manual switch over in case both tape units on one rack went faulty. One of a pair of Pendulum wall clocks is also shown, these provided time accuracy for the tape units and diversity in case of inaccuracy, or failure."
"Taken in the 'Clock Room' a small ~2.5m x 2.5m cubicle in one corner of the 2nd Floor PABX room which housed the GPO PABX. This became a favourite 'resting room' for MTX staff, with a contact switch on the PABX room entry door that sounded a buzzer when anyone entered the PABX room."
WA radio and TV broadcast stations - history
Although broadcast stations don't strictly fit into the genre of historic telephony, national (ABC) radio and TV transmitters were managed by the Post Master General's Dept from the outset and PMG (and later Telecom Australia) technical staff maintained and operated much of the equipment for many decades. Similarly, ABC studio technical staff were partly trained at the PMG Technicians School (here) for many years. There was a close link between nationally owned telephone, radio and television systems in Australia.
6WF
Westralian Farmers Co-operative Limited (Wesfarmers) began operating radio station 6WF from the top floor of the company’s 569 Wellington Street building, on Wednesday 4 June 1924. It operated at 240kHz long-wave (AM) band. WA radio pioneer Wally Coxon was the first chief engineer. 6WF was possibly the first Australian radio station to experiment with stereophonic transmission in 1928.
Although broadcast stations don't strictly fit into the genre of historic telephony, national (ABC) radio and TV transmitters were managed by the Post Master General's Dept from the outset and PMG (and later Telecom Australia) technical staff maintained and operated much of the equipment for many decades. Similarly, ABC studio technical staff were partly trained at the PMG Technicians School (here) for many years. There was a close link between nationally owned telephone, radio and television systems in Australia.
6WF
Westralian Farmers Co-operative Limited (Wesfarmers) began operating radio station 6WF from the top floor of the company’s 569 Wellington Street building, on Wednesday 4 June 1924. It operated at 240kHz long-wave (AM) band. WA radio pioneer Wally Coxon was the first chief engineer. 6WF was possibly the first Australian radio station to experiment with stereophonic transmission in 1928.
The Commonwealth government bought 6WF for £7,000 on 6th December, 1928. Broadcasting services were run by a conglomerate of individually operated radio stations across the country called the Australian Broadcasting Company. In the case of 6WF, the company won a three year programming contract till 30 June 1932. Technical operations were managed by the PMG. According to the following references, 6WF shifted from 240KhZ to the MW AM band at 690kHz in 1929. It now operates at 720kHz.
The Australian Broadcasting Commission (the ABC) was officially launched on 1 July, 1932 and subsumed the operations of the Australian Broadcasting Company.
Much of the above information was sourced from a detailed history of 6WF and the ABC appearing at:
http://watvhistory.com/2012/08/the-6wf-story-part-1-of-3/
http://watvhistory.com/2012/08/the-6wf-story-part-2-of-3/
http://watvhistory.com/2012/08/the-6wf-story-part-3-of-3/
The Wanneroo (Hamersley) 6WF transmitter site was opened in 1933. The following images from old PMG photos.
The Australian Broadcasting Commission (the ABC) was officially launched on 1 July, 1932 and subsumed the operations of the Australian Broadcasting Company.
Much of the above information was sourced from a detailed history of 6WF and the ABC appearing at:
http://watvhistory.com/2012/08/the-6wf-story-part-1-of-3/
http://watvhistory.com/2012/08/the-6wf-story-part-2-of-3/
http://watvhistory.com/2012/08/the-6wf-story-part-3-of-3/
The Wanneroo (Hamersley) 6WF transmitter site was opened in 1933. The following images from old PMG photos.
Recent history of the Hamersley transmitter site
Under Federal government ownership for around 70 years, the Hamersley transmitter (and all other similar assets Australia-wide) were sold to private, and ultimately international, interests.
The sale: From Hansard Monday, 24 November 2003 Page: 22649 (https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/)
"(1) The Australian Government's interest in the Hamersley broadcasting transmission facility and associated land was vested, as part of the National Transmission Network (NTN) sale process, in the National Transmission Company (NTC) on 30 April 1999. Shares in the NTC were then sold later that day in accordance with the National Transmission Network Sale Act 1998.
(2) The NTN assets, as vested in the NTC, were sold in their entirety for $650 million. Prices are not available for individual sites. The current owner of the NTN is Broadcast Australia Pty Limited.
(3) The then Minister for Finance and Administration, the Hon John Fahey MP, was the Minister responsible for managing the sale process."
Broadcast Australia: (Source: webarchive.org)
"After more than 70 years as a government owned and managed transmission network, Macquarie Bank Ltd acquired NTN in 2002 and re-branded it as Broadcast Australia, becoming the seed asset in the publicly listed Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group fund. MCIG, including Broadcast Australia, was subsequently acquired by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) in 2009."
BAI Communications: Broadcast Australia rebranded as BAI Communications in 2019.
https://www.adnews.com.au/news/broadcast-australia-relaunches-as-bai-communications
Rezoning and subdivision of Hamersley transmitter site (Source: http://www.hamersleyproject.com.au/)
Note how "fake news" creeps into corporate storylines. From the above press release:
“BAI Communications acquired the 42 hectares (ha) of land, between Erindale Road and Wanneroo Road, in Hamersley in the 1930s. The land has been used for the transmission of broadcast services since its establishment and continues to be used as such to this day.”
Under Federal government ownership for around 70 years, the Hamersley transmitter (and all other similar assets Australia-wide) were sold to private, and ultimately international, interests.
The sale: From Hansard Monday, 24 November 2003 Page: 22649 (https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/)
"(1) The Australian Government's interest in the Hamersley broadcasting transmission facility and associated land was vested, as part of the National Transmission Network (NTN) sale process, in the National Transmission Company (NTC) on 30 April 1999. Shares in the NTC were then sold later that day in accordance with the National Transmission Network Sale Act 1998.
(2) The NTN assets, as vested in the NTC, were sold in their entirety for $650 million. Prices are not available for individual sites. The current owner of the NTN is Broadcast Australia Pty Limited.
(3) The then Minister for Finance and Administration, the Hon John Fahey MP, was the Minister responsible for managing the sale process."
Broadcast Australia: (Source: webarchive.org)
"After more than 70 years as a government owned and managed transmission network, Macquarie Bank Ltd acquired NTN in 2002 and re-branded it as Broadcast Australia, becoming the seed asset in the publicly listed Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group fund. MCIG, including Broadcast Australia, was subsequently acquired by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) in 2009."
BAI Communications: Broadcast Australia rebranded as BAI Communications in 2019.
https://www.adnews.com.au/news/broadcast-australia-relaunches-as-bai-communications
Rezoning and subdivision of Hamersley transmitter site (Source: http://www.hamersleyproject.com.au/)
Note how "fake news" creeps into corporate storylines. From the above press release:
“BAI Communications acquired the 42 hectares (ha) of land, between Erindale Road and Wanneroo Road, in Hamersley in the 1930s. The land has been used for the transmission of broadcast services since its establishment and continues to be used as such to this day.”
WA national and commercial radio stations
A list of the early WA (AM) broadcast radio stations (national and commercial) and their commencement dates can be found at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_early_radio_broadcast_stations_in_Western_Australia#cite_note-9
Another very comprehensive, and locally produced document, on WA AM radio stations can be read on the site following. Author not known but thanks are in order:
https://austamradiohistory.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/western-australia-030920.pdf
6WN
The Manning Telecom Training Centre was built on a former 6WN radio transmitter site.
6WN opened on 12 Oct 1938 (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/85021836). The mast and transmitter equipment was located at the Perth GPO. Because of the risk of attack during WW2 the transmitter was relocated (secretly?) to the Mt Lawley Golf Course (about 6km NNE of central Perth). A new antenna system was installed at Mt Lawley as the original mast was dismantled and stored. The reasons given for dismantling this mast were the risks it posed as a wartime target. The mast was ultimately reinstalled in 1945 at Geraldton for the new regional station 6GN.
The 6WN transmitter was relocated again about 12km south of Perth to Manning Rd Manning (then known as Canning Bridge) in 1946. It was eventually combining with 6WF on the top loaded mast at Wanneroo (Hamersley) in 1953.
This version of events is at odds with the account at:
http://watvhistory.com/2012/08/the-6wf-story-part-2-of-3/ which glosses over 6WN history and gives the impression that 6WN was moved immediately to Hamersley/Wanneroo during the War. Some images of the Manning site appear here (scroll down to Manning Training Centre) and also below. The following articles outlining 6WNs history obtained from the Trove NLA site.
The following images are the 6WN transmitter mast and some equipment at Perth GPO 1938. Source National Archives Australia website (Series K1131).
GPO 1944 showing tower has been removed.
The following images are the 6WN transmitter equipment on new antenna at the temporary war time site at Mt Lawley Golf club Sep. 1942 . Source National Archives of Australia website (Series K1131)
The following images are of the Manning Rd (Canning Bridge area) 6WN transmitter probably Sep. 1946. Source old PMG photos now located on National Archives of Australia website (Series K1131)
The following images are of the new 580 foot mast and radiator for 6WF & 6WN under construction at Wanneroo (now called Hamersley) in 1953. Source National Archives of Australia website (Series K1131). The third image is the tower taken in 2007 (source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hamersley_radio_mast_2.jpg)
FM and digital radio
These topics are beyond the scope of this site but some background appears at:
FM broadcasting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_broadcasting_in_Australia
Digital radio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_radio_in_Australia
Australian television
Australian television history is beyond the scope of this site but a timeline of important TV events can be seen at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Australian_television
Other communications networks
Western Australian Forests Department.
www.forestleaves.blog/post/bush-communication-a-note-on-early-forestry-telephone-and-wireless-systems-in-wa
Western Australian Forests Department.
www.forestleaves.blog/post/bush-communication-a-note-on-early-forestry-telephone-and-wireless-systems-in-wa
Western Australian Railways
WA railways had/have comprehensive telecommunications networks but little or no information is publicly available. In this writer's experience, railways general network equipment was similar to that of the PMG and Telecom Australia with the added issues of specialised signalling systems. This writer was involved in a contract to retrain WAGR technicians in a range of digital radio, optical fibre transmission and telephone switching equipment ca 1990 as the majority of their systems, up to that point, comprised old/obsolescent analogue equipment.
Not specifically voice and data telecommunications but certainly related. This is a very comprehensive site on WA railways signalling: https://www.sigwa.info/index.html
WA railways had/have comprehensive telecommunications networks but little or no information is publicly available. In this writer's experience, railways general network equipment was similar to that of the PMG and Telecom Australia with the added issues of specialised signalling systems. This writer was involved in a contract to retrain WAGR technicians in a range of digital radio, optical fibre transmission and telephone switching equipment ca 1990 as the majority of their systems, up to that point, comprised old/obsolescent analogue equipment.
Not specifically voice and data telecommunications but certainly related. This is a very comprehensive site on WA railways signalling: https://www.sigwa.info/index.html
John F Moynihan
John Francis Moynihan (1931 – 2017) joined the Post Master-General’s Department in 1949 as a Technician in Training, qualifying as a Telecommunications Technician in 1954. John worked as a Technician for a while in the Bunbury WA area but soon undertook higher studies and was appointed an Engineer with the PMG in 1959. John continued with the PMG and later Telecom Australia and had a varied career, including working on upgrading metropolitan and country telephone exchanges, a stint in PMG Central Office in Melbourne and later in various roles including resources management. He retired as a Supervising Engineer in 1992.
John had a deep interest in preserving Australia’s telecommunications history and, in his spare time, researched and authored numerous publications - some of which are referenced in this website. He wrote two books “All the News in a Flash – Rottnest Communications 1829 – 1979" and "The Toll Turmoil - The Cost of a Basic Telephone Service in Australian Capital Cities 1901 – 1990".
Without John’s research, a huge chunk of national and Western Australian telecommunications history would be lost forever.
John Francis Moynihan (1931 – 2017) joined the Post Master-General’s Department in 1949 as a Technician in Training, qualifying as a Telecommunications Technician in 1954. John worked as a Technician for a while in the Bunbury WA area but soon undertook higher studies and was appointed an Engineer with the PMG in 1959. John continued with the PMG and later Telecom Australia and had a varied career, including working on upgrading metropolitan and country telephone exchanges, a stint in PMG Central Office in Melbourne and later in various roles including resources management. He retired as a Supervising Engineer in 1992.
John had a deep interest in preserving Australia’s telecommunications history and, in his spare time, researched and authored numerous publications - some of which are referenced in this website. He wrote two books “All the News in a Flash – Rottnest Communications 1829 – 1979" and "The Toll Turmoil - The Cost of a Basic Telephone Service in Australian Capital Cities 1901 – 1990".
Without John’s research, a huge chunk of national and Western Australian telecommunications history would be lost forever.
Australian Postal (Post-Tel ) Institute (API)
The API was a social club formed from the early 1920s around Australia to provide services to Australian Post Office employees. it moved with the times and versions still exists across Australia today.
The WA body's history can be seen at:
The API was a social club formed from the early 1920s around Australia to provide services to Australian Post Office employees. it moved with the times and versions still exists across Australia today.
The WA body's history can be seen at:
Demise of the WA Telecom museum (1988)
Excerpt from a paper by John Moynihan "Telephone Exchanges and the Former Government Printing Office, Murray Street, East Perth 1945 - 1997" (Note: FGPO refers to above building)
The saga of Telecom and the FGPO then took a twist. In 1988 the New South Wales branch of the Telecommunication Society of Australia had convinced the then State Manager of NSW Telecom, Ken Douglas, to employ an industrial archaeologist to examine their historical collection and recommend what to do with same. Sydney had a good collection but no museum. David Henry, ex Sydney Powerhouse Museum, was employed on a six month contract to advise Sydney's SM & TSA. During this period Telecom had a major re-organisation which included abolition of State Manager positions. Thus Ken Douglas went to another position and his support was gone. TSA then found that the Sydney Corporate Communications Section had 'taken over' Mr Henry, and he was in effect, if not in fact, made part of the Melbourne HQ Corporate Communications staff, but still located in Sydney
David Henry went on a national tour of Telecom museums, a matter that was kept quiet, so to speak. He returned to Sydney and compiled a report that was declared “confidential”. This writer never did understand what was confidential about the matter. Be that as it may, David Henry presented a paper to an Industrial Heritage conference at Fremantle in 1994 in which he outlined his reasons why Telecom should curtail its national activity in the museum field. Presumably the paper was based on his confidential report of 1988. The paper, it may be said, expanded on the theme that Telecom had no place in the museum ‘business,’ and having the same things on display in various states was wasteful and unnecessary.
At least in Perth the Henry report was immediately applicable. It was declared that work on revamping the ground floor of the FGPO for a new museum would cease. An announcement to this effect was made in the August 1988 issue of the in-house publication Telecom WA. Subsequently the Perth museum's artifact collection was either sent to a central collection in Melbourne or given away to responsible organizations in WA with the philosophy of "Telecom were returning part of the state's history to the people". These actions were taken without any discussion with people who had donated Items for display. Thus there was ill feeling among those who had handed over such items.
Excerpt from a paper by John Moynihan "Telephone Exchanges and the Former Government Printing Office, Murray Street, East Perth 1945 - 1997" (Note: FGPO refers to above building)
The saga of Telecom and the FGPO then took a twist. In 1988 the New South Wales branch of the Telecommunication Society of Australia had convinced the then State Manager of NSW Telecom, Ken Douglas, to employ an industrial archaeologist to examine their historical collection and recommend what to do with same. Sydney had a good collection but no museum. David Henry, ex Sydney Powerhouse Museum, was employed on a six month contract to advise Sydney's SM & TSA. During this period Telecom had a major re-organisation which included abolition of State Manager positions. Thus Ken Douglas went to another position and his support was gone. TSA then found that the Sydney Corporate Communications Section had 'taken over' Mr Henry, and he was in effect, if not in fact, made part of the Melbourne HQ Corporate Communications staff, but still located in Sydney
David Henry went on a national tour of Telecom museums, a matter that was kept quiet, so to speak. He returned to Sydney and compiled a report that was declared “confidential”. This writer never did understand what was confidential about the matter. Be that as it may, David Henry presented a paper to an Industrial Heritage conference at Fremantle in 1994 in which he outlined his reasons why Telecom should curtail its national activity in the museum field. Presumably the paper was based on his confidential report of 1988. The paper, it may be said, expanded on the theme that Telecom had no place in the museum ‘business,’ and having the same things on display in various states was wasteful and unnecessary.
At least in Perth the Henry report was immediately applicable. It was declared that work on revamping the ground floor of the FGPO for a new museum would cease. An announcement to this effect was made in the August 1988 issue of the in-house publication Telecom WA. Subsequently the Perth museum's artifact collection was either sent to a central collection in Melbourne or given away to responsible organizations in WA with the philosophy of "Telecom were returning part of the state's history to the people". These actions were taken without any discussion with people who had donated Items for display. Thus there was ill feeling among those who had handed over such items.
Historic staff lists PMG - Telecom - Telstra
These lists are in no particular order and simply aim to record individuals who served these organisations in WA.
Training Centre staff and students
These lists are in no particular order and simply aim to record individuals who served these organisations in WA.
Training Centre staff and students
here
Deceased members of Country Installation Section (CIS) and various others where information was available. Excel file - simply click once to open and back to return to page. Many thanks to John Oppermann.
Deceased members of Country Installation Section (CIS) and various others where information was available. Excel file - simply click once to open and back to return to page. Many thanks to John Oppermann.
copy_of_cis___others_departed.xlsx | |
File Size: | 51 kb |
File Type: | xlsx |