History of Australian Radio

First demonstration of wireless communication

1890

There are reliable reports in September 1897 of demonstrations of wireless communication in Australia conducted by Professor William Henry Bragg of Adelaide University following experiments by Bragg, and at some stage in conjunction with G.W. Selby of Melbourne.

Federal government control

1901

Section 51(v) of the Australian Constitution gives the federal government power over "postal, telegraphic, telephonic, and other like services".

First official transmission

1906

First official transmission between Queenscliff and Devonport, Tasmania

First long range radio station

1911

The first long range (520 km) coastal radio station was established in Sydney.

First radio broadcast

1919

The first radio "broadcast" in Australia was organised by Ernest Thomas Fisk of AWA on 19 August 1919. He arranged for the National Anthem to be broadcast from one building to another at the end of a lecture he'd given on the new medium to the Royal Society of New South Wales.

International broadcast

1927

AWA conducts a series of transmissions to Britain. These regular broadcasts were heralded by a kookaburra's laugh - a practice that's still used by Radio Australia today, nicknamed "Jacko".

ABC Inauguration

1932

At 8.00pm on 1 July 1932, the Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons, inaugurates the ABC. It then controlled 12 stations – 2FC and 2BL in Sydney, 3AR and 3LO in Melbourne, 4QG in Brisbane, 5CL in Adelaide, 6WF in Perth, 7ZL in Hobart and the relay stations 2NC in Newcastle, New South Wales, 2CO at Corowa, New South Wales, 4RK in Rockhampton, Queensland and 5CK at Crystal Brook, South Australia

First program recording

1935

The Sydney studios of the ABC installs a disc recorder, enabling the recording of programs to occur for the first time.

Radio Australia part of ABC

1939

Radio Australia was formally incorporated as part of the ABC

No radio and TV licence fees

1972

The Labor government's Media Minister Doug McClelland abolishes radio and TV licence fees, making the ABC funded directly from the federal budget

First internet radio transmission

1998

NetFM broadcasts Australia's first Internet radio transmission

Nova 96.9

2001

DMG Launches the Nova brand with Sydney's Nova 969 first hitting the airwaves.

SEN all-sports

2004

3AK Melbourne becomes an all-sports format as SEN

Digital radio official launch

2009

Digital radio officially launches in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.