Radio has been one of the most important forms of communication in the world since more than a century ago. In Australia, the popularity of radio has grown tremendously since the first radio broadcasting was made in 1919, and there are presently more than 260 radio stations in the country. Many commercial radio stations in Australia are conducting live broadcast over the Internet to reach out to more radio listeners around the world. History of Radio The history of radio started in the year 1896, when Guglielmo Marconi started sending radio transmissions over a distance of one mile. Two years later, he made the first public broadcast, and he established the first radio factory in 1899. Marconi monopolized radio communications in several countries around the world, and his company set up a two-way wireless telegraph station in Queenscliff, Australia in 1905. Although Marconi contributed significantly to the invention of wireless telegraphy, he was not the inventor of radio. Croatian-American inventor Nicola Tesla came up with the theoretical model for a radio about four years before Marconi started conducting experiments on wireless telegraphy. In 1921, voice-over broadcasting was introduced, and Marconi invented short wave transmission the following year. The first Australian radio broadcast was organized by the Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Limited, an organization that was established by Marconi and Telefunken. On the 1st of July, 1923, Sydney’s 2FC station became the first licensed radio station in Australia, and the number of licenses issued by the government reached 80,000 in 1925. The Australian Broadcasting Company was formed in 1929, and it became nationalized in 1932. Experimental broadcasts of FM radio were conducted in 1948, and the first radio station with full-time FM broadcast was 2MBS in Sydney. In 1984, stereo AM transmission was introduced in Australia. The first Internet radio transmission was broadcasted by NetFM in 1998, and digital radio was made available in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane in 2009. Australia’s Coastal Radio Service After the Titanic tragedy in 1912, some nations around the world agreed to provide coastal communication services to ensure the safety of seafarers. The first Australian coastal radio station was established in Melbourne in 1912, and later on, more stations were opened along the coast of the Australian mainland. By 1914, there were 19 coastal stations in the country. In the past, the stations communicated with Morse telegraphy, but after the Second World War, short wave transmission and two-way radiotelephone were introduced. In the 1990s, satellite technologies were applied to marine communication, and this resulted in a decline in traffic on radio circuits. History of the Marconi School of Wireless The Marconi School of Wireless was founded in 1913. This institution made valuable contributions to support the Allied forces during the Second World War. It trained 380 capable operators for the Allied Merchant Navies as well as more than 4,000 service personnel from 1939 to 1945. During the war, there was a tremendous need for radio communications, and many nations resorted to using under-qualified radio operators. Australia was able to maintain a high level of proficiency mainly because of the efficiency of the Marconi School of Wireless. The school continued to produce capable operators after the war, and it also contributed to the development of equipment that improved radio communications for ships in the 1960s. The Marconi School of Wireless was closed in December, 1981, but it remains an important part of the maritime history of Australia. Australian Mainland Coastal Radio Stations - Darwin Radio (VID)
- Townsville Radio (VIT)
- Rockhampton Radio (VIR)
- Brisbane Radio (VIB)
- Sydney Radio (VIS)
- Canberra Radio
- Melbourne Radio (VIM)
- Adelaide Radio (VIA)
- Perth Radio (VIP)
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