The Beam Wireless technology was developed through the complementary efforts of several amazing researchers supported by various institutions and companies. Governments supported many initiatives but were tardy in several respects.
The West Australian of 12 March 1912 summarised developments of the Beam Wireless as follows:
THE IMPERIAL WIRELESS CHAIN.
"To the nineteenth century belongs the idea of wireless telegraphy, as also the subjugation of this "the greatest feat which modern science has as yet achieved" - to quote the famous wireless message from Canada to the "Times" in January, 1903 - to the commercial and other needs of mankind.
Marvelous results very often follow small and insignificant commencements. When Captain Jackson succeeded in getting Morse signals across the air at the end of 1895, or when Sir W. H. Preece at the Royal Institution on 4 June, 1897, described and illustrated his method of "signalling through space without wires" by means of electro-magnetic waves of low frequency and two parallel circuits established on each bank of a river, who would have dared to forecast that the day was almost in sight when all parts of the British Empire would be "linked by a wireless chain" - to use the somewhat paradoxical words of a recent cablegram. In other words that the time was at hand when telegraphic messages could be transmitted from one "wireless station" to another, right round the Empire?
Yet that time has practically arrived, within fifteen or sixteen short years from the initial operations in connection with this wonderful invention. The commencement was of very small significance, so small as to have attracted but little attention save among scientists. In 1805 the submarine cable across the Sound of Mull broke down and Sir William Preece utilised his system successfully to carry on the work which threatened suspension owing to a solution in the continuity of the more material system. Then in 1906, Marconi, a young Italian, took over to England an apparatus for the utilisation of Hertzian waves of high frequency, which successfully transmitted signals a distance of nine miles across the Bristol Channel.
To Sir William Preece was Marconi indebted for exhibiting and explaining the apparatus to the scientific world and endorsing it as "valuable for shipping and lighthouse purposes". To show how remarkably that endorsement has been verified, it is only necessary to call to mind the collision between the Republic and the Florida (emigrant ship) 175 miles off New York on 22 January, 1900, and the summoning of the Baltic by wireless C.Q.D., or distress signal, from the Republic. Had it not been for that, it is awful even to contemplate what the loss of life would have been.
From the time of Marconi's successful experiments across the Bristol Channel, events in connection with the new system moved rapidly. The British Post Office authorities experimented until, on 30 January, 1899, the first Press message was sent across the English Channel from Wimreux, near Boulogne, to the South Foreland. The system was established and general interest excited.
Long distance transmission began with the new century. From Poldhu station, in Cornwall, to St. Catherine's, Isle of Wight, was successfully negotiated in 1901, and the following year saw messages transmitted across the Atlantic to St. John's, Newfoundland and to and from the ship Philadelphia, a distance of 2,000 miles. The year 1903 was a busy year in the history of wireless telegraphy and saw greetings transmitted between President Roosevelt and the late King Edward and the message from Canada to the "Times," referred to above. That year also saw the erection of 25 "stations" - eight of them in England - and the opening of an international conference on wireless telegraphy in Berlin. From that out, the progress of the system was a march of triumph. The British G.P.O. announced that it would take messages for transmission by wireless to ships at sea in 1905 and in 1910 a regular series of wireless reports from vessels at sea was published at Lloyd's for the use of members A regular trans-Atlantic wireless service between Europe and America was also opened.
We cannot altogether congratulate ourselves, here in Australia, on having kept abreast of the times in this respect. Certainly the Wireless Telegraphy Act, which was passed by the Federal Government in 1905, gave the Postmaster-General the exclusive privilege of establishing and using stations and appliances for receiving and transmitting messages by wireless telegraphy within Australia But, having got so far, those entrusted with the shaping of the destiny of this great country seem to have utterly failed to take advantage of their opportunities. They appear to have been unable to grasp the immense importance of the new system whether regarded from an economical, social, commercial or defence point of view.
Anyway nothing was done until, in 1909, a conference of representatives of the Commonwealth, New Zealand, the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, Fiji, the Admiralty and the Pacific Cable Board was convened at Melbourne to report upon the establishment of wireless telegraphy in the Pacific. The conference, the origin of which was doubtless due to foreign pressure, made recommendations for high power stations at Sydney, Doubtless Bay (N.Z.), Suva, and Ocean Island and also for medium power stations at Tulagi and Vila.
Two years ago the Postmaster-General invited tenders for the erection of high power stations at Sydney and Fremantle. The tender of the Australasian Wireless Ltd. of £4,150 for each station was accepted. The price for the Sydney station was afterwards, owing to increase of power, raised to £6,150. Tenders were subsequently invited for stations at Hobart, Melbourne, Thursday Island, and Port Moresby. The system originally decided on was the "Telefunken" and each plant was guaranteed to be effective over a range of 1,250 miles subject to a penalty of £5,000. However, the "Telefunken" system is not the system now in use. What the system is it is impossible to say, owing to the extraordinary secrecy with which the authorities have invested their operations. The Postmaster-General has stated that, after protracted negotiations, the overtures of the Marconi and Telefunken companies were declined. A system was then installed on the advice of the Commonwealth radio-telegraphic engineer which is novel and in advance of both (other) systems. Also we know that the Commonwealth Government has been served with a writ by the Marconi Company for alleged infringement of patent.
However, the Melbourne station is at work and the first messages were despatched from it on Friday, 9 February. Sydney, Applecross and Hobart stations will soon be in working order and Thursday Island and Port Moresby will follow. Under these circumstances it will be exceedingly regrettable if anything occurs to prevent Australia's participation in the Imperial' "wireless chain" for which the Marconi International Marine Communication Company has secured the contract at a cost of £60,000 per station. But the enormous discrepancy:
- between the cost of the Australian stations and those contracted for in connection with the Imperial wireless chain;
- the Prime Minister's extremely guarded endorsement of the scheme at the Imperial Conference;
- Mr. Pearce's statement that the Fremantle station would not be powerful enough to reach Singapore;
- the secrecy maintained by the authorities as to the system adopted.
all indicate that there may be complications.
Certainly Mr. Fisher stated that when the scheme was developed, the Commonwealth might be relied on to enter into full co-operation; but he added that until the financial obligations in connection therewith were made known, he would not commit himself to the scheme from a financial standpoint. "Occasion turneth a bald noddle after she hath presented her locks in front and no hold taken" and it would be more than regrettable - it would be calamitous - if occasion were not grasped by Australia in such a scheme as that under discussion, more especially if failure were occasioned by any motive of cheeseparing economy. And if there is any hesitation about immediate and hearty co-operation in the Imperial wireless chain scheme, it must be admitted that ground exists for the belief that such hesitation will be due in some meaure to financial considerations. It is hard to justify, on any other ground, the erection of a plant having a range of only 1,250 miles at a place like Fremantle - or to speak more accurately - Applecross - a plant that cannot reach Singapore even.
More especially is this emphasised when we call to mind "the message which was received by the Mantua off Port Melbourne, and which was dispatched from Jask in the Persian Gulf - 6,240 nautical miles away from a properly-equipped high power station. This was a record no doubt, but still it is indicative of the possibilities to be achieved when efficiency is not permitted to be sacrificed to considerations of cost. It is to be hoped that short-sighted finance will not be allowed to interfere in the present case, but that Australia will take her rightful place as the most important link in the Imperial wireless chain and that, to that end, may be established what Mr. Fisher said he would like to have established "some of the best wireless stations in the world".
After Marconi’s experiments successfully demonstrated that long distance communication was possible with shortwave (up to 100 m) directional transmission and high powered transmitters, his company installed transmitters for sending and receiving messages in Queenscliff, Victoria and Devonport, Tasmania in 1906. The Government did not, however, purchase the equipment nor approve the service".
In summary, the main stages in the development of the Beam wireless service in Australia were:
| Wireless Progress.
Besides the service an industry renders to the community, industrial progress can best be measured by the number of people engaged directly as employees in an industry, and by the number of people indirectly occupied in the allied industries supplying the raw material for manufacture or the finished apparatus for re-sale. In 1914, the number of employees in the wireless industry was under 100, and the wages paid £12,000 per annum. At the present time, Amalgamated Wireless (A/asia) Limited employs no less than 800 Australians, who receive in salaries and wages the sum of £150,000 per annum. In addition, the Company disburses in respect of raw material, goods and general expenses, the sum of £200,000 per annum. In 1914, the Company conducted wireless telegraph services on some 70 ship stations; to-day over 270 ship stations of the Australasian Mercantile Marine are controlled by the Company. The whole of the Coastal Radio Stations in Australia, New Guinea and Papua - 26 in number - are operated by the Company. In 1914 there were six men engaged in manufacturing operations - to-day wireless production gives employment to 200 operatives. Hobart Mercury 20 February 1924. |
Beam wireless rate were generally cheaper than those for the cable. On 25 April 1938, rates for cable were reduced from 2/- to 1/3 per word while the Beam rates reduced from 1/8 to 1/3 per word.
Sydney Radio was in daily communication with Noumea and Suva. From Suva, wireless traffic is distributed to and from almost all Pacific islands provided with radio. The station at Willis Island, about 300 miles east of Townsville, exists for the sole purpose of supplying information to the weather bureaus at Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. These are invaluable in heralding approaching hurricanes, 24 hours notice of which is now assured to coastal residents and to shipping.