Comments for Maritime Radio

Comment on Awarua Radio by Barry Bassett

Barry Bassett — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:16:12 +0000

Hi Barry
I was at the training school in Trentham same year as you. Dick Charleston and I were the first two to pass the course that year and were assigned to ZLB.
I was there for about 18 months.
I resigned after the station superintendent died of a heart attack on the Invercargill golf course one Saturday morning, Can’t remember his name. Pat Columb was the Deputy Superintendent and he was promoted to the Superintendent position and there were a few other positions that changed as well which led to me to realise that the only real way to advance one’s career was for some one to die, retire or resign.
Being engaged to be married at the time that was not quick enough for me so I resigned, moved to Tauranga and went back to being telephone exchange technician.
I found my time at ZLB interesting, rewarding and on a couple of occasions emotionally testing when dealing with a couple of distress incidents,
Glad I did it, but at the time I could see that satellite communication was going to make Morse Code communication redundant.
Sad but inevitable.
Nice to read your posts Barry.
All the best.
Barry Bassett

Comment on Awarua Radio 1970-1979 by Adrian Henry HASSAN

Adrian Henry HASSAN — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 04:58:47 +0000

It’s great to remember…Francis Knowler and me, Adrian Hassan built and painted the 500khz distress console. I remember some of the instructions of our boss, Peter and the meticulously worked pubs of our technical mate Tony Hunt. A well oiled technical branch under PFL Munro and HF Osborne. I left in 1985 for uni.

Comment on New Zealand radio communications by Lyn Turner

Lyn Turner — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:26:37 +0000

I was born on Wellington Radio in 1958 when my father Owen (JOS) Bradley was a radio operator there. We lived in the transit flats and we’re neighbours with Tom Scott and his family. I notice that my father appears in your photos of ZLW. The final photo in the 1940 – 1949 years shows a solitary radio operator as Clyde Williams when I am sure it is my dad Owen Bradley. In the next decade 1950 -1959 there is a photo of three people with Austin Sumner in the middle. The person in the front of the photo is my dad again. I remember Austin Sumner. I have been trying to locate photos of the transit flats as I would like to see what the house actually looked like as I only have some vague memories of the inside and the smell of the old kerosine heater we used to use! I returned to live at ZLW again in 1978 when I married my husband Graham Turner, who later became the last Manager of ZLW. We lived in the newer built duplex flats and our neighbours were Allan and Marilyn Burgess. It was a really great community on Tinakori Hill and we have great memories of parties and kids growing up roaming the hills as their playground. I want Tinakori Hill to be my final destination.

Comment on Wellington Radio by Richard Rogers

Richard Rogers — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 05:15:24 +0000

In reply to Neil Sanderson.

About 25 years ago I talked to Harry Banks who was an operator at Wellington Radio in 1928. I recorded what he had to say and attach my version of what he had to say.

20 or 30 years ago, with a recorder running, I talked to Harry Banks who I knew had had been with Hobart Radio VIH in about 1970. This is a partial summary of the resulting tape.

Harry Banks grew up in Wellington, New Zealand, living in a house overlooking the harbour.
While he was still at school, an electrician boarded with the family and taught Harry Morse code.

So Harry had a buzzer and key to practice with. He also had a crystal set to listen to the local broadcast station and ships on 600M.
One day, Harry connected the buzzer to his crystal set aerial and called a ship coming in to Wellington.
The ship replied!! So Harry immediately went outside to lower his aerial in case a Radio Inspector came to investigate.

Harry left school at 15 and went to work for the Post Office. Becoming interested in wire telegraphy, within six months he was working as a telegrapher.
He joined a radio club and passed the Amateur examination whilst only 15. When he was 17, he passed the Commercial radio license exam, needing a lawyers
help to obtain the license as he was below the age of 18.

The Post Office then sent him to work as an operator at Wellington Radio in 1928. He was one of three operators and was paid 23/9 per week.
VLW had a 2.5 KW Telefunken spark as the main transmitter and a smaller valve transmitter.
Harry was required to arrive at 7.30AM for an 8AM start. He had to sign for 1/3 of a pencil and often found there were 30 messages
waiting to be sent to the Central Telegraph Office. (He said the PO wore even worse to work for than AWA in Australia.)

When the valve transmitter failed to work one evening when he was due to send the 9PM time signal, he used the spark transmitter.
“What a bloody row there was, it blocked out everything”, especially the local broadcast station 2PA.

Harry was sent to Arawua to replace a sick officer, via ship, train and model T Ford mail coach.
When he arrived, the operator was back at work so Harry worked there for one day before returning.

Back in Wellington, he was asked to go to Chatham Island.
He refused, and left the PO and joined the Union Steamship Company as a ship’s radio operator.

Harry moved to Australia in 1929, still employed by the shipping company and later worked for AWA.

He retired from VIH in 1976.

Richard Rogers, VK7RO. June 2026.

Comment on New Zealand radio communications by Bruce MORRIS

Bruce MORRIS — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 10:11:46 +0000

I was a Merchant Navy Radio Officer 1965-1971. From 1946 to 1971 there was a Commonwealth Area Scheme masterminded by the UK RN. This allowed Commonwealth MN ships to send and receive messages via any of the Area Stations anywhere in the world for free relay to/from to any other Commonwealth country. The hub of the operation was the famous British GPO station Portishead Radio which was linked via landline to RN Whitehall Wireless. There was a network of Naval radioteleprinter links between the various main Naval stations that took part in the Scheme.
These stations then transmitted/received the messages on HF to/from the ships. Portisheadradio was a GPO station with a few RN ops assisting. Most of the others were Naval, such as Simonstown near Capetown. There were a couple of anomalies in Aus and NZ. GPO Wellington/ZLW transmitted the TFC blind to us on HF but wouldn’t accept QSLs or TFC. That had to be sent via Naval Irirangi/ZLO or GPO Awarua/ZLB. How did that work?! Similarly in Aus, Canberra Naval/VIX transmitted TFC blind to us but we sent QSLs and TFC by GPO Sydney VIS but only on HF. I am trying to compile a history of the Area Scheme so if anyone could help, especially with the mix of GPO (used as a generic term) and Naval in Aus/NZ I would be very greatful. Thanks – Bruce MORRIS/GW4XXF

Comment on Wellington Radio by tony allsop

tony allsop — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 05:03:45 +0000

My father, Ray Allsop was the tech in charge of the top transmitting station when I was little. I don’t remember the exact years, but at least from 1947 until Himatangi took over and he was transferred to the city. I was born in 1940, and can remember dad walking from our house in Rodney street and later Albermarle road to work every day. The local paper took a photo of him sitting at his desk during the 1950’s and I came across it in the collection in the articles on ZLW. He took my dog, Max, a cross fox terrier with him most days.
Tony Allsop

Comment on General Information by Tim Strickland

Tim Strickland — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:15:36 +0000

Great site for anyone interested in marine radio.
I also recommend the UK based Radio Officers Association. Www. Radioofficers.com
DE G4EOA and ex GTZM.
73s

Comment on 2013: 20th anniversary of ZLW closure by Brian Gallagher

Brian Gallagher — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 07:21:13 +0000

A great occasion to remember this iconic station and its worthy operational staff.Sadly though as a former technician at ZLW there is no recognition of the technicians who put the station there and kept it going all those years.Without them there would have been no ZLW.

Comment on NZ Navy Wrens in secret ops during WW2 by Kelly

Kelly — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 08:48:42 +0000

In reply to Terry Moore.

Hey Terry,
My aunty was also one of the Wrens based in Blenheim. I have been trying to contact you in regards to any other information you might have on them??

No worries if you cannot help.
Regards,
Kelly

Comment on Awarua Radio 1991-Now by Don Frame

Don Frame — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 03:22:31 +0000

My name is Don Frame (ex-Invercargill). Last year I attended a Building Surveyors Conference at Tauranga and one of the speakers was talking about their operations at the old Awarua Radio Station. At that time, he was talking about education and employment opportunities for school leavers. I have some bright kids interested in what that business offers. Unfortunately, I have lost that persons contact information and wonder if you could assist and point me in the right direction. He also talked about Rocket Lab in the North Island. Would welcome your assistance and await your response.
Don Frame
(03)5464759
0274 331 051.