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OF EXPERIMENTERS IS DUE IS MR.G.P.STEVENS, ONE-TIME MANAGER AND ELECTRICIAN FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SERVICES.
"The Western Wireless" September 29th 1926.
It was to be another 6 years before the "wireless experimenters" of Australia were to be regulated by the WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ACT (1905). Marconi was still making his epic discoveries in the field of wireless, yet in October 1899, Stevens carried out a series of experiments in the new science, the first known experiments to be conducted in Western Australia.
An interesting document dated October 26th 1899, and headed "Experiments by the Telegraph Branch of the General Post Office to ascertain the practicability of establishing communication by that system between Rottnest Island and the mainland" was presented to both Houses of Parliament "By His Excellencies Command"
The document reads:
With the cooperation of the Police Department, and assisted by Mr.Knox of the Telephone Branch, and Messrs Rosser & Phillips , I carried out a series of experiments on the 11th inst. with a view to testing the distance to which it was possible to signal without wires with the apparatus presently at my command, viz: a six-inch spark coil as a transmitter, and unexhausted coherers, made in our own workshops, as receivers.
 Using a vertical conductor suspended from the flagstaff of the Royal Yacht Club, at a height of 40ft above water level, and a similar conductor supported by a temporary mast on (the) police launch, we commenced signalling across the water at 200 yards: then, putting the launch under slow steam, the distance was gradually increased, communication being kept up all the time until, at about three quarters of a mile, the coherers failed to respond. Careful tests were made, and all possible variations of spark length tried, but no effective waves could be detected outside the three quarter mile radius. By means of flag signals, the launch was instructed to return slowly, and immediately it entered the magic circle, the electric waves were again picked up, and steadily increased in volume as the launch approached: the Morse code being readily read throughout.
 . . . The results were not as satisfactory as I had anticipated, but were quite sufficient to confirm me in my opinion that with proper appliances, the system would be quite reliable, and meet all the requirements for conveying shipping intelligence to and from Rottnest.
 . . . .  it would be unreasonable to suppose that we, with the very meagre description of the system available through the scientific papers could, in a month, attain the perfection of detail that has taken Mr.Marconi, assisted by some of the cleverest electricians in England, Five years to accomplish.
TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, Marconia had succeeded in sending Wireless Telegraphy about 20 miles, to successfully span the ENGLISH CHANNEL in March that year, and nearer home, the CITY OF YORK had sunk off Rottnest with the loss of 12 lives during a storm.
Communication at the time was by coloured flags to the Port of FREMANTLE.
Was Stevens trying to demonstrate his faith in the new science of Radio to the Government? Unfortunately he did not succeed, it wasnt long before a cable was laid linking the island with the mainland.
 the full council of the WI. At that time it was not s