O N E   E A R L Y   
 
 E X P E R I M E N T E R   T O   W H O M   T H E   T H A N K S   O F   T H E   Y O U N G E R   G E N E R A T I O N  O F   
 
 E X P E R I M E N T E R S   I S   D U E   I S   M R . G . P . S T E V E N S ,   O N E - T I M E   M A N A G E R   A N D   
 
 E L E C T R I C I A N   F O R   T H E   S T A T E   G O V E R N M E N T   P O S T A L   A N D   T E L E G R A P H   
 
 S E R V I C E S .    " T h e   W e s t e r n   W i r e l e s s "   S e p t e m b e r   2 9 t h   1 9 2 6 .     ¬ I t   w a s   
 
 t o   b e   a n o t h e r   6   y e a r s   b e f o r e   t h e   " w i r e l ess 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

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             e x p e r i m e n t s   t o   b e   c o n d u c t e d   i n   W e s t e r n   A u s t r a l i a .       ¬ A n   
 
 i n t e r e s t i n g   d o c u m e n t   d a t e d   O c t o b e r   2 6 t h   1 8 9 9 ,   a n d   h e a d e d   
 
 " E x p e r i m e n t s   b y   t h e   T e l e g r a p h   B r a n c h   o f   t h e   G e n e r a l   P o s t   O f f i c e   
 
 t o   a s c e r t a i n   t h e   p r a c t i c a b i l i t y   o f   e s t a b l i s h i n g   c o m m u n i c a t i o n   b y   
 
 t h a t   s y s t e m   b e t w e e n   R o t t n e s t   I s l a n d   a n d   t h e   m a i n l a n d "   w a s   
 
 p r e s e n t e d   t o   b o t h   H o u s e s   o f   P a r l i a m e n t   " B y   H i s   E x c e l l e n c i e s   
 
 C o m m a n d "   T h e   d o c u m e n t   r e a d s :    ¬ W i t h   t h e   c o o p e r a t i o n   o f   t h e   
 
 P o l i c e   D e p a r t m e n t ,   a n d   a s s i s t e d   b y   M r . K n o x   o f   t h e   T e l e p h o n e   
 
 B r a n c h ,   a n d   M e s srs 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

                                                                                                                                                                                                              w o r k s h o p s ,   a s   r e c e i v e r s .  ¬   U s i n g   a   v e r t i c a l   c o n d u c t o r   s u s p e n d e d   
 
 f r o m   t h e   f l a g s t a f f   o f   t h e   R o y a l   Y a c h t   C l u b ,   a t   a   h e i g h t   o f   4 0 f t   
 
 a b o v e   w a t e r   l e v e l ,   a n d   a   s i m i l a r   c o n d u c t o r   s u p p o r t e d   b y   a   
 
 t e m p o r a r y   m a s t   o n   ( t h e )   p o l i c e   l a u n c h ,   w e   c o m m e n c e d   s i g n a l l i n g   
 
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,  t h e   
 
 e l e c t r i c   w a v e s   w e r e   a g a i n   p i c k e d   u p ,   a n d   s t e a d i l y   i n c r e a s e d   i n   
 
 v o l u m e   a s   t h e   l a u n c h   a p p r o a c h e d :   t h e   M o r s e   c o d e   b e i n g   r e a d i l y   
 
 r e a d   t h r o u g h o u t .     ¬   .   .   .   .     i t   w o u l d   b e   u n r e a s o n a b l e   t o   s u p p o s e   
 
 t h a t   w e ,   w i t h   t h e   v e r y   m e a g r e   d e s c r i p t i o n   o f   t h e   s y s tem 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.    . . . 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.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.                                                                                                                                                                                       ¬ W a s   
 
 S t e v e n s   t r y i n g   t o   d e m o n s t r a t e   h i s   f a i t h   i n   t h e   n e w   s c i e n c e   o f   
 
 R a d i o   t o   t h e   G o v e r n m e n t ?   U n f o r t u n a t e l y   h e   d i d   n o t   s u c c e e d ,   i t   
 
 w a s n t   l o n g   b e f o r e   a   c a b l e   w a s   l a i d   l i n k i n g   t h e   i s l a n d   w i t h   t h e   
 
 m a i n l a n d .   ¬  . 
 o w e v e r ,   W . H a n c o c k   h a s   t h e   c a l l   X X X .