Auckland Radio: 1946 | Musick Point Radio Group

Aerial view of Musick Point in March 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Musick Memorial Radio Station, seen from the northwest, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Musick Memorial Radio Station, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Sign at entrance to Musick Memorial Radio Station, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Musick Memorial Radio station seen from the southwest, 29 August 1946 — Musick Memorial Radio Station seen from the southwest, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Two operators at Musick Memorial Radio Station in 1946. Each has two HRO-type receivers. Doug Morris refers to the operators as George Reading (left) and Ted Healy.¹

Auckland Radio ZLD operator Nobby Clarke in 1946. — Auckland Radio operator Nobby Clarke in 1946.

BV Richards checks the charging rate in the battery room at Musick Memorial Radio Station,² 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

BV Richards sends a telegraph message from Musick Memorial Radio Station, 29 Aug 1946. Whites Aviation Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library

Notes to photo above:
Larry Richards copying weather from VNHQ Melbourne directly on to the teleprinter connected to the meteorological office at Mechanics Bay. A weather report consisted of five-figure groups, and was translated into a conventional weather report by Met Office staff. The second printer provided a direct circuit to air operations (also at Mechanics Bay) with a link to Whenuapai Air Base. In the background cane be seen the Collier & Beale 941 SWB receiver with spare coils and the aerial selection panel.³
– Doug Morris

Neville Carwell-Cooke at Musick Memorial Radio Station — Neville Carwell-Cooke testing a receiver at Musick Point Air Radio Station, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

ER Wilcox, supervisor, in the operating room at Musick Point Air Station, Howick, Auckland, 29 August 1946 — ER (Ted) Wilcox, supervisor, in the operating room at Musick Point Air Station, Howick, Auckland, 29 August 1946. Whites Aviation Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library

Notes to photo above:
In the background can be seen the loudspeaking telephone (centre rack), and in the right hand rack a general purpose amplifier, order wire and main patch panel giving access to the emergency lines, keying circuits and way lines to the individual operating positions.⁴
– Doug Morris

Radio operator EW Ritchie, working at the Musick Point Air Radio Station, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

R McVissen, F Fleetwood and Lloyd 'Cookie' Douglas at Musick Memorial Radio Station — R McVissen, F Fleetwood and Lloyd ‘Cookie’ Douglas at Musick Memorial Radio Station, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

The first name on the photo caption above may be incorrect, as Doug Morris refers in his book to these operators as Bob McVicker, Frank Fleetwood and “Cookie” Douglas.

Station Manager LG Scull at Musick Memorial Radio Station on 1946 — Station Manager LG Scull at Musick Memorial Radio Station, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Broadcaster Dudley Wrathall of Auckland radio station 1ZB visited the Musick Point Radio Station in 1946 and spoke with station manager LG (George) Scull. Listen to interview or read transcript.

Rex Goodman on HF Direction Finder at Musick Memorial Radio Station — Rex D Goodman operating the HF Direction Finder at Musick Point, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Musick Point had direction finding capability for aircraft on MF, HF and VHF.

The HF DF equipment was a Marconi Type DFG12 Mk1 Adcock system, comprising a superhet receiver (seen in front of the operator in the photo above) and to the left a unit containing two radiogoniometers. This DFG12 was developed in 1940 for military use and would have been considered old-fashioned by 1946.

RD Goodman on DF duty at Musick Point, 1946 — Rex Goodman on DF duty at Musick Memorial Radio Station, 29 Aug 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Radio operators at Musick Point in 1946 — Operators (L to R): LJ Young, N [Masters?] and E Ritchie. There appears to be a landline sounder on the desk at right. Photo: Whites Aviation, 29 August 1946, Alexander Turnbull Library

N Smith at Musick Memorial Radio Station, Feb 1946 — N Smith (position unknown) at Musick Memorial Radio Station, Feb 1946. Photo Whites Aviation Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library

Maori plaque at Musick Point — A plaque describing the Maori history of the area now known as Musick Point hung in the main hall of the radio station. Photo 29 Aug 1946: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Auckland Radio transmitter hall, 1946 — “The transmitting hall is located three miles back along the point from the main building. It houses 18 transmitting sets, and the largest has a power of three kilowatts, while the smallest is 100 watts. The transmitters have a selection of 29 aerials spread over an area of 35 acres. Miles of underground cables connect the transmitters with the main building.” Photo: Whites Aviation, 29 Aug 1946, Alexander Turnbull Library

Notes to photo above:
View of the transmitting hall from the entrance. On the left can be seen three AWA HF transmitters: #68, #536 and #67. At the rear are three Collier & Beale HF transmitters. In the right corner is AWA #100, then coming up the right hand side are C&B #666 (500 kc/s), C&B #873 (HF), AT3 (HF), Collins #3 (500W) and Collins #15 (3kW). At the desk is Ron Turner, with Owen Pepper and Keith Bone working on #67.⁵
– Doug Morris

Ron Turner and Keith Bone with a 3kW Collins 12-channel auto-tune transmitter, 29 August 1946. The three cabinets are (from left): power supply, driver/final amplifier, modulator. At left is a 500W Collins transmitter. Photo: Whites Aviation, Alexander Turnbull Library

Aerial feeds from Oliver Road transmitter building, 29 August 1946. Photo: Whites Aviation Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library

» 1947 – 1949

Notes

1. Morris, D.C. (2002). Auckland Radio, Alpha & Omega. Waitakere City, NZ: Copy Out West. p. 55.
2. Morris, D.C. (2002). Auckland Radio, Alpha & Omega. Waitakere City, NZ: Copy Out West. p. 174.
3. Morris, D.C. (2002). Auckland Radio, Alpha & Omega. Waitakere City, NZ: Copy Out West. p. 58.
4. Morris, D.C. (2002). Auckland Radio, Alpha & Omega. Waitakere City, NZ: Copy Out West. p. 57.
5. Morris, D.C. (2002). Auckland Radio, Alpha & Omega. Waitakere City, NZ: Copy Out West. p. 65.