Amateur Radio enthusiasts get organised

On 11 March, 1910 a meeting of like-minded people in the Hotel Australia, Martin Place, Sydney, formed the Institute of Wireless Telegraphy of Australia, and soon after dropped the word 'telegraphy' from its name.

Chairman of the founding meeting, George Taylor, proposed "the formation of an institution amongst experimenters and enthusiasts in wireless for their mutual benefit."

It was also to create a voice with the authorities over the level of licence fee charged and to seek better treatment of experimenters in terms of alleged interference complaints from other spectrum users.

A similar organisation was formed in Melbourne - the Amateur Wireless Society of Victoria, on 30 November 1911 at a meeting attended by 50 enthusiasts to form a Society so as to bring together all gentlemen who are interested
in Wireless Telegraphy and by the exchange of views to encourage and assist experiment in this extremely interesting branch of science..

In 1913 it changed its name to the Wireless Institute of Victoria, and then became the Wireless Institute of Australia, Victorian Division with evidence of collaboration between New South Wales and Victoria, and around the nation.

Then followed The Wireless Institute of Queensland 1912, the West Australian Radio Club 1913 that ultimately in 1919 became the Wireless Institute of Australia, Western Australia Section.

Experimenters in South Australia formed a branch of the WIA in November 1919, and although there was experimental activity in Hobart prior to 1901, the Tasmanian Division of the WIA was not formed until June 1923.

Clubs generally came later and there were many of them! Most were made up of young men and teenagers, and were built around the new interest of broadcast listening."

Wireless Institute of Australia