BigBlog

This photo was taken in 1976. It shows the TV test

pattern signal for ABC3 Canberra on the TV monitor.

 This test pattern was regularly transmitted back in

the 1970's, as programs did not run for 24 hours like

they do now.  

TV transmissions began at 7am, and usually ceased

around midnight (sometimes earlier or later ).

The console shown was the control center for the TV

transmitter in the old ABC transmitter building on Black

Mountain ( in Canberra ). The transmitter could be switched

on and off from from this console, and a great deal of time

was spent 'monitoring the picture' to make sure there was no distortion

This console was removed in 1980 when the building was

demolished and the new transmitter in the Black Mountain

Tower took over. ( transmissions from the Tower actually began in 1977 ).

The ABC3 Canberra test pattern is not broadcast any more .  

 Photo copyright ©  1976  John Barnes

click on the thumbnail for a larger view 

Quote on John20747's Place

Chester the Tester at NEC Mulgrave, Victoria, 1972.

Quote on John B1_B5's Place

Chester the Tester at NEC Mulgrave, Victoria, 1972.

Picture No.22 in the Photo Album, shows "Chester

the Tester" balancing a step  ladder on a stool at

the Nippon Electric Company (NEC) factory on

Springvale Road at Mulgrave in Melbourne,

Victoria, in 1972.

Trevor Chester was in charge of the Panel Test

Section for NEC microwave equipment, hence

the title "Chester the Tester".

The Microwave equipment being assembled

at the NEC factory was 4Ghz 1200 telephony

channels for the Mount Isa to Darwin link

for the then Postmaster General's Department

(later "Telstra").

Photo copyright © 1972  John Barnes.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

click here to go directly to the Photo Gallery

http://johnwilliambarnes.bigblog.com.au/gallery.do?type=detail&id=140796

Photo No.20 in the Photo Gallery was taken in 1974,

and shows the CTC7 & ABC3 television masts on top

of Black Mountain in Canberra.

This was before the Black Mountain Tower was built.

Construction on the tower began in 1975, and it was

officially opened in 1980.

The first ABC television transmission from the tower

took place in 1977.

Back in 1974, CTC7 was a self contained station,

with studios and transmitter on Black Mountain.

(The studios were later relocated in Watson).

The television studios for ABC3 , were located in

Northbourne Avenue, and the programme was

fed up to the transmitter site via coaxial cable.

Photo copyright © 1974  John Barnes.

Click on the picture for a full-size view.

click here to go directly to the Photo Gallery

http://johnwilliambarnes.bigblog.com.au/gallery.do?type=detail&id=140796

Quote on John999555's Place

Machine gun bunker (pill box) on Darwin beach, 1968

This photo of a machine gun bunker (pillbox)

on a Darwin beach was taken in late 1968.

It was constructed during the Second World

War to repel a possible Japanese invasion,

 but in the event, was never used (except

for practice).

As the saying goes - "Not a single shot

was fired in anger".

Photo copyright ©1968  John Barnes.

Click on the picture for a full-size view.

click here to go directly to the photo gallery

http://johnwilliambarnes.bigblog.com.au/gallery.do?type=detail&id=140796

Quote on John20747's Place

PMG bus for transport at Radio Australia, Cox Peninsula

Picture 18 in the Photo Gallery, taken in 1969,

shows the silver bus that transported PMG 

day-shift staff from the Cox Peninsula

Transmitter Site to the Mandorah

Jetty (and vice versa). 

The bus travelled directly between the

Mandorah Jetty and the Transmitter

Site, and did not provide transport for

the small number of staff at the

Receiver Site.

Both sites were staffed by employees

of the former Postmaster General's

Department (PMG), which owned and

operated the Radio Australia facilities.

The bus is seen travelling along Charles

Point Road.

Photo copyright © 1969  John Barnes .

Note- Click on the picture for a full-size view.

click here to go directly to the Photo Gallery

http://johnwilliambarnes.bigblog.com.au/gallery.do?type=detail&id=140796

Quote on John20747's Place

Elsey Cemetery, Northern Territory, 1969

Picture No.16 shows the entrance to the Elsey

Cemetery in the Northern Territory.

The photo was taken in 1969.

The Land Rover is a Series II, 1959 model.

It was purchased second-hand from Annand &

Thompson, Breakfast Creek Rd, at Newstead

in Brisbane (now Austral Land Rover ).

The cemetery contains the grave of "The Maluka"

( Aeneas James Gunn ),and the graves of other characters from the book "We Of The Never Never",

written by Gunn's wife.

Back then, it was possible to drive into the

cemetery, but that is no longer possible as the

entrance is now blocked by a log rail.

Photo copyright ©1969 John Barnes

Note- Click on the picture for a full-size view.

click here to go directly to the Photo Gallery

http://johnwilliambarnes.bigblog.com.au/gallery.do?type=detail&id=140796

Quote on John20747's Place

Picture of Reception Desk, NEC Australia, Mulgrave, 1971

Picture No.15 in the Photo Album, shows the

Reception Desk at NEC Australia, Mulgrave, Victoria,

in late 1971.

On the right is Mr. "Bob" Ono, and next to him is

Karen the Receptionist.

The name of the girl hiding her face behind the sheet

of paper is unknown.

Mr. "Bob" Ono was in overall charge of the Microwave

section, including the assembly, panel test, and final

test sections.

"Bob" was not his real name, but because his

Japanese name was hard for English speakers

to pronounce, he preferred to be called "Bob".

Photo copyright © 1971   John Barnes .

NOTE- Click on picture for full-size view.

click here to go directly to the Photo Gallery

http://johnwilliambarnes.bigblog.com.au/gallery.do?type=detail&id=140796