Quite recently here in Wavescan, Jeff White WRMI and Jerry Plummer WWCR at the HFCC meetings in Slovakia were commenting on the fact that the water level in the Beautiful Blue Danube as it flows through the city of Bratislava was quite low, due to drought conditions in continental Europe.
Another country that is undergoing a widespread drought is Australia, and in particular, the state of New South Wales, together with neighboring areas in adjoining states.
So severe is the Australian drought, that some farmers are feeding their flocks and herds, cattle and sheep and pigs, with fruits and seeds in an endeavor to keep them alive. In addition, multiple truck loads of hay at up to $3,000 a load have been driven 2,000 miles across the continent from Western Australia to the drought stricken areas in the east.
Some historians are stating that the current drought in Australia is the worst since the beginning of European settlement. Some small towns, under enforced strict rationing, are now trucking in water for local usage.
There is a danger now that hydroelectric power in some areas will soon fail due to an insufficient flow of water. The water levels for the mighty Snowy River Hydroelectric Scheme are so low that electricity rationing is predicted for this coming (southern) summer.
A strange situation has developed in the city of Canberra, the national capital, which is located in the Australian Capital Territory, midway in the east between Sydney and Melbourne. Mobs of hungry and thirsty kangaroos have invaded the city and they are feeding on the grass they can forage in parks, home front lawns, roadway verges and sports grounds. Some sympathetic householders have even been offering food and water to the invading kangaroos that almost seem to feel at home in their new surroundings. Kangaroos in Canberra!
A map of the area shows that motorists can enter Canberra on any of half a dozen major highways. However, regardless of the direction of entry into Canberra, the most prominent tourist attraction is obviously Black Mountain Tower, or Telstra Tower as it is known these days. The Black Mountain Nature Park is home to a 100 different bird species, 500 different plant species, and 5,000 different insect species.
Telstra Tower was officially opened in 1980, and these days there are several TV and FM stations broadcasting from this elevated position. In fact, there is so much radio frequency energy in the nearby area from all of the FM, TV and communication transmitters, that a prominent sign warns motorists that they may have difficulty opening their cars and starting the engine with the usage of the wireless key fob.
An elderly man may sometimes be seen assisting stricken motorists. The car door can be opened by removing the manually operated key from inside the key fob. Then, a sheet of aluminium foil is placed on three of the car windows to restrict the flow of radio frequency energy, and voila, the car engine can then be started.
The first mediumwave station in Canberra was 2CA which began as a small 50 watt experimental operation on 1050 kHz back in 1930. This new radio broadcasting station was installed by Jack Ryan in the back room of his electrical and radio shop at 42 Giles Street in the suburb of Kingston.
As a commercial station, 2CA was then transferred three years later (1933) to Radio Hill in the southern corner of suburban Fyshwick. A few isolated remnants from this old 2CA installation are still in place in the small tree covered area, though they are almost hidden from view by sand, debris and vegetation.
Then later again, a few months before the beginning of World War II in 1939, a new 2 kW transmitter was installed for 2CA adjacent to the PMG-ABC radio station on Bellenden Street, between the suburbs of Mitchell and Kaleen. A new 2 kW transmitter was installed at this location, and it is stated that their famous Blaw-Knox aerial tower was the first in Australia.
Another medium wave commercial station on the air in Canberra is 2CC which was inaugurated in 1975, 45 years subsequent to the original 2CA. This second station 2CC was independent from the original 2CA station, with separate offices and staff personnel. However, the two stations have always operated from a combined transmitter facility adjacent to the ABC-PMG transmitter station at Gungahlin.
During the years in between the inauguration of the two commercial medium wave stations (1931 and 1975), two government operated medium wave stations were launched for coverage of Canberra city and the Australian Capital Territory. These were stations 2CY in 1938 with 10 kW on 850 kHz, and 2CN in 1953 with 2 kW on 1540 kHz.
Both of these ABC stations are still heard today on medium wave; 2CN with 5 kW on 666 kHz and 2CY with 10 kW on 846 kHz, though 2CY was granted a change of callsign to the generic 2RN in 1990. Interestingly, as last noted by an experienced radio tourist, both stations provide an excellent signal on their initial harmonics in the medium wave band, 1332 and 1692 kHz respectively .
In addition, to the two older medium wave stations, the ABC brought out a half century old medium wave from the proceedings of Federal Parliament and subsequently regularly updated bulletins of international, national and regional news were added.
Station 2PB in Canberra these days is heard only on FM. The only transmitter site for the three ABC medium wave stations in Canberra is on Bellenden Street Gungahlin between the suburbs of Mitchell and Kaleen.
In addition to the three ABC stations and two commercial stations, there have been more than half a dozen other medium wave broadcasting stations on the air in Canberra and its suburban areas during the past many years.
These additional medium wave stations have each served a smaller clientele with programming for varied interests, such as in various European and Asian languages, major sports games, and short term major events.
These days, there are currently four major medium wave stations on the air in Canberra (ABC 2CN & 2RN, commercial 2CA & 2CC), together with half a dozen other stations each with a specialized listenership. There is no word as to which station is preferred by the kangaroos!
(AWR/Wavescan-NWS 502)