Mechanical Television

Melbourne (3UZ. 3DB)

Electronics Australia article

SOME OF THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN TV TESTS, 1929: The original transmitter, antenna and studio of radio 3DB, Melbourne, was on the upper floors and the roof of the Capitol Theatre building during the 1920s. The station opened on 1030 kHz on 21st February 1927. I was lucky enough to find a view from the right period (1928) taken from a building to the East of The Capitol, up Collins Street, showing the "T" antenna and the transmitter shed on the roof of the theatre. The Baird Television Development Company (engineers Ben Clapp and Tony Bridgewater) brought closed-circuit mechanical TV gear from England at the end of 1928 and first set up the equipment at the 3DB studios, here. Unofficial transmitted tests of television in January 1929 (30-lines, 12.5 pics/second) were made with this transmitter - among Australia's earliest TV tests. The station moved in 1931 to the roof of the Herald-Sun building in Flinders Street, several blocks to the East.

Courtesy of Chris Long