RADIO AUSTRALIA:

NEW SHEPPARTON ANTENNA PHOTOS

Occasionally, I hear Facebook rumours that the antennas at the former Radio Australia's Shepparton transmitter site have all been dismantled and the buildings have been demolished. These comments are nothing but guesses masquerading as fact!! So, I went to Shepparton see for myself.

My wife and I have just returned from a week-long holiday at Numurkah, a 30 km drive north of the rural city of Shepparton. Of course, I just had to stop off at the intersection of Verney Rd and the Goulburn Valley Hwy, home of the former transmitter site. To my joy, I found the antennas still very much standing, the main transmitter building still there, and the feeder network to the antennas still in place. Out came the camera for a few shots in the dying light of that winter afternoon.

When we returned home, I contacted several of my "sources" to find out the current status of the site, but they weren't able to tell me much. However, a quick email to Peter Rentsch VK3AXI, the president of the always active Shepparton and District Amateur Radio Club (SADARC) helped shed some light on what has been happening recently.

Peter reports that the site is no longer owned by BAI Communications Australia (formerly Broadcast Australia up until a change of brand name in late 2019). The site is now owned by a group of real estate developers. It is suspected that the land will be turned over to housing. However, there is a historical overlay on some of the antennas and buildings, which means that they look likely to remain on the site even after future development. The building is basically empty except for a couple of old transmitters. 

SADARC has approached the site owners and the Shepparton Council with a proposal to set up a Radio Museum. It appears the proposal has been well received but any action on this could be some years down the track. However, this is great news if the plans eventually come to fruition. My thanks to Peter for this update.

So, below are some of the photos taken on July 9, showing the curtain array, other antennas, the feeder distribution network, and the main building. These personal images remain under copyright and must not be republished without appropriate attribution. 

73 and good DX to you all,

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

Each photo is clickable for a larger, more detailed view.

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