History of the Telstra Research Laboratories
Introduction |
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Introduction
Telstra
and its predecessors, the PostMaster Generals Department and Telecom
Australia, pioneered the provision of many telecommunication services
in Australia. Many would not have occurred without the ideas and
assistance from staff at the Telstra Research Laboratories. Two
notable pioneering efforts are the Digital Radio Concentrator System
(DRCS) and the Priority™ One3 system. Both these systems are
highlighted in the Introduction to the History
of the Telstra Research Laboratories.
Achievements
A
chronological listing of Notable Events and
Technical Achievements since the inception of the Research
Laboratories in 1923.
Directors
Sidney
Herbert Witt (1923-1945)
Eric
Percival Wright (1945-1953)
Norman James
McCay (1953-1960)
Leonard
Michael Harris O.B.E. (1960-1964)
Percy
Rollo Brett O.B.E. (1964-1975)
Edward
F Sandbach (1975-1985)
Harry S
Wragge (1985 -Dec 1992)
Ray
Liggett (Dec 1992 - Sept 1993)
Bruno
Sorrentino (Sept 1993 - Oct 1993)
James
Park (Oct 1993 - March 1995)
Noel
Teede (March 1995 - June 1995)
Graham
Shepherd (June 1995 - Feb 1997)
Hugh
Bradlow (Feb 1997 - June 2000)
Paul
Kirton (June 2000 - June 2001)
Hugh
Bradlow (July 2001 - Dec 2005)
Video
Clips
None of the video or audio clips are available on any
internet video/audio streaming service such as YouTube because many
are long, may be copyright, controversial and the people shown in the
clips, or their relatives may get upset. The links below only provide
details about the clips.
If you really want to see the clips, a set of 8 DVD size data
discs is available at no cost. The discs contain a copy of the
internet site “History of the TRL Research Labs” including all
the video and audio clips. The discs also contain copies of TRL
seminar videos presented in the TRL auditorium in 2001 (15 videos)
and 2002 (38 videos). For details on how to obtain the DVD's email me
(address is on first page of www.coxhill.com).
Propagation
Section (1966 and early 1970's) (8 videos)
Andre
Domjan Lecture (1972)
Tomorrow
is Now (1973)
Revolt of the
Instruments (1973)
Open
Days (1973)
1930's
Electronic Laboratory (1973)
Training
Annex (1974)
Digital
Telephony in Australia (1978)
API
Children's Christmas Parties (1978)
The
Busy Ray (c1979/1980)
Rings
Of Fire (1981)
Lightning
Research (1983)
Caldermeade
Construction (1983)
Engineering
Equipment Section (1985)
ISDN
Tutorial (1985)
Cockatoo
Feeder Damage (1985)
Telecom
and You (1986)
Rathdowne
St Move (1986) (5 videos)
Hec
Ruddell (1987)
The
Telecom Report (1988) (8 videos)
Information
Age (1989)
Recruitment
(1989)
Telecom Today
(1989)
Lightning Lab
(1990)
Speaking Clock
(1990)
Laserlink
(1991)
IST Shutdown (1991)
Leap
Second (1992)
Blattnerphone
(1992)
Videophone
(1992)
Antenna Calibrations
(1992)
OATS
Building Construction
(1992)
Caldermeade
(1993)
Telstra Song
(1994)
Telstra
Song & International Vision and Strategy
(1994)
Wombat
& Cockatoo Damage (1994)
Multimedia
Lab (1996)
Human
Factors (1997)
Telstra.
The Inside Story (1998)
Internet
Fridge (1999ish)
Laboratories
75 Year (1999)
Telstra.
Getting Ready for the Year 2000 Transition (1999)
Lightning
Lab Demonstration (2000)
Telstra
Values (2000) (3 videos)
Testing
New Technology (2000ish)
BigTV
(2001)
Science In Schools
project (2001)
Showcase
Opening (2001)
TRL
Seminars (2001) (15 Videos)
Interactive
TV (2001 - 2003) (13 Videos)
TRL
Seminars (2002) (38 Videos)
Catalyst
featuring Geoff Huston (2002)
Various
non-TRL (19??)
Lyrebird
(2003)
80th
Year Anniversary (2003) (4 videos)
Telstra/Samsung
Announcement (2004)
Various
TRL (2004) (3 videos)
Various
TRL Promotional Videos
(2004) (2 videos)
Various
TRL (2003/04/05) (6
videos)
Telstra
Innovations Promotion (2004)
Customer
Focused Design (2004)
TTIP
Conference (2004) ((11 Videos)
Telstra
Promotion (2004)
Audio
Clips
Albert Syler
(1975) (why lasers won't work) (8 Mins)
Telstra
Song (1994) (8 Mins)
iRadio
Transmission #2 (2000) (5 audio tracks 1 Min, 21 Mins, 9
Mins, 10 Mins & 1 Min)
Hugh Bradlow
on KissFm (2002) (21 Mins)
Telstra
New Wave & Telstra Research Labs Collaboration Pt 1
(2003) (03:53 Mins)
Telstra
New Wave & Telstra Research Labs Collaboration Pt 2
(2003) (06:32 Mins)
Hugh
Bradlow at National Press Club (2006) (55 Mins)
See also
TRL Christmas Carols below.
Accommodation
The
Research Laboratories staff and equipment were accommodated in a
variety of buildings over the years. From about 1940 to 1988,
accommodation was scattered in buildings around the Melbourne Central
Business District. In 1988, all Sections of TRL was finally located
on one site in Clayton. The History of
Laboratories Accommodation over the years is detailed in this
section.
Computing
The Research
Laboratories utilised a variety of Computing devices over the years.
A brief History of Laboratories Computing
is given in this section.
Publications
The
Research Laboratories were a prolific source of publications. A brief
History of Laboratories Publications
is given in this section.
A large collection of non-Research
Laboratories publications in PDF format is available for
downloading. The collection includes The
Telecommunications Journal of Australia, promotional, historical,
catalogues, training, installation, and some overseas publications.
Media Items
Media
items about TRL.
Official
Staff Photos
(click on photo for larger view)
Applied
Science Branch (March 1987)
Applied
Science Branch (March 1989)
Switched
Networks Branch (February 1992)
Telecommunication
Science & Technology Branch (March 1995)
Networks
Branch (May 1996)
Information
Networking Section (June 1996)
Unofficial
Staff Photos
Unofficial
Staff Photos, Buildings & Equipment
Obituaries
(Permission
granted from TelSoc to publish)
Reg
Coutts
Rollo
Brett
Gavan
Rosman
Harry
Wragge
Links
to other Australian Telecommunication History Sites
Australasian
Telephone Collectors Society
Historical
Radio Society of Australia
Australian
Computer Society
Victorian
Telecommunications Museum Inc
Telecommunications
and the Digital Economy (TelSoc)
Old
Australian Telephones
Photographs
and information about the Old Port Kembla Exchange
Photographs
related to old Microwave Installations
That
Exchange Project (A
tribute to the craftsmanship of heritage telecommunications
equipment, and an era when telephone exchanges were home to
communities of people who spent their lives living and breathing with
the equipment, so that the rest of us could be connected)
History
of Telephone Communication
Overseas
Telecommunications Veterans Association Founded by a group of
like-minded veterans with a desire to maintain valuable friendships
forged while working in the telecommunications industry
Miscellaneous Items
Memories
of TRL Some memories from Rick Coxhill who worked at TRL for
39 years.
A
Day in the Life of a Section Head Some stories from Gavan
Rosman.
Skeletons
in the Cupboard The dark side of TRL.
Tool
Kit Numbers A 1968 list of staff and their Tool Kit Numbers.
When a person joined the Laboratories, they were issued with a set of
tools with a unique number engraved on the tool. Discontinued in the
1970's.
Chronicles
of Trel Satirical look at events in TRL from 2001 to 2005.
Only meaningful to those who worked at TRL since about 1990. The
chronicles were supplied to me anonymously.
Keeping
in Contact A private Facebook group to keep in contact with
xTRLer's.
Madonna
A tasteless posting to the aus.flame newsgroup in 1991 that nearly
got the TRL internet connection cut off and resulted in internal
newsgroup censorship.
The
Big Walk The story and pictures of three intrepid staff who,
on their first day at the new Clayton site in 1978, walked to Clayton
from their old building in the Melbourne CBD carrying the old
buildings name plate.
The
Telecom Australia Research Laboratories Xmas Card
The
Scientists Poster No 5 Featuring
Albert Syler.
The
TRL Christmas Carols In 1991, and for a few years afterwards,
a group of TRL staff sang Christmas carols to entertain the staff.
Some recordings of the presentations are supplied here.
Copy
of a plaque presented to TRL by NASA for technical assistance with
the first moon landing
Anecdotes.
Anecdotes about TRL from "Alan", who worked in other areas
of the PMG/Telecom.
Vale
Fred Symons. An address presented by Peter Gerrand at Fred’s
funeral.
Research
Laboratories Functions and Organisation 1968. Discusses the
Role of Professional Officers.
Various
Documents Related to Technician in Training (TIT)
Staff
Establishment. 22.04.81.
Internal
Telephone Directory.
May 1983.
Organisation
Chart.
05.06.1990.
Staff
Establishment.
31.08.1990.
Internal
Telephone Directory March
2000.
Internal
Telephone Directory May
2003.
Technology
Dispute Discussion Paper. The technology dispute in the 1970s
between unions and management was a bitter and protracted affair.
This document discusses some of the issues. Don't know where this
came from.
A Report
on the examination of a Touchfone 12 printed wiring board and
component mounting. (1980).
Historical
Study of Telecom And Its Antecedents. Some early history of
Telecommunications in Tasmania (1981).
History
of Telecom Australia Research Laboratories. Early history of
the Research Labs (1984)
Bibliography
of History of Telecommunications in Australia (1980).
Web
Services. Telstra poster (2000?).
PTTA
Reference Book (1960). Conditions Of Employment As
Contained In Public Service Act, Regulations, General Orders, Public
Service Board Instructions And Related Determinations.
Obituary
for Jim Fisher It appeared in the Dec 1992 edition of
Electronics Australia. Jim was known as the father of TV. He worked
in the Research Laboratories for a while.
Closure of TRL
TRL
Closes TRL officially
closed its operations in December 2005. About 80% of the staff
accepted redundancies and the rest obtained positions in other areas
of Telstra. Unofficially, the last light was turned off on 7th
September 2007. The buildings were demolished a few years later.
· Rick Coxhill for initiating the concept of documenting TRL History and on-going updates.
· Paul Howell - for recovering the "Tomorrow is Now" film from the dump master and arranging conversion to MPEG format.
· Michael Wilkins - for initial MPEG conversions.
· Katinka Emmer - for site design, initial creation, and on-going updates whilst TRL was active.
· Joe Briganti - for on-going updates, MPEG conversions and lots of information.
· PMG, TRL and Telstra staff - for historical material and information relating to computing and accommodation.
Last updated: Oct 2023
