History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Biographies/George Archibald Scott

George Archibald Scott

A comprehensive biography of George Archibald Scott has not yet been prepared for this Wikibook, however the following resources have been assembled in preparation:

• Research - George Archibald Scott - Summary of research to date

• Transcriptions and Notes - George Archibald Scott - More than 250 transcriptions

• Photos, QSL cards and other graphics - George Archibald Scott - Nothing uploaded as yet, but several photographs available in Trove articles

• Incubator of Wikipedia Article on George Archibald Scott - Coming real soon now!

Key internet links: Nil yet identified

Pending further progress on the foregoing, the following lovely biography from Perth's Daily News, summarising George's life to 1925, clearly shows how much George contributed to the development of wireless in Australia from 1911:

W.A.'S RADIO INSPECTOR. SOMETHING OF HIS SERVICE. Many curious minded people have asked, since wireless became the vogue "What qualifications has Mr. G. A. Scott for his position?" This probably comes of holding a position in which conflict with sections of the public is occasionally made. It is interesting therefore to know that Mr. George Scott joined the Imperial Naval service at the time of the late Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and was attached to that service from 1897 to 1911. In February 1901 he made his debut in wireless at which time he was on H.M.S. Vindictive (of Zeebruge fame) when that vessel was doing duty as one of the escorting cruisers to His Majesty the King (then Duke of York) on his visit to Australasia in the s.s. Ophir to inaugurate the Australian Commonwealth. Those were the days of the ten-inch spark coil and the little receiving instrument known as the coherer. At that time the naval men prided themselves on the excellent results attained and although keeping in touch with the Ophir and other cruisers at distances up to 100 miles may not seem much in these more sophisticated days, it was an achievement in the early days of wireless science. From 1901 until 1908 Mr. Scott had the benefit of a thorough training in naval wireless telegraphy and in the latter year he came to Australia as Petty Officer Telegraphist on H.M.S. Pegasus and as his period of service in the Imperial Navy was due to expire before the fulfilment of the vessel's commission, he elected to sever his connection with the Navy and become a good Australian. On leaving in February, 1911 he came into contact with Father Shaw of the famous Randwick (Sydney) wireless station and entered the service of this well-known scientist. His experiences with Father Shaw ranged from New Guinea to King Island, Tasmania. Whilst at the Shaw station at King Island he applied for the position of operator at the Melbourne Radio station, and in March 1912 received notification that his application had been accepted. Here he commenced duties with the Commonwealth Radio Service. He remained an operator at Melbourne until July 1912 when he was selected by the then Engineer for Radio Telegraphy (Mr. J. G. Balsillie) to proceed to Brisbane to take over the construction of the radio station. When the Brisbane station was completed and in good working order he proceeded to Rockhampton and supervised the erection of the radio station at that centre. He then returned to the Brisbane station as officer in charge and remained there until July, 1918 when he was transferred to W.A. as Radio Inspector with the rank of Radio Lieutenant, the radio service having been taken over by the R.A.N. as a war measure. With the signing of peace he reverted to the P.M.G.'s Department, when everything pertaining to wireless was assigned to that Department. Since then he has occupied an office on the sixth floor of the G.P.O., which is replete with testing instruments and other wireless paraphernalia.