History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Biographies/William Frederic Bardin

William Frederic Bardin

Potted Biography

• Bardin, William Frederic or Frederick "Bill", "Old Bill" [1] - 1899(Eng)-1976(NSW) - Licences: 3ZA Melbourne (North Carlton, 1923-1925); 4AB Townsville (1925-1927); 4AB Brisbane (Fairfield & Yeronga, 1931-1933); 2ABZ Sydney (Ermington & Dundas 1937-1939, 1946-1961+) - Qualifications: cc; CPRT 615, 1921; 1COCP 58, 1930 - amateur operator; amateur broadcaster; broadcast engineer (4QG); coastal radio operator (AWA); state public servant (4QG); federal public servant (Halcyon, p. 63) - Electoral Rolls: clerk (Townsville, 1922); radio engineer (Townsville, 1925; Buranda, 1926; Fairfield, 1928); engineer (Dundas, 1936-1943; Eastwood, 1949-1968) - TroveTag: "3ZA-4AB-2ABZ - William Frederic Bardin"(240+ tags) & "!Wikibooks Bardin"(110+ tags)

Comprehensive Biography

A comprehensive biography of William Frederic Bardin has not yet been prepared for this Wikibook, however the following resources have been assembled in preparation:

• Research - William Frederic Bardin - Summary of research to date

• Transcriptions and Notes - William Frederic Bardin - More than 110 transcriptions (Reads like a biography)

• Photos, QSL cards and other graphics - William Frederic Bardin - Nothing uploaded as yet, but many photos available in Trove and several QSL cards in the NFSA collection

• Incubator of Wikipedia Article on William Frederic Bardin - Coming real soon now!

Key internet links:

Obituary for 4AB in the OTVA Newsletter (a few errors, Bill was already licensed in 1924 as 3ZA in Melbourne, before moving to Townsville)

W. F. (Bill) Bardin Bill Bardin was born in England and came to Australia with his parents early this century, while still a child. The Bardin family settled in Townsville, Queensland and it was there that Bill first became interested in the new-fangled thing called wireless. His parents thought it was no sort of a career and persuaded him to enter a solicitor's office, but the urge of radio was too great: Bill took a correspondence course with the Marconi School of Wireless, graduating in 1919. To gain experience, he then joined a Melbourne radio firm and in 1923 opened his own radio and electrical business in Townsville. Two years later he joined the engineering staff of 4QG, preparing the station for its official opening in April, 1926. He remained at 4QG during its pioneering years until the P.M.G.'s Department assumed control of the station following nationalisation of the original "A" Class broadcasting stations. In 1931, when Station 4BH, Brisbane was being organised, Bill joined the original engineering staff of that station. 4BH eventually commenced service on 2nd January, 1932. He remained with the station during its first year of operation and then took up radio servicing. In 1933 he joined A.W.A. as an operator in the Coastal Radio Service at VIT, Townsville Radio, and a year later was transferred to the A.W.A. Radio Centre at Pennant Hills. During the war he did two tours of duty in Rabaul. On the closing of Pennant Hills, Bill transferred to Doonside. Unfortunately at Doonside he suffered a nervous breakdown and O.T.C. transferred him to Head Office as a Technical Officer where he was employed in compiling and updating ionospheric prediction information. Bill was always a charming gentleman with a ready smile and will always be remembered for the way he pampered and looked after Frank Marsden when Frank was so crippled with arthritis. During his life and particularly since his retirement in 1964, Bill was a very active "ham", call signs being 4AB and 2ABZ. Many amateurs and members of the Wireless Institute were in attendance at his funeral.