States of the Nation - You Can't Hear Me....Verney! Grahamvale, Victoria, Australia
By Cybergran V on 19-Dec-17. Waypoint GA11150

A simple 2 part multi - bring your own pen

States of the Nation - You Can't Hear Me....Verney!

This is replacing GC19T14 which has been archived as abandoned.

It was previously published by Team GraMon,  but the tree it was hidden beneath was cut  down. I am using the information from the original cache page.

This was originally Can You Hear Me?...Verney? when Radio Australia was still in operation. I am publishing this due to the sorry state of our Nation for allowing this wonderful facility to be closed down. The ABC shut it down this year.

 An easy 2 stage multi in Shepparton.

Take care as it is a reasonably busy road but there is plenty of room to park safely.

The Past

Australia's first overseas broadcasting service began two months

after the beginning of the Second World War. Its objective was to

support the BBC's External Service in counteracting enemy

propaganda. Various bodies were responsible for the organisation in

its early years: the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) in

the period 1942 to 1944, and the Commonwealth Department of

Information in the years before and after this term. 

 The organisation had no statutory basis and in 1950 it was

transferred back to the ABC by administrative decision. The Menzies

Government appears to have taken the view that the credibility of

the service would be enhanced if it followed the British model of a

broadcaster independent of direct Government control, rather than

that of the United States, where the 'Voice of America' was an arm

of Government. It was agreed between the Government and the ABC

that Radio Australia's programs would be based on domestic

broadcasts, but with special programs for south-east Asia and the

western Pacific. A liaison officer from the Department of External

Affairs would work with the ABC editorial staff on these programs,

but final responsibility for broadcasts would rest with the ABC.

This situation continued through to the 1970s.

 In 1975 the Whitlam Government established an independent

inquiry into Radio Australia. It recommended that the ABC retain

responsibility for the organisation and that this situation be

given a statutory basis. It also proposed that Radio Australia's

transmitting facilities be improved and extended. 

Statutory Basis

 A statutory basis for the service was finally established in

1983, with the passage of the Australian Broadcasting

Corporation Act 1983. This sets out its functions and duties. One

of the functions of the ABC is: to transmit to countries outside

Australia broadcasting programs of news, current affairs,

entertainment and cultural enrichment that will:

 1. encourage awareness of Australia and an international

understanding of Australian attitudes on world affairs;

 and 2. enable Australian citizens living or travelling outside

Australia to obtain information about Australian affairs and

Australian attitudes on world affairs.

 While the Charter provides a rationale for Radio Australia, there

are no specific provisions in the legislation concerning the

establishment, structure and role of the organisation. 

Transmission Facilities

 The ABC does not own the transmitting facilities it uses to

broadcast its programs, including those of Radio Australia. The

Australian Broadcasting Commission Act 1932 specified that the

Postmaster General should undertake the provision and operation of

all technical services associated with the transmission of

programs.

The National Broadcasting Service continued to be operated by the

Postmaster-General's Department until the creation of Telecom

Australia in 1975.

 Thereafter Telecom provided and operated the transmitters and

equipment under contractual arrangements with the Department of

Communications, which was responsible for planning, funding and the

supervision of the functions performed by Telecom.

All of these functions were brought under one body with the

establishment of the National Transmission Agency (NTA) in

1992. 

The nature and scope of the services provided by Radio Australia

have been the subject of some controversy in past years. The

closure of the Cox Peninsula transmitter site and the reduction in

services resulting from the 1997-98 Budget decisions have

coincided with a period of political instability and conflict in

the region that is its main audience. This has led to a revaluation

of the importance of its role, culminating in the Government's

announcement of additional funding over the next three years. 

At this time, Radio Australia was using fourteen transmitters based

in Darwin, Carnavon, Townsville and Shepparton. 

The Carnavon site was subsequently closed, with its 300 kilowatt

transmitter being refurbished and transported to the Cox Peninsula

site at Darwin. On 30 June 1997 the Cox Peninsula site was

also closed following decisions made in the 1997-98 budget 

Where did Radio Australia broadcast from?

The studios were located in Melbourne, in the state of Victoria. The

radio transmitters were located in Australia and the Asia

Pacific region. They had transmitters in Shepparton in

central Victoria and Brandon in north Queensland. Other

transmitters included the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC)

relay station in Singapore, Central Broadcasting System (CBS)

facilities in Taiwan and International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB)

facilities in the Marianas.

The Cache

Go to the above co ordinates and note the number 475 on the

brick gate pier.

What colour is the number 475? 

If Black go to S36 19.663 E145 24.824 

If Green go to S36 19.826 E145 24.569 

If White go to S36 19.726 E145 24.944

If Yellow go to S36 19.864 E145 24.645 

Good luck. Due to signal interference from the nearby towers you may have a lot of interference.

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