Century since Dunedin first in NZ on air

On November 17, 1921, 100 years ago tomorrow, Prof Robert Jack sent out the broadcast.

Toitu Otago Settlers Museum curator Peter Read said Prof Jack helped bring public radio stations to New Zealand.

Born in Scotland, Prof Jack came to New Zealand in 1914 to take up a post as professor of physics at the University of Otago. After World War 1, Prof Jack returned to the UK where his brother lived.

His brother was an electrical engineer and had access to much radio equipment, some of which Prof Jack brought back with him to New Zealand, Mr Read said.

Standing alongside the radio transmitter used in New Zealand’s first voice and music radio broadcast is Toitu Otago Settlers Museum curator Peter Read at the museum yesterday. PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON

Radio was mostly used for Morse code back then and was heavily restricted by the government.

In early 1921, Prof Jack sent a transmission containing both music and voice across his lab.

It took him a while to obtain permission to perform the transmission publicly, but on November 17 he sent out the country’s first public broadcast.

Although New Zealand would have caught up with the rest of the world eventually, Prof Jack helped kick-start Dunedin as a city with a strong radio presence.

By the 1930s, Dunedin had seven public radio stations, twice as many as any other city in the country, Mr Read said.

The transmitter used is owned by the University of Otago and is on loan to the settlers museum.