Vintage radios on display at Melbourne exhibition

Hundreds of historic radios will be on display at the Historical Radio Society of Australia Radio Exhibition in April.

Everything from the golden days of radio will be there, as well as prizes, radio appraisals and a medley played on the Wurlitzer organ every hour.

Attendees will have the opportunity to buy a vintage radio, along with memorabilia.

The Historical Radio Society of Australia (HRSA) collects vintage radios and everything related to early radio. With an estimated 30,000 vintage radios in HRSA members’ collections, visitors can expect to see the best of the best, including many radios rarely or never seen in public before. Some are the only ones in existence. The entire Grand Hall of the Kingston Town Hall in Moorabbin, Victoria will be filled with enthusiasts.

Highlights will include Bakelite radios in almost every conceivable design and colour, televisions, crystal sets, military radios, transistors and two-way radios, plus spark radios from the Titanic era.

The Kingston Town Hall features a rare Wurlitzer organ, rescued in 1967 from the State Theatre in Melbourne and now again fully operational. The organ’s original arrival in Melbourne was a sensation, transported from the wharf to the theatre in 27 lorries and reported as the largest in Australia. Scott Harrison, an HRSA member and leading Wurlitzer organist, will perform tunes of the era on each hour.

Attendees can browse through new or excellent-condition vintage radio parts, radio knobs (even replica knobs made to order), dials, valves, radio magazines, books, printed posters and more on display and on sale. Choose from the 50,000 new or tested valves in the members’ ‘Valve Bank’ run by the HRSA. Other parts available to HRSA members include high-voltage capacitors, authentic-design power cables and rare looms.

The HRSA was established 35 years ago by Ray Kelly, with a small group of enthusiasts, to collect and preserve Australia’s radio history. Since its inception, the HRSA has endeavoured to cultivate and provide the means for members to collect radios or the parts needed for them, to restore radios, and to learn about radios and the history associated with Australia’s radio heritage. Some members come from a radio-related career, while others have no technical knowledge but have an interest in radio collecting.

Membership to the HRSA is $35 per year and includes a world-class colour magazine four times a year, meetings around Australia, access to the Valve and parts bank, circuits and auctions.

The guest speaker at the members’ dinner will be Dick Smith, the hugely successful radio store pioneer and adventurer.

The event will be held on 9 April at the Kingston Town Hall. Entry is free for members and $2 for non-members.

Image courtesy of HRSA

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