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The Wireless House in Glebenet

Text: The Wireless House in Glebenet

from Wireless House, 07.05.09

Wireless House, Foley Park

"The "Wireless House" which sits inside the HJ Foley Park on Glebe Point Road was built in 1934 to provide radio broadcasts to the local community. A wireless set was donated at the time by Grace Bros to be operated in the Wireless House so that local people who could not afford to buy such equipment (they were extremely expensive at the time) could come and sit in the park and hear the radio programs of the period. It was very popular especially during World War Two, commonly drawing crowds of up to 100 people, and no other example of such a facility is known to exist today. The concept for a Public Listening room is highly unusual and appears to be without precedent in Australia and perhaps internationally. From the very beginning (22 November 1934) the press hailed the development as unique in Australian municipal history. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on its popularity with the community: "Since the official opening last Saturday, large crowds including many unemployed, have congregated to enjoy the programme". Locals would gather around the Wireless House (a small plain brick building) to hear broadcasts. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, men would often listen at dawn for reports of where work was available at the docks in Darling Harbour. Whilst the Wireless House lacks architectural charm, it retains an historical and cultural merit that transcends the local historical context, locating its value as a rare example of the provision of a social and cultural facility, at a national and potentially at an International level." From City of Sydney media release, 23 June 2008 

In June 2008, the City of Sydney council announced that through the efforts of the Glebe community, it had won a coveted $30,000 grant from the National Trust (NSW) to help gather oral histories from the Glebe community as part of its Wireless House public art project in Foley Park. Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said that the National Trust of Australia (NSW) working with American Express awarded the City of Sydney the prize to help fund this important conservation and interpretive public art work. The Wireless House Art Project by Dr. Nigel Helyer proposes the 'sonic activation' of the park through the 're-purposing' of the Wireless House. The artist's proposal for the Wireless House seeks to draw on archival material by accessing old radio recordings and also recording actors reading historic material. People in the park can enjoy the historic material in a number of ways: activating sensors on the Wireless House to trigger audio material; using FM radio reception which can be received by mobile phone and standard FM radio receivers; through the City of Sydney's free internet connection and by downloading of podcast material to mobile phones and future portable digital devices.

We are looking for community contributions that can weave personal stories of The Wireless House, Radio in Australia, Historical Photographs from this period, and Academic and Personal Writing about Glebe and Radio, to incorporate into the House itself and online. You, or your family, are invited to upload your stories, your images and your writings.

Share your Audio Recordings, Videos, Texts and Images in Pool via the upload page on Pool, Join our Wireless House Group and Contribute, or Create your own Group!  (Don't forget to add the tag "Wireless House" to increase your viewers on our page!)

Please contact thewirelesshouse@gmail.com if you cannot upload your content.

media release

from http://www.glebesydney.com/history.htm

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