History of the Telstra Research Laboratories
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Introduction |
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Telstra and its predecessors, the PostMaster Generals Department and Telecom Australia, have pioneered the provision of many telecommunication services in Australia. Many would not have occurred without the ideas and assistance from staff at the Telstra Research Laboratories. Two notable pioneering efforts are the Digital Radio Concentrator System (DRCS) and the Priority™ One3 system. Both these systems are highlighted in the Introduction to the History of the Telstra Research Laboratories.
A chronological listing of Notable Events and Technical Achievements since the inception of the Research Laboratories in 1923.
Sidney Herbert Witt
(1923-1945)
Eric Percival Wright
(1945-1953)
Norman James McCay
(1953-1960)
Leonard
Michael Harris O.B.E. (1960-1964)
Percy
Rollo Brett O.B.E. (1964-1975)
Edward
F Sandbach (1975-1985)
Harry S Wragge
(1985 -Dec 1992)
Ray Liggett (Dec 1992
- Sept 1993)
Bruno Sorrentino (Sept
1993 - Oct 1993)
James Park (Oct 1993 -
March 1995)
Noel Teede (March 1995 -
June 1995)
Graham
Shepherd (June 1995 - Feb 1997)
Hugh
Bradlow (Feb 1997 - June 2000)
Paul
Kirton (June 2000 - June 2001)
Hugh
Bradlow (July 2001 - Dec 2005)
None of the video or audio clips are available on any internet video/audio streaming service such as YouTube because many are long, may be copyright, controversial and the people shown in the clips or their relatives may get upset. The links below only provide details about the clip.
If
you really want to see them, a set of 7
DVD
size data discs is available at no cost
The
discs contain a copy of the internet site “History of the TRL
Research Labs” including all the video and audio clips. For
details on how to obtain the DVD's email me (address is on first page
of www.coxhill.com)
Propagation
Section (1966 and early 1970's) (8 videos)
Andre
Domjan Lecture (1972)
Tomorrow is
Now (1973)
Revolt of the
Instruments (1973)
Open
Days (1973)
1930's Electronic
Laboratory (1973)
Training
Annex (1974)
Digital
Telephony in Australia (1978)
API
Children's Christmas Parties (1978)
The
Busy Ray (c1979/1980)
Rings Of
Fire (1981)
Lightning Research
(1983)
Caldermeade Construction
(1983)
Engineering Equipment Section
(1985)
ISDN Tutorial (1985)
Cockatoo
Feeder Damage (1985)
Telecom
and You (1986)
Rathdowne St
Move (1986) (5 videos)
Hec Ruddell
(1987)
The Telecom Report
(1988) (8 videos)
Information Age
(1989)
Recruitment
(1989)
Telecom Today
(1989)
Lightning Lab
(1990)
Speaking Clock
(1990)
Laserlink (1991)
IST
Shutdown (1991)
Leap Second
(1992)
Blattnerphone
(1992)
Videophone (1992)
Antenna
Calibrations (1992)
OATS
Building Construction (1992)
Caldermeade
(1993)
Telstra Song (1994)
Wombat
& Cockatoo Damage (1994)
Multimedia
Lab (1996)
Human Factors
(1997)
Internet Fridge
(1999ish)
Laboratories 75 Year
(1999)
Lightning
Lab Demonstration (2000)
Telstra
Values (2000) (3 videos)
Testing
New Technology (2000ish)
BigTV
(2001)
Science In Schools
project (2001)
Showcase Opening
(2001)
TRL Seminars
(2001) (15 Videos)
Interactive TV
(2001 - 2003) (13 Videos)
TRL
Seminars (2002) (38 Videos)
Catalyst
featuring Geoff Huston (2002)
Various
non-TRL (19??)
Lyrebird
(2003)
80th
Year Anniversary (2003) (4 videos)
Telstra/Samsung
Announcement (2004)
Various TRL
(2004) (3
videos)
Various
TRL (2003/04/05) (6
videos)
Telstra
Innovations Promotion (2004)
Customer
Focused Design (2004)
TTIP
Conference (2004) ((11 Videos)
Telstra
Promotion (2004)
Albert Syler
(1975) (why lasers won't
work) (8 Mins)
iRadio
Transmission #2 (2000) (5 audio tracks 1 Min, 21 Mins, 9 Mins, 10
Mins & 1 Min)
Hugh Bradlow on KissFm
(2002) (21 Mins)
Telstra
New Wave & Telstra Research Labs Collaboraton Pt 1 (2003)
(03:53 Mins)
Telstra
New Wave & Telstra Research Labs Collaboraton Pt 2 (2003)
(06:32 Mins)
Hugh
Bradlow at National Press Club (2006) (55 Mins)
See also TRL
Christmas Carols below.
The Research Laboratories staff and equipment were accommodated in a variety of buildings over the years. From about 1940 to 1988, accommodation was scattered in buildings around the Melbourne Central Business District. In 1988, all of TRL was finally located on one site in Clayton. The History of Laboratories Accommodation over the years is detailed in this section.
The Research Laboratories have utilised a wide variety of Computing devices over the years. A brief History of Laboratories Computing is given in this section.
The Research Laboratories were a prolific source of publications. A brief History of Laboratories Publications is given in this section
Media Items
Media items about TRL.
Official
Staff Photos
(click
on photo for larger view)
Applied
Science Branch (March 1987)
Switched
Networks Branch (February 1992)
Telecommunication
Science & Technology Branch (March 1995)
Networks
Branch (May 1996)
Information
Networking Section (June 1996)
Unofficial Staff Photos, Buildings & Equipment
Links
to other Australian Telecommunication History Sites
Australasian
Telephone Collectors Society
Historical
Radio Society of Australia
Australian
Computer Society
Victorian
Telecommunications Museum Inc
Telecommunications
and the Digital Economy (TelSoc)
Old
Australian Telephones
Photographs
and information about the Old Port Kembla Exchange
Photographs
related to old Microwave Installations
That Exchange Project (A tribute to the craftsmanship of heritage telecommunications equipment, and an era when telephone exchanges were home to communities of people who spent their lives living and breathing with the equipment, so that the rest of us could be connected)
Memories
of TRL Some
memories from Rick Coxhill who worked at TRL for 39 years.
A
Day in the Life of a Section Head Some
stories from Gavan Rosman.
Skeletons
in the Cupboard The
dark side of TRL.
Tool
Kit Numbers A
1968 list of staff and their Tool Kit Numbers. When a person joined
the Laboratories, they were issued with a set of tools with a unique
number engraved on the tool. Discontinued in the 1970's.
Chronicles
of Trel Satirical look at events in TRL from 2001 to 2005. Only
meaningful to those who worked at TRL since about 1990. The
chronicles were supplied to me anonymously.
Keeping
in Contact A
mailing list/newsgroup to keep in contact with xTRLer's.
Madonna
A
tasteless posting to the aus.flame newsgroup in 1991 that nearly got
the TRL internet connection cut off and resulted in internal
newsgroup censorship.
The
Big Walk The
story and pictures of three intrepid staff who, on their first day at
the new Clayton site in 1978, walked to Clayton from their old
building in the Melbourne CBD carrying the old buildings name
plate.
The
Telecom Australia Research Laboratories Xmas Card
The
Scientists Poster No 5 Featuring
Albert Syler.
The
TRL Christmas Carols In
1991, and for a few years afterwards, a group of TRL staff sang
Christmas carols to entertain the staff. Some recordings of the
presentations are supplied here.
Copy
of a plaque presented to TRL by NASA for technical assistance with
the first moon landing
TRL
Anecdotes. Anecdotes about TRL from "Alan", who worked
in other areas of the PMG/Telecom.
Vale
Fred Symons. An address
presented by Peter Gerrand at Fred’s funeral.
Internal
Telephone Directory.
May
1983.
Internal
Telephone Directory.
May
2003.
List
of Successful Technicians in Training 1967.
Hand written list.
Technology
Dispute Discussion Paper. The technology dispute in the
1970's between unions and management was a bitter and protracted
affair. This document discusses some of the issues. Don't know where
this came from.
Historical
Study Of Telecom And Its Antecedents. Some early history of
Telecommunications in Tasmania (1981).
History
of Telecom Australia Research Laboratories. Early history
of the Research Labs (1984)
Bibliography
of History of Telecommunications in Australia (1980).
Web
Services. Telstra poster (2000?).
PTTA
Reference Book (1960).
Conditions Of Employment As Contained In Public Service Act,
Regulations, General Orders,. Public Service Board Instructions And
Related Determinations.
TRL Closes TRL officially closed its operations in December 2005. About 80% of the staff accepted redundancies and the rest obtained positions in other areas of Telstra. Unofficially, the last light was turned off on 7th September 2007. The buildings were demolished a few years later.
Rick Coxhill for initiating the concept of documenting TRL History and on-going updates.
Paul Howell - for recovering the "Tomorrow is Now" film from the dumpmaster and arranging conversion to MPEG format.
Michael Wilkins - for initial MPEG conversions.
Katinka Emmer - for site design, initial creation and on-going updates whilst TRL was active.
Joe Briganti - for on-going updates, MPEG conversions and lots of information.
TRL and Telstra staff - for historical material and information. In particular, computing and accommodation.
Last updated: May 2017
