A radio used during the search-and-rescue operation following the sinking of the Wahine.
A radio used during the search-and-rescue operation following the sinking of the Wahine.
Nestled in the Heritage Park, among workshops, clubrooms and historic relics, is a very special building. The orange abode is not only a meeting place for another of Whangārei’s heritage clubs, it is a portal to the world, and sometimes beyond.
The Whangārei Amateur Radio Club began long before their base was established in the Heritage Park. In the early 1900s a group of local pioneers began experimenting with amateur - or “ham” - radio as a means of communicating. This was formalised in 1947 with the formation of the Whangārei branch of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART).
Every amateur radio operator and club is issued with a callsign. This is made up of a series of numbers and letters. In 1968, the Whangārei club began using ZL1AM. The “ZL” indicates it is a New Zealand callsign, and the “1″ pertained to its geographical location of Northland.
The numbers two, three and four were once allocated for Auckland to Wellington, Nelson to Christchurch and Southland respectively.
The callsign ZL1AM was significant as it was originally issued to Jack Isherwood, one of Northland’s first amateur radio operators. Redeploying this for the club when the callsign became vacant was a show of respect and an important connection to local history.
The Whangārei Amateur Radio Club's base of operations.
The Whangārei Amateur Radio Club was allocated a piece of land in the Heritage Park in 1991 and with the help of a “$1 to $1″ subsidy on fundraised money from the ASB Bank Community Trust, the club was able to clear the land and build the clubrooms we see today.
Within the walls of the clubrooms is a large range of equipment used to communicate using voice, digital, visual and morse code messaging. One of these, in a bright yellow box, is of special significance, once utilised on a police search-and-rescue vessel.
Alongside this relic is a notebook of hand-written entries, including one from April 12, 1968, when the vessel and radio were part of the search-and-rescue endeavours following the tragic sinking of the Wahine.
A log entry detailing the search-and-rescue operation following the sinking of the Wahine.
Amateur radios are an important tool for maintaining communications in situations where modern technology may fail us, including during natural disasters, blackouts and emergencies in isolated locations. They are also an important social tool and a way for enthusiasts to connect and share their passion. This was especially poignant during the worldwide Covid lockdowns, when many ham radio operators took to the radio waves to support each other.
When atmospheric conditions are just right, clear communications can be made with other operators around the world, but with the right equipment, the signal can go much further. Among the treasures collected by the Whangārei Amateur Radio Club is a recording from the International Space Station, from which astronauts often utilise their downtime to reach out to the world below them using ham radio technology.
Many notable people have also been heard communicating in the past, including American actor Marlon Brando, Eagles band member Joe Walsh, UK broadcaster Chris Tarrant and King Hussein of Jordan.
Locations are just as important as the conversations themselves. Club secretary Allan Walker (ZL1AW) talked of a memorable contact with the Galapagos Islands and club president Ian Wright (ZL1MVL) travels regularly to lighthouses around the world, from which he connects with other operators.
Some of the QSL cards sent to the Whangārei Amateur Radio Club.
QSL cards are another important aspect of ham radio communications, and the Whangārei Amateur Radio Club has hundreds of beautiful examples on display. At the conclusion of conversations a QSL card is sent. These were once exclusively posted, although some are now sent digitally. These cards are a written confirmation of a two-way radio communication. They tend to be the size of a postcard and include the callsigns of both operators, as well as the date and time of the exchange. Many cards also include beautiful pictures and photos of the area from which the operator is calling.
As with all of the clubs in the Heritage Park, the Amateur Radio Club welcomes new members and will offer direction, advice and training to anyone interested in joining.
One thing new members will learn is an entirely new way of speaking, a truncated language of letters and numbers understood regardless of where you are. If you find something funny, or say something funny, the reply may be HIHI, which means “I am laughing”. QRT means to cease transmission, QRX is an enquiry as to when communications may resume. Many are numeric, including 73, which means “best wishes”. However, my favourite is one I now use with my own kids who are too embarrassed to voice affection in front of their friends at school… 88: “Hugs and kisses.”
