Comments on: WA History: from Telegram to TV – Part 2 of 5

By: Alison Martin

Alison Martin — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 08:39:45 +0000

I should like to see my Grandfather’s name listed also as a Director and Co-Founder of Musgroves Limited. I can see him in the photo of the official opening of 6ML on 30 November 1933. His name was Mandeville O’Doyly Musgrove, he died 9 July 1944 when I was 2 years old.

By: Brad Shannon

Brad Shannon — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:40:53 +0000

I worked at 6WB Katanning for a few years up until it was finally killed off in mid 2000 by turning it into a abandoned satellite reciever. At that time much of the original studio equipment from the 1940’s through to the ’70’s was still aroud the place, mostly sitting collecting dust in the disused Studio 2. We celebrated 6WB’s 60th birthday in 1996, as the station commenced in 1936, not as mentioned above. A rear storeroom was chocablock full of old paperwork, sales paraphernalia and most of the extensive record collection, even several 78’s….and endless carts full of corny spots. Anyhoo, in 1998 RadioWest in the form of Stuart Endersby, instructed me to ‘turf the whole lot out’ as I had pointed out the fire hazard as it was a 1930’s weatherboard room on the rear of the weatherboard Transmitter Room…in the middle of a 40 acre wheat paddock…during a very hot summer. As I already knew the demise of the station was underway with the total networking from SomeWhere Else, Townsville mostly, I got on to the Katanning Hysterical Society we had a garage sale/record sale and the proceeds went to housing the valuble equipment with them. That was in 2000.

By: IAN

IAN — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:05:38 +0000

Hi Ken,
There is an error as to who was 6ML’s Chief engineer it was not Harry Simmonds but Clarence Searle (serl) He was a graduate from Adelaide University and was the first Chief engineer of 5KA adelaide.
Harry Simmonds became the Chief engineer of 6IX and 6ML after Clarrie Searl left to start 6BY Bunbury when this station closed he went and istalled 3TR Taralgon in Victoria,Then back to 5KA adlaide before going to Kattanning to instal and operate 6WB.
the 6WB callsign is of interest because WB are the initials of the farmer that gave the land for the transmitter site Willem Beeck or Beck.

By: ianstimson

ianstimson — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:26:58 +0000

Clarence Serl was 6ML’s Chief engineer in 1930-1933 he then went to Bunbury to establish the first 6BY 1933-1935. 1937 sees him establishing 6WB Kattaning after Clarence Serl left 6ML as Harry simmonds was in charge of 6IX he also had 6ML.
Bryn Samuels was the manager of both Radio Stations he was manpowered to the army serving as a Captain at LHQ Perth,had this not happened the 6ML license would not have lapsed.

By: Richard Rennie

Richard Rennie — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:42:30 +0000

Closed Down.
Albany Advertiser Monday 31 May 1943
Station 6ML has been closed down till the end of the war; This has been found necessary owing to the insuperable difficulties in running the Station, brought about by the depletion of staffs for manpower requirements.

The West Australian Saturday 27 November 1943
He said that it had been arranged originally, on the representations of the advisory committee, that stations 6KY, 6PM and 6IX should move up the dial and that 6IX should take the wave-length relinquished by 6ML.

By: Richard Rennie

Richard Rennie — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:30:27 +0000

I am not sure about the date of the closure of 6ML????