Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1913 (Amendment)

Legislation au C1914L00170 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1914. No. 170.

————

REGULATIONS UNDER THE WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ACT 1905.

(Issued provisionally as Statutory Rules 1914, No. 111.)

I SIR ARTHUR STANLEY, Governor of the State of Victoria and its Dependencies in the Commonwealth of Australia, acting as the Deputy of the Governor-General in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, do hereby make the undermentioned amended Regulations under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this twenty-first day of November, One thousand nine hundred and fourteen.

A. L. STANLEY,

Deputy of the Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

W.G. SPENCE,

Postmaster-General.

Amendment of the Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1913.

(Statutory Rules 1913, No. 351.)

Regulation 5 is repealed, and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—

5. (1) An Experimental Licence may be granted in respect of a land station only.

(2) An Experimental Licence shall be in such form and, subject to these Regulations, shall contain such terms and conditions as the Postmaster-General thinks fit to include therein.

(3) An Experimental Licence shall remain in force until revoked, or until surrendered by the licensee, but shall be revocable at will by the Postmaster-General.

(4) The wireless telegraphy appliances included in an Experimental Licence shall be used only for experimental purposes, and so as not to interfere with the working of any land station or ship station, and the licensee shall in working the appliances obey all directions issued by the Postmaster-General.

(5) Only one land station may be included in any one Experimental Licence, and no person shall be granted more than one Experimental Licence.

(6) A person who is the holder of an Experimental Licence may, with the permission of the Postmaster-General, and on payment of the fee prescribed by paragraph (d) of Regulation 7 (1), transfer the station in respect of which the licence has been granted from one address to another without the issue of a fresh licence.


Regulation 7 is repealed, and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—

7. (1) The fees for licences shall be as follows:—

(a) For a General Licence for ship stations or for any renewal thereof—Five shillings for each ship included in the licence.

(b) For a Supplementary Licence for ship stations or for any renewal thereof—Five shillings for each ship included in the licence.

(c) For an Experimental Licence for land stations—Twenty-one shillings for each year or part of a year during which the licence is in force.

(d) For transfer of a station in respect of which an Experimental Licence has been granted from one address to another—Five shillings.

(2) The fees prescribed by this Regulation shall be payable in advance.

Regulation 11 is repealed, and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—

11. (1) A General Licence or Supplementary Licence may be renewed by writing thereon or attaching thereto a memorandum stating the period for which it is renewed.

(2) The memorandum of renewal must be signed by the Postmaster-General or by some officer authorized by him.

(3) The renewal may be made at any time within one month before or one month after the expiry of the licence.

(4) The memorandum is to be written on both parts of the licence, but in the case of the licensee’s part it shall be in the form of a receipt for the renewal fee signed by the Postmaster-General or by some officer authorized by him, which receipt is to be attached by the licensee to his part.

Regulation 24 is repealed, and the following Regulation is inserted in its stead:—

24. The rates for messages transmitted to or received from ship stations shall be as follows:—

(1) For ordinary messages—

(a) Coast station transmitting or receiving charge—

(i) Radiotelegrams to or from ships licensed in Australia or New Zealand, 3d. per word;

(ii) Radiotelegrams to or from other ships, 6d. per word.

(b) Ship station transmitting or receiving charge—

(i) Radiotelegrams to or from ships licensed in Australia or New Zealand, 2d. per word;

(ii) Radiotelegrams to or from other ships, not exceeding 4d. per word.

(c) Land line charge, 1d. per word.


(2) For press messages—

(a) Coast station transmitting or receiving charge, 1½d. per word.

(b) Ship station transmitting or receiving charge, not exceeding 4d. per word, as determined by the ship authorities concerned.

(c) Land line charge, ⅓d. per word, odd fractions of one penny to be reckoned as one penny.

(3) For official messages to or from ships of the British or Australian Navies—

(a) Coast station transmitting or receiving charge, 1d. per word.

(b) There shall be no ship station charge.

(c) Land line charge, 1d. per word.

(4) For messages consisting of reports to Lloyd’s agents concerning marine casualties and overdue vessels:—

(a) Coast station charge, 6d. per word.

(b) Land line charge, 1d. per word.

The charges for these messages shall be collected from the addressee.

(5) Commonwealth charges for relaying radiotelegrams, irrespective of the number of coast stations concerned in the relaying—

(a) When the ships of origin and of destination are both licensed in Australia or New Zealand, 4d. per word;

(b) When only one of the ships concerned, or when neither of the ships concerned is licensed in Australia or New Zealand, 7d. per word.

The following Regulation is inserted after Regulation 24:—

24a. (1) Radiotelegrams conveying Christmas or New Year greetings may be lodged at any telegraph office in the Commonwealth for transmission to New Zealand or to vessels registered in Australia or New Zealand. In addition to the address and signature, such radiotelegrams may contain a text consisting of any one of the following phrases:—

(a) “Christmas greetings.”

(b) “New Year greetings.”

(c) “Compliments of the season.”

(2) The total charge for such radiotelegrams shall be:—

(a) For those addressed to New Zealand, 4s.

(b) For those addressed to vessels registered in Australia or New Zealand, 3s.

(3) Radiotelegrams containing the text “Christmas greetings” must be lodged on or before 23rd December, and those containing the text “New Year greetings” or “Compliments of the season” must be lodged on or before 28th December.

 

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.

C.16135—Price 3d.

 

Overview

The Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1914, issued under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905, were enacted to refine and update the regulatory framework governing wireless telegraphy in Australia. This legislative instrument was introduced to address the need for more detailed and specific regulations concerning the licensing and operational conditions for wireless telegraphy stations, particularly in light of advancements in technology and the increasing number of wireless installations. The enactment of these regulations was carried out by Sir Arthur Stanley, the Governor of the State of Victoria and its Dependencies in the Commonwealth of Australia, acting as the Deputy of the Governor-General, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and with the advice of the Federal Executive Council. The overarching policy objective was to ensure that the use of wireless telegraphy was managed effectively, facilitating orderly growth while preventing interference and ensuring compliance with operational standards. These regulations specifically addressed the granting of experimental licences for land stations, the associated fees, the renewal process for general and supplementary licences, and the rates for messages transmitted to or received from ship stations, among other provisions.

Scope and Application

The Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1914, issued under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905, govern the granting and operation of wireless telegraphy licenses within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations apply to both land and ship stations, stipulating the terms and conditions under which licenses can be issued and renewed. Specifically, the regulations detail the requirements for obtaining an Experimental Licence for land stations, which can only be used for experimental purposes and must not interfere with other stations. They also outline the fees associated with different types of licenses, including General Licences for ship stations, Supplementary Licences for ship stations, and Experimental Licences for land stations. The regulations further detail the rates for transmitting and receiving messages, including different rates for ordinary, press, and official messages, as well as special provisions for Christmas and New Year greetings. These regulations are applicable throughout the Commonwealth and are subject to modification by subordinate instruments.

Key Provisions

The amended Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 1914 primarily focus on the issuance, conditions, and fees associated with Experimental Licences for land stations, as well as the fees for general and supplementary licences for ship stations. Regulation 5(1) states that Experimental Licences can only be granted for land stations, while Regulation 5(2) allows the Postmaster-General to include any terms and conditions they deem necessary in these licences. Regulation 5(3) stipulates that an Experimental Licence remains in force until it is revoked or surrendered by the licensee, and it can be revoked at the Postmaster-General's discretion. The licensee must use the wireless telegraphy appliances solely for experimental purposes without interfering with other land or ship stations, and must adhere to any directions issued by the Postmaster-General as per Regulation 5(4). Regulation 5(5) limits the number of land stations to one per Experimental Licence, and Regulation 5(6) permits the transfer of a station under an Experimental Licence from one address to another with the Postmaster-General's permission and the payment of a specified fee. These regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved. Licensees must ensure their wireless telegraphy appliances are used exclusively for experimental purposes and refrain from interfering with other stations. They must also comply with any instructions from the Postmaster-General. Additionally, the Postmaster-General has the authority to revoke an Experimental Licence at any time, and licensees must pay the specified fees for licences and transfers. Regulation 7 outlines the fees for different types of licences, including general and supplementary licences for ship stations, and Experimental Licences for land stations, with all fees payable in advance. Regulation 11 details the process for renewing general and supplementary licences, allowing for renewal within one month before or after the licence expires. Breaches of these regulations can lead to various civil and criminal consequences. For example, using wireless telegraphy appliances for purposes other than those specified in the Experimental Licence could result in revocation of the licence and potential legal action. Failure to pay the prescribed fees might also lead to the suspension or revocation of the licence. The specific penalties for these breaches are not detailed in the regulations themselves but would likely fall under the broader Wireless Telegraphy Act 1905, which could include fines and imprisonment for serious violations.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.