The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Radio Conference, held on 17 November 1926, formally considered the setting up of a Radio Research Board as a result of the need for a greater understanding of the physics of transmission and reception. The ultimate aim of the Board was to improve general radio practices in Australia by carrying out fundamental research in radio propagation and encouraging such research in the universities.

The Board comprised members from CSIR, the Postmaster-General's Department (which initially supplied 70% of the funding for the Board), and the Department of Finance. The first chairman of the Board was Professor John Madsen (later Sir John, who held the first chair of electrical engineering at the University of Sydney). The first meeting of the RRB was held on 24 June 1927.

During 1927/28 the Board made its initial grant of 250 pounds to the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne to assist research into radio propagation and atmospherics. Early research concentrated on field intensity, atmospherics, fading, distortion and modulation. 
T H Laby's research group at the University of Melbourne were able to indicate the probable location of low pressure systems earlier than meteorological scientists.  Madsen at the University of Sydney concentrated on the fading problem. He found that improvement in constancy of signal could be obtained with the suppression of the carrier modulation.

During World War 2, full-time staff of the Board were largely diverted to form the basis of the Radiophysics Division (CA 4374). The remainder became fully occupied in developing an Ionosphere Prediction Service (CA 3897) which was an important factor in maintaining radio communications over long distances. Staff were located at three sites; namely, Mount Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, Liverpool and the University of Sydney. Investigation at the University of Melbourne ceased.

After the war, the Radio Research Board continued at a modest level, concentrating its investigations on the ionosphere, pioneering the notion that giant tidal movements occurred in the F layer which resulted in the reflecting region expanding and contracting by as much as 80km, therefore effecting the ability to reflect shortwave radio.

The Chief Scientific Officer during this period was Dr David Martyn who, in 1955, was also appointed President of the International Ionospheric Commission.  The Principal Research Officer at that time was G Munro. 

New facilities for radio research were built at Camden in 1954.

In 1957, the Board ceased to undertake its own research but continued to sponsor approved postgraduate radio research projects. University of Sydney staff were transferred to the Department of Electrical Engineering whilst the Research Group at Camden became the Upper Atmosphere Section of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

In 1958 the Board became independent, but CSIRO continued its participation with sponsorship, representation on the Board, and administrative support. In 1985 the Board's name was changed to Australian Telecommunications and Electronics Research Board (ATERB) to more accurately reflect the Board's interests. From July 1985, ATERB took over the function of the disbanded Australian Computer Research Board.

ATERB's Management Committee consists of representatives appointed by sponsor (CSIRO, Telstra, Defence Science and Technology Organisation) members, and co-opted academic members from tertiary institutions.


Sources:  CSIRO Archives, Canberra

          'History of the Radio Research Board 1926-1945'
          W F Evans, CSIRO, Melbourne 1973

          Brief history and notes provided by ATERB 1998

       
Historical agency address
1927-   : Electrical Engineering Department, University of Sydney NSW