Wireless Hill is around 110 metres high & is the small headland / islet connected to the main body of Macquarie Island by the Isthmus where the ANARE station is located. It is reached by a very steep path that starts just behind Cumpstons Cottage. It is so named as it was the site for the first antarctic radio station, set up by the Australian Antarctic Expedition in 1910 to act as a relay between Australia & the main base at Commonwealth Bay. It relayed the news that Sir Douglas Mawson & his team had successfully reached the South Magnetic Pole in Adelie Land. The remains of the original wooden masts are still visible (see other photo). Today, there is a small hut containing a 100 Watt HF transceiver used for local HF radio scheds with the field huts, a 50 Watt VHF repeater & a TACT allowing DTMF access to the international telephone network via  VHF handhelds (thankfully, there are no mobiles / cellphones on Macquarie Island).The mast is 28 metres (100 ft)  high & carries a wideband HF vertical antenna & several VHF antennas.  Larger 1.5  kilowatt HF transmitters, receivers and three large directional Vee beams are located at the transmitter hut at the southern end of the Isthmus for communicating with ships, Australia & the continental Antarctic stations, although this is mainly a backup in case of a major failure of the permanent satellite link. All radio masts at Macquarie Island are fitted with Lansaf fall arrest mechanisms for safe climbing. The guys are parafil as opposed to steel. The two small sea stacks known as The Nuggets can clearly be seen in the background, with Brothers Point visible in the mist behind. Wireless Hill is also the location of various botanical & alternative energy experiments and the grave of an ANARE expeditioner who lost his life on Macquarie Island many years ago.
	Back to Photo Gallery
			Back to Home Page