Originally formed in 1910 as The Wireless Institute of New South Wales, our organisation is one of the oldest radio societies in the world.
The name "Wireless Institute of Australia (NSW Division)" was adopted in 1922. The WIA was set up as a Federated organisation; Individuals became members of the Division present in each state, providing representation and services at a state and local level. The Federal Office represented all members at a National and International level and published Amateur Radio magazine.
Various arrangements between the Divisions and the Federal Office were made to cover the cost of various services and Membership fees from each Division were apportioned accordingly.
In 2004 the WIA underwent a restructure, amalgamating as a single national organisation. Individuals could directly join as members of the "National" WIA, which also took on the role as the peak body for all Amateur Radio operators in Australia, representing the hobby at a National and International level. The WIA continues publication of Amateur Radio magazine and also took ownership of some shared functions such as the QSL Bureau.
The WIA (NSW Division) signed an Implementation Agreement with the Wireless Institute of Australia on December 10 , 2004. As a result, we were formed as a separate organisation and we now identify ourselves as Amateur Radio New South Wales.
The role of ARNSW is that of an organisation with a diverse membership, supporting radio activity of its members, statewide. Individuals may be members of either or both organisations; many of our current members are also members of WIA as well as local clubs.
We provide regular news and information bulltins from our dedicated station, VK2WI at Dural. We operate repeaters and signal beacons on most Amateur frequencies. We provide education, Licence training and assessments, field days, Trash and Treasure events and Deceased Estate disposals sales. The Centennial Building provides a large and versatile space for meetings and other functions.
The VK2WI facility at Dural provides a specialised transmission centre for Amateur Radio news broadcasts and production. VK2WI covers most of the east coast of Australia and out into the Pacific region. We include content from the VK1WIA National News Bulletins and in turn our broadcasts are relayed by local clubs and groups to expand our overall coverage.
Amateur Radio New South Wales members have biannual (or five yearly) fees to cover the services provided to members and the broader amateur radio community. ARNSW in general supports Amateur Radio throughout NSW.
All Access is a newsletter for members and friends of Amateur Radio New South Wales. The aim is to keep our members and friends of our organisation abreast of what is happening within our organisation.
The newsletter is published bi-monthly, and is distributed by email and available on our website. If there is something you would like to see addressed in this newsletter, you can email editor@arnsw.org.au.
The September 2024 issue is now available.