Auckland Radio

Auckland Radio began life as a radio station using the callsign VLD in October 1912. The station was located in a small building on the flat roof of the Auckland Chief Post Office.(right)

While the station's spark transmitter performed well, the effectiveness of the station was handicapped by the bad receiving conditions.

1923 saw the station relocated to a room on the first floor of the CPO, adjoining the Telegraph Office.

In 1927, internationally, there was big changes in call signs, New Zealand gave up the "V" prefix and VLD became ZLD.

VLD

When aviation services started in the 1930s all communication and radio navigation aids were run by the Post Office.

In 1933 planning for an Auckland Station with high and medium frequency services was begun and possible sites for a station were investigated. A receiving and direction-finding site was located near Bucklands Beach, with a transmitting site about 3 miles away. The land was publicly owned, but various difficulties had to be surmounted before access could be obtained. A refurbished Auckland Radio was included in the planning.

In 1938 just as planning for the radio station was getting under way , one of the celebrated survey flights across the pacific came to a tragic end. The Pan - American Airways flying boat "Samoan Clipper" commanded by Captain Edward Musick was lost with all on boaard near Apia. In keeping with the general feeling of the country, Group Captain T Wilks, Controller of Civil Aviation, put forward the idea that the projected station should "constitute a Memorial and should be known as the "Musick Memorial Radio Station". The Government approved this and accordingly, the main building and layout was planned with this objective in mind.

(The early years - Above and Right)
The comprehensive station was completed in 1940 and the wartime conditions meant that the station conducted numerous services under Post Office control. These services included coastal services for shipping, Naval Intelligence (DF Watches), civil and military aviation, and hand speed emergency telegraph services.

The station was officially opened by the Prime Minister
The Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, P.C. on the 12th January 1942.

When wartime demands subsided, some of these services ceased, but those for the coastal shipping and civil aviation remained.

Civial Aviation moved their areonautical services to the Auckland International Airport at Mangere in 1966.

The Post Office (followed by Telecom NZ Ltd) continued the maritime and emergency radio services until the station closed on 30 September 1993.

The Memorial Building as it is today

ZLD	- Maritime Services
ZLF	- Aviation Services
ZLXA	- Emergency Radio Services (Emeradio)