Charles Maclurcan's Radio Station 2CM

Published on 30 March 2026

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Image right: 2CM's radio card. Courtesy Australian Old Time Radio

Did you know that Australia’s first licensed radio station, 2CM, broadcast from a Strathfield garage in 1921? Engineer, champion figure skater and radio pioneer, Charles Maclurcan lived at Namanula, 2 Agnes Street Strathfield. His amateur radio station was set up in his garage; two 24-metre tall radio masts stood on vacant land next door. 

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Namanula, 2 Agnes Street Strathfield, with smaller radio mast on roof of house. Wireless Weeekly 26 October 1923

 

Maclurcan held the first broadcasting licence in Australia, signed by Prime Minister Billy Hughes. He broadcast 90-minute long programs on Sunday evenings, advertising his program ahead of time in the Wireless Weekly, featuring music from gramophone records. His thousands of listeners had to build their own wireless receivers. Incredibly, his radio programs used just seven watts of power. He signed off each week with ‘Don’t forget to wind up the cat and put out the clock.’

Charles Dansie Maclurcan led a very interesting life. He was born in Queensland in 1889 to retired master mariner, Donald Samuel Boulton Maclurcan and Hannah Phillips, who came from a family of hotel proprietors. Hannah went on to manage and own several hotels, including the Wentworth Hotel in Sydney (from 1901), where Charles built his first wireless station on its roof. He was granted an experimenter’s licence and communicated with ships by Morse code. This was later destroyed by fire. Hannah was also one of Australia’s first celebrity cooks, publishing her first Mrs Maclurcan’s Cookery Book in 1898.

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Hannah Maclurcan's Cookery Book, 1906. Courtesy State Library of NSW

Charles was apprenticed as an electrical engineer. He and Hannah were early car owners and importers. Charles received a speeding fine of £4 in 1912 for driving at 24 miles per hour. He travelled widely overseas too and took up the sport of figure skating at which he excelled. At 19, Charles Maclurcan became NSW’s figure skating champion.[1] 

In 1917 Charles married Winifred Josephine Kenna of Homebush and settled in Agnes Street Strathfield. Their three sons were born between 1918 and 1921.

In 1921 Maclurcan sent a message to His Majesty King George V using a 50-watt transmitter on behalf of the wireless experimenters of Australia.

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Maclurcan's radio station, Strathfield. Daily Telegraph 8 June 1922 p.5

 

During March 1923, actress Josie Melville had the honour of being Australia’s first female broadcaster when she sang two songs from the musical Sally from the Strathfield studio. She was heard as far away as Melbourne.[2]  Immediately following the program, Maclurcan received calls from wireless enthusiasts from all over NSW reporting on the quality of transmission.[3] 

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Josie Melville. Daily Telegraph 20 March 1923 p.10

 

Maclurcan’s final broadcast from 2CM was on 17 February 1924. That same year, Charles travelled to San Francisco and broadcast from the ship RMS Tahiti using short-wave equipment similar to his Strathfield set-up. It operated under the callsign 2DCM. Vibration proved to be an issue onboard but a detailed log was kept and is now in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum. A radio built by Maclurcan in 1923 is also in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum. See: https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/634695

 

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The Bulletin Vol.58 No.3008 6 October 1937

The Maclurcan family remained in Strathfield until World War II when they moved to the Neutral Bay.

Upon his retirement in 1952 Charles was featured in People Magazine of 23 April which summed up his career: ‘A life of immense speed and diversity in which he has been a garage proprietor, car importer, electrical engineer, model maker, radio mechanic and operator, philatelist, figure skater, hotel proprietor, racing motor cyclist, historian and businessman.’

 

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Charles Maclurcan, People Magazine 23 April 1952. Image courtesy State Library of NSW

 

2CM is the only Australian callsign marked ‘never to be reissued’ in honour of Charles Maclurcan’s pioneering contribution to Australian radio.

You can read more about the incredible life and career of Charles Maclurcan at:

Radio Rockers: The Charles Maclurcan Story https://www.skateguardblog.com/2019/12/radio-rockers-charles-maclurcan-story.html

Radio Station 2CM: The Very First Radio Broadcasting Station in Australia – Radio Heritage Foundation https://www.radioheritage.com/radio-station-2cm-the-very-first-radio-broadcasting-station-in-australia/

Williams, Neville. When I think back … Charles D. Maclurcan: Engineer, businessman, hotelier and top Australian amateur broadcaster 1. IN Electronics Australia February 1994 pp.36-40 https://messui.polygonal-moogle.com/valves/NW199402.pdf

Williams, Neville. When I think back … Charles D. Maclurcan: Engineer, businessman, hotelier and top Australian amateur broadcaster 2. IN Electronics Australia March 1994 pp.46-50 NW199403.pdf

Australia's First Licenced Broadcast Station https://www.australianotr.com.au/australias-first-licenced-broadcast-station.html

 

By J.J. MacRitchie

Local Studies Advisor

 

References

 

[1] Williams, Neville. When I think back … 'Charles D. Maclurcan: Engineer, businessman, hotelier and top Australian amateur broadcaster 1.' IN Electronics Australia February 1994 pp.36-40 https://messui.polygonal-moogle.com/valves/NW199402.pdf

[2] Singleton Argus 22 March 1923 p.4 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/80822982

[3] Sydney Morning Herald 19 March 1923 p.10 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16074905

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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