MUSEUM

Prince Guglielmo Marconi's Visit to 4MBS Radio Museum

As part of our 25th Anniversary Celebrations we hosted the first official visit to Queensland of Prince Guglielmo Marconi, grandson of the famous pioineer of radio. The Minister for the Arts Anna Bligh, and Councillor Michael Caltabiano attended a luncheon at the 4MBS Museum of Radio which has been renamed the 4MBS Marconi Museum of Radio. Many people from the radio industry attended including the General Manager of 4BC and 4BH, David McDonald, Phil Cullen from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Jo Tacchi from QUT Creative Industries and Ray Slater and Gil Long from the Historical Wireless Society.

Prince Marconi also presented a talk on his grandfather's life and achievements at the Brisbane Institute, attended by Lord Mayor Campbell Newman. The Prince's visit created a great deal of interest - adventurer and businessman Dick Smith invited him to his farm near Sydney to view his colllection of antique radios.

The Prince was flown to Mt Isa by Macair Airlines to visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service and view one of the original pedal radios- a crucial invention in the 1930's for people in the outback. Prince Marconi's visit not only marked 4MBS's 25th Anniversary but also the 80th Anniversary of free to air broadcasting in Australia.