the australasian wireless co. had established a low power experimental station at hotel australia, castlereagh st, sydney. hotel australia was at the time, australia's most luxurious hotel and the destination of choice for the wealthy and famous. the hotel was the venue for the first meeting for the establishment of the wireless institute of australia in march 1910. this station itself, was useful to the company, primarily for testing equipment at its main station at underwood st, sydney (the head office for the bulletin, part owner of the company). it is first reported in the press in november 1910, but this appears to be a major upgrade rather than initial usage. medium power equipment was transferred at this time from underwood street and a large antenna installed on the rooftop of the hotel, at its highest 80 ft. above the roof (170 ft. agl). the wireless apparatus was installed in a room immediately below the roof. the apparatus was of the telefunken system, the company having the rights to that system in australia. the pmg allocated the callsign aaa. despite its brief existence, the station made its mark in history. on 5 december 1910, a journalist of the sydney sun conducted an "interview" with world champion sculler dick arnst, by means of the hotel australia station and the fitted-for-wireless rms ulimaroa. this was claimed as an australian first. in a sideline story, the journalist provides an eloquent description of the wireless room. in another triumph, the hotel australia station played a major part in establishing that the training ship mersey was fine when fears were held for her safety at sea.