due to delays in the establishment of the high power pennant hills coastal station, australasian wireless co. (the contractors for the construction of the pennant hills station), sought and received a commercial licence to establish at their own cost a temporary facility at hotel australia. this new licence was given effect without material change to the technical equipment already installed there. but now the company could advertise its formal approval to solicit communications with nearby merchant shipping, and to charge for the service. the station formally commenced service on 3 june 1911. the service appears to have been an immediate commercial success and daily advertisements offering communication appeared in the local newspapers, together with a list of ships expected to be within wireless range on the day. it is telling that the postmaster-general's department intervened with the australasian wireless co. to increase the rates for transmission of messages. this was to ensure parity with future charges for the pennant hills station.