History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Biographies/John Francis Ross

John Francis Ross Potted Biography John Francis Ross Comprehensive Biography A comprehensive biography of John Francis Ross has not yet been prepared for this Wikibook, however the following resources have been assembled in preparation: Research - John Francis Ross - Summary of research to date Transcriptions and Notes - John Francis Ross - More than 10 transcriptions (Reads like a biography) Photos, QSL cards and other graphics - John Francis Ross - Nothing uploaded as yet, but many photos available on the internet Incubator of Wikipedia Article on John Francis Ross - Coming real soon now! Key internet links Forward to comprehensive biography of John Francis Ross by his son John W. Ross in 2023 This is a biography of my father John Francis Ross (always known as Jack), an engineer and writer who lived through the Great Depression, World War II and an era of great technological change in his chosen field of radio broadcast engineering. After growing up in Brisbane and leaving school at fifteen to join the Post-Master General’s Department, he set about acquiring the technical skills and experience to build a career in the rapidly developing world of radio. He began his technical training in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941 where he had the opportunity to train as a radio mechanic and later to take part in the important but secret development of radar, which had a decisive impact in the defence of Australia. After the war, he returned to his studies and qualified as an engineer in 1953, after which he worked throughout Queensland and Papua New Guinea on the installation and maintenance of the growing national network of ABC radio stations. This included regional short wave transmitters in Longreach and Townsville. He received a promotion in 1959 and moved to Adelaide, after which he was appointed project engineer on the large Radio Australia relay station project near Darwin. This station expanded Australia’s voice in Asia until the destructive Cyclone Tracy damaged it severely in 1974. He then worked on its rehabilitation in the 1980s. By the 1970s, Jack realised that the technology he had worked with early in his career was rapidly becoming obsolete and forgotten. He decided to write a number of books to record the history of radio broadcasting, in order to give future generations of technicians an appreciation of how modern technology had evolved from its pioneering days. In doing so, he became a highly respected authority on radio heritage, and by the 1980s was in great demand as a speaker at meetings, conferences and the important anniversaries of broadcasting, thus allowing him to take radio technology to the community. After retiring in 1987, Jack moved to Port Macquarie and devoted much of his time to a lifelong interest in gardening, transforming his large block into a haven of palms and subtropical plants. He had started researching hydroponic cultivation in Adelaide, and continued this in retirement, publishing two books on the subject. But his magnum opus was a history of radio broadcasting in Australia from the first broadcasts in 1923 to 1998. Only someone who had worked so closely in the field for so long could have compiled such a comprehensive and detailed account of its seventy-five year span. Jack’s outstanding contribution to the field of broadcast engineering and the preservation of its heritage was recognised by a number of awards, principally as Member of the Order of Australia in 1989. He was also presented with the John Monash Medal in 2004 and the Australasian Sound Recordings Association Award for Excellence in 2009.Bio by John W. Ross 2023 References