Before 4ZZ could start broadcasting in 1975, a transmitter was ordered from the U.S. But after it was lost on the dock in New York, 4ZZ's chief engineer at the time Ross Dannecker built the station's first transmitter.
Responses to the review of Australia's intelligence community
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The Federal government released the unclassified report of its Independent Review of Australia's Intelligence Community last week, one day before Australia day, on January 25.
The review's co-authors Robert Cornall AO and Associate Professor Rufus Black were appointed to lead the review on December 23, 2010 and handed the full report to Prime Minister Julia Gillard in November last year.
Much of it has been redacted and what publically remains is a much smaller and much more generalised report than the one written by its co-authors.
The report considers the nature of intelligence, its types, its relation to government and gives an overview of Australia's six spy agencies, evaluating their performance since 9/11 and the onset of the "War on Terror".
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cornall and Assoc Prof Rufus conclude the increases in funding, powers and staff for each of these agencies - whose combined annual growth rate they put at 14.6 per cent - have been justified.
Greens spokesperson for Democracy and Assisting for National Security Senator Lee Rhiannon says the review has failed to explain to Australians why it has been necessary to beef up our spy agencies to such a large degree.
Ms Rhiannon has called for an inquiry to examine the laws which underpin these agencies and the impact they have had on the "lives and liberties of Australians" over the past decade.
Steven Riggall spoke with Senator Rhiannon and Director and Spokesperson of Civil Liberties Australia Tim Vines about all of this and what it means for ordinary Australians who have to live with it.
