In 1938 Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Ltd (AWA) was contracted by the Commonwealth Government to provide equipment for and install a number of permanent, dedicated Aeradio stations in Australia and New Guinea. The contract included the maintenance and manning of these stations for a period of 12 months. From 1939, DCA took over the manning of Aeradio stations.

The original contract was for 12 stations. They were located at Cambridge (Hobart), Western Junction (Launceston), Essendon (Melbourne), Holbrook, Mascot (Sydney), Kempsey, Archerfield (Brisbane), Cooktown, Karumba, Groote Eylandt, Port Moresby and Salamaua in Papua New Guinea. Subsequent similar installations brought the number of permanent stations to 17 by 30 June 1939 with the addition of Maylands (Perth), Nhill, Parafield (Adelaide), Canberra and Cloncurry.

The photos in this tour were taken at Cloncurry, Queensland, in 1939 at the time of commissioning of the station.

Each station station comprised a standard set of buildings and equipment. The photo above shows the main Aeradio building, facing on to the aerodrome, with the Power House alongside to the left. Behind, the masts of the HF and Bellini-Tosi MF-DF receiver aerial can be seen. The plan below shows the standard layout of the Aeradio buildings. Wide verandahs were necessary as protection against the heat of the Australian outback.