History of wireless telegraphy and broadcasting in Australia/Topical/Biographies/George Bolivar Laing Osburne

George Bolivar Laing Osburne

• Osburne, George Bolivar Laing "Laing" [1] - 1896(Vic)-1933(Vic) - Licences: XKJ Terang (1913-1914); 3BG Terang (1922-1933) - Qualifications: cc; AOCP 235, 1926, No. ?? in Vic - early wireless experimenter; amateur operator; amateur broadcaster - Comments: Passed too soon - Electoral Rolls: student (Terang, 1922-1931) - Links: Mother's bio

A comprehensive biography of George Bolivar Laing "Laing" Osburne has not yet been prepared for this Wikibook, however the following resources have been assembled in preparation:

• Research - George Bolivar Laing Osburne - Summary of research to date

• Transcriptions and Notes - George Bolivar Laing Osburne - More than 40 transcriptions

• Photos, QSL cards and other graphics - George Bolivar Laing Osburne - Nothing uploaded as yet, but a few QSLs held

• Incubator of Wikipedia Article on George Bolivar Laing Osburne - Coming real soon now!

Key internet links:

Nil found as yet

Pending further progress on the foregoing, the following lovely Lovely biography of Osburne in the Camperdown Chronicle, no doubt penned by Osburne's father

DEATH OF MR. LAING OSBURNE, TERANG. The death occurred at Terang on Sunday morning last of Mr. Laing Osburne, after a long period of illness. The late Mr. Osburne, who was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Osburne, was born at Terang 37 years ago. He received his early education there, at two private schools and the State School, and afterwards became a student at the Geelong College. From there he went to Melbourne to take up a course in electrical engineering, but his health broke down and the projected career had perforce to be abandoned. Mr. Osburne had always been keenly interested in the study and application of wireless telegraphy, a science which was then in its infancy, and being debarred for health reasons from undertaking the heavy course of study and practical work, which would have been necessary in the engineering schools, he turned his attention specially to wireless, in which already, as a lad and a youth, he had made considerable headway. While still a boy at school, long before the days of broadcasting or even of any form of radio telephony, he had equipped a station of his own, and was absorbed in the reception, and transmission of messages by the morse code. He was one of the pioneers of amateur radio in Victoria, his station was one of the first to operate, and he was the first amateur in Australia to import the De Forrest valve. When war broke out all the amateur stations were closed down and the apparatus was impounded, but as soon as the ban was removed, after the close of hostilities, Mr. Osburne, who had maintained a close study of the wonderful developments which had occurred in radio during the war period, again took up practical work. He built and equipped a new transmitting and receiving station on thoroughly modern lines, carried out much experimental work in radio telephony, and evolved a train of apparatus of his own which received this human voice long before the first broadcasting station was erected in Victoria. As a matter of fact, it was with his station that the first government trials in radiotelephony were made in Victoria, from V.I.M., an official from V.I.M. station conducting the experiments with him. When radio became a commercial proposition he naturally turned his attention to that side of the subject, and entered into business as a designer and builder of wireless receiving sets. He kept himself thoroughly abreast of every new development in what had now become an intricate scientific subject, with very extensive literature; and he was looked upon as an authority in the amateur radio world. Certainly no Victorian amateur was more widely known or more genuinely popular than he. Lately he had built a new and very powerful transmitting set and it was one of his greatest delights, while lying on a bed of sickness, to talk by means of wireless telegraphy with overseas enthusiasts, particularly in America. Another subject in which he displayed a keen interest and had acquired an extensive knowledge, both theoretical and practical, was that of aviation, and his flying friends seemed to be almost as numerous as his radio friends. Indeed, with his bouyant, cheery disposition, he had a wonderful capacity for making friends amongst all sorts of people, and his death is sincerely mourned by a host of them. He faced his last illness with the same cheery smile and the same indomitable spirit that had characterised him throughout his long years of delicate health, and to within a few days of his death, in spite of great physical weakness, he was still immersed in his pet subjects of study. The late Mr. Osburne was married in 1928 to Miss Eugenie Galtier, and for his wife, as well as for his father and mother, there have been widespread expressions of sympathy. Evidence of this was given at the funeral on Monday afternoon, which was attended by a large crowd of people from far and near, including representatives of public and semi-public bodies from various parts of the Western district. The floral tributes were particularly beautiful, and they were so numerous that a special car had to be provided for their conveyance. Impressive services at the house and at the graveside in the Terang cemetery were conducted by the Rev. J. P. Hamilton. The coffin was carried by members of the "Express" office staff — Messrs. A. Todd, Keith McKenzie, J. Knight, M. Webb, N. Baglin and A. Wallace, and the pallbearers were Messrs. M. T. Doyle, G. Davis, W. Henderson, John Webb, A. McHarg, Angus Reid, B. Sadler, W. Richmond, B. Bell, John Green, Basil Nehill and Walter Greene.