Esperance radio station buildings c. 1940.
Esperance is situated on the south coast of Australia, about 724 kilometres east of Perth. The town is built on the edge of a heart-shaped bay, bounded by the sea on one side and on the other by brackish and fresh water lakes. The climate is good all year round and tempered by sea breezes.
Esperance Radio, which commenced operation on 21 July 1913, was located on a hill known as 'Wireless Hill' which gave a good view of the bay and Recherche Archipelago.
The radio station was often the first contact for ships coming to Australia via the Cape of Good Hope.
The town gained note with the opening of nearby goldfields and the population swelled but, as the lure of gold waned, the bulk of the population migrated to other goldfields.
Little was done to the area until, with the advent of the Esperance railway around 1930, moves were made to develop an agricultural industry - particularly the growing of wheat.
By 1931, Esperance had three staff, whose leisure was of a sporting nature -shooting, fishing, tennis and so on. According to one operator, 'There are worse places from a sporting man's standpoint, but socially and from the average woman's point of view, there are many better'.
