Glebe’s aural fixation

BY DHEEPTHI NAMASIVAYAM

In the 1930s, Glebe locals congregated around the Wireless House in HJ Foley Park to listen to radio programs. Radio equipment was expensive at the time so the Wireless House would draw crowds of up to 100 people. During the Great Depression, men would congregate there to listen for radio announcements about available work.
Now through the tireless campaigning of the Glebe community, the Wireless House, which was recently heritage listed, will be restored and revamped to serve a new purpose in the 21st century.
Glebe’s history will be documented through oral testimonies which will be broadcast through the Wireless House and made available on their website. The City of Sydney Council will install a wireless broadband internet connection, allowing people to access these oral histories through their laptops. 
And last week, the project was given an injection of support after the National Trust NSW granted $30,000 to help fund its historical public art project.
Restoring the House was one of three public art projects chosen by a selection panel in 2006 after local artists were invited to put forward their proposals for the Glebe Point Road upgrade. Artist Dr Nigel Helyer’s modern renaissance of the Wireless House was successful.
Glenn Wallace, public art coordinator at the City of Sydney Council said the community initially wanted to demolish the Wireless House and erect a plaque in its place.
But a petition of over 100 signatures saved the House from extinction.
Jan McCulloch, editor of Art Almanac was on the selection panel and fought furiously to save the Wireless House from being demolished.
‘It’s a very important part of social history,’ Mrs McCulloch said. ‘It is not discovered anywhere else in the world.’
And its unique oral form will allow for a more interactive experience.
‘Oral history is fascinating because [you can get] a lot more detail from hearing people tell their histories ‘ you can interpret more,’ Mr Wallace said.
Oral histories are currently being collected from Glebe residents who lived during the 1930s, which will provide the material for the Wireless House project, to be completed by the end of the year.
‘It will be a portal into Glebe and Glebe history,’ said Mr Wallace, adding that the project could eventually evolve into creating a Glebe community online.
If you would like to contribute to the Wireless House art project, contact Julia Burns on 0415 681 115.