Re-enactment of Goyder-Bell contact as part of centenary celebrations

The centenary

Friday 18 October 2024 marked 100 years since the first successful two-way trans-global communication that took place between radio amateurs in the UK and New Zealand.

The contact was made between a North London school student Cecil Goyder, call sign 2SZ, and Frank Bell, call sign 4AA, who was a sheep farmer from Shag Valley in New Zealand. Centenary celebrations took place throughout October and have included special call signs, awards and QSL cards, as well as a re-enactment of the infamous contact.

The re-enactment

The recreation took place at Mill Hill School in London, the place where Goyder was a student. The event was organised by RSGB Life Vice-President Don Beattie, G3BJ and a team of radio amateurs in New Zealand, as well as the school.

Members of Goyder’s family were able to be present during the re-enactment, during which the team were able to transmit on a wavelength as near as possible to the original. The Mill Hill operators used call sign G2SZ, whilst the team at Shag Hill operated using ZL4AA. Contacts were also made with a number of other New Zealand stations.

Call sign G2SZ was operational for a total of four days and operators made around 1250 contacts. During each contact operators took the time to explain what the call sign and celebrations were about.

Student activities

As part of wider celebrations for the day, the school put on activities including a build-a-radio workshop. Students at the school showed significant interest in the activity and amateur radio generally, with a number of students signing up to be part of a radio club, which the school’s physics teacher plans to start.

Don Beattie, G3BJ said: “Giving students the opportunity to re-enact the original 1924 Goyder-Bell contact has given them the opportunity to learn how ground-breaking that first antipodean radio contact really was. The day was a great success, with the school also providing opportunities for pupils to learn about aspects of radio communication and to undertake practical radio-related activities. Everyone present enjoyed the event and showed a high level of interest and involvement. Amateur radio provides a great learning opportunity for young people and can lead to a very rewarding career in high technology.”

David Benson, Head of Mill Hill School said: “We at Mill Hill are thrilled to celebrate this historic milestone, marking a significant achievement not just for our school but also for the world of radio. Cecil’s success, triumphing over previous failed attempts, exemplifies the spirit of our school. Earlier this year, we celebrated the centenary of our Science Building, and it’s exciting to continue emphasising STEM at Mill Hill. It’s especially gratifying to showcase our outstanding Science Department, which continues to inspire and nurture the next generations of Cecil Goyders and Francis Cricks. We hope the recreation of the first two-way trans-global radio communication with New Zealand was a special moment for our pupils as well as the Goyder family.”

Get involved

Wider centenary celebrations by radio amateurs have also been a great success with special call sign GB2NZ having had more than 6,000 contacts. For those interested in taking part in the celebrations, special call sign ZM100DX will remain active until 26 December.

To find out more about the centenary celebrations go to the GB2NZ webpage.

Category: Front Page News, RSGB Notices