James Joseph Malone MC (born 1883) was an Australian engineer prominent in the fields of telegraphy, wireless, broadcasting and communications. During the 1920s and 1930s he was Controller of Wireless with the then Postmaster-General's Department. He was later head of the Overseas Telecommunications Commission in the 1940s.

Early and family life

James Joseph Malone was born in Lismore in 1883 and raised in the nearby small village of Gundurimba. His parents were Peter Malone and Eliza Malone nee Clancy. On leaving school he entered the service of the Postmaster-General as a telegraph messenger in the Lismore Post Office, and subsequently became a

telegraphist A telegraphist (British English), telegrapher (American English), or telegraph operator is an operator who uses a telegraph key to send and receive the Morse code in order to communicate by land lines or radio. During the Great War the Royal ...

Early career

This is his early career.

Military career

Malone enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in August 1916, and was attached to the

Australian Flying Corps The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until ...

as a private. In France he was mainly engaged on wireless and signal work in the Flying Corps as a radio-engineer, and at the conclusion of hostilities he held the rank of lieutenant. His duties at the front enabled him to gain valuable experience in wireless and signal work, and at the conclusion of hostilities he continued his investigations into the great advances made in wireless and allied technical work. He was also engaged in connection with the education scheme of the AIF under which the soldiers awaiting embarkation were given an opportunity to acquire knowledge. In England, France and Germany he made a close study of the latest practices in connection with telegraph and telephone problems, and later on obtained his discharge from the AIF in England in order to visit the United States and New Zealand to investigate these subjects there on behalf of the Postmaster-General. Lieutenant Malone received the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

for gallantry, being one of only two soldiers from Gundurimba to have won that distinction.

Professional career

Controller Wireless

Early and family life

Early career

Military career

Professional career

References

Further reading