LW/AW Mk.2 Radar Set

The rapid development of radar equipment in Australia during the Second World War grew out of concerns about a possible Japanese invasion, especially from the air. An excellent example of Australian innovation to come out of this time is the Light Weight Air Warning set.

In 1940 the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research set up a radiophysics division in the University of Sydney. Using secret radio wave techniques supplied by Britain, the division developed new designs using local components to meet Australian requirements. Although Australia had no electronics manufacturers at the time, this did not hinder production of the radar, which was as close to ideal for reliability and portability as any made by Allied countries. The speed with which the project went from development to full production and then into action was unprecedented in the radar history of the Second World War. The first LW/AW set was completed and assembled in 1940 at Dover Heights, Sydney, and additional sets were put in operation from Darwin to Horn Island in the Torres Strait.

As a device able to be easily disassembled and reassembled in the field by the radar team, the LW/AW was put into use by the Royal Australian Air Force. At two or three tons the set was significantly lighter than its 40-ton American counterparts. It was simple, rugged, and well constructed for the conditions in which it operated, and its component parts were easily accessible and so could be easily maintained.
In all, some 150 LW/AW sets were made for the Australian and American forces, but the set on display in the Memorial is the only one still in existence. It stands here as testament to the momentous advances Australia made in science and industry during the Second World War.