Using the call-sign 2SB, what is now known as 702 ABC Sydney went to air at 8.00pm on 23 November, 1923.
Another station, 2FC, which later became Radio National, went to air two weeks later and, as a result of listener confusion, 2SB was later renamed 2BL.
Both stations became part of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) when it was formed on 1 July, 1932.
Although over half of programs on the stations in the early years were music-based, there were also sports (including the famous 'synthetic' cricket broadcasts), along with live-to-air drama, and later, schools broadcasts.
From 1932 to 1936 ABC stations in each State produced their own news bulletins, although they were mostly read directly from the newspapers and it wasn't until 1947 that the ABC established its own independent news service.
Over the years, there were two significant shifts in program focus - the first came in 1946 when 2BL became a 'National Programme' and 2FC carried an 'Interstate Programme', which had a lighter emphasis and, from 1946 until 1988, 2BL also carried parliamentary broadcasts.
Then in 1963, prompted by the growing popularity of television and the requirement to broadcast parliament, the stations swapped briefs and 2BL still carried parliament, but became more populist.
The half-hour morning current affairs program AM began in 1967 and its evening counterpart, PM, began two years later.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, presenters such as Clive Robertson, Caroline Jones and Margaret Throsby became firm favourites on 2BL.
1985 saw important changes to the program formats of the ABC Radio networks when Radio 1 became the Metropolitan network and Radio 2 was re-named Radio National.
With the change, popular new programs were introduced on 2BL including The World Today, early editions of AM and PM, Australia All Over and The Coodabeen Champions.
In 1987 2BL had a complete revamp in its line-up, with the introduction of presenter-based flow programming.
Existing presenters, Margaret Throsby, Bob Hudson and John Hall (amongst others) were joined by new presenters including the late Andrew Olle, John Doyle and Ray Taylor.
In 1994 2BL responded to the devastating bushfires that swept through the city with around the clock coverage and 2BL was awarded a medal at the International Media Awards in New York for its coverage.
Almost two years later, the reaction of Sydney-siders in 1995 to the death of Andrew Olle was immense and, following his death, the Andrew Olle Memorial Trust was established to raise money for brain cancer and neurosurgery research - the Andrew Olle Media Lecture is an annual lecture held in his honour.
In 2000, the station was renamed 702 ABC Sydney.
Since the establishment of the ABC Local Radio Awards in 2001, 702 ABC Sydney has been named Metropolitan Station Of The Year on three separate occasions, more than any other metropolitan ABC station.
