3RRR first commenced broadcasting in 1976 from the studios of 3ST, the student radio station of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (now RMIT University), on an educational licence with the name 3RMT.

[3] In late 2004, supporters raised enough money for the station to purchase and move into new premises on the corner of Blyth and Nicholson Streets in Brunswick East after the 20-year lease on their previous studios, in Victoria Street, Fitzroy, expired.

3RRR's mission statement was defined in 1990 as "To educate, inform and entertain by drawing upon appropriate community resources.

3RRR's operations are funded entirely by community sponsorships and public subscribers (currently around 15,000), which, by removing standard commercial pressures, allows for this diverse programming.

[6] The station celebrated its 40th birthday in 2016 with a three month long collaborative exhibition ON AIR: 40 years of 3RRR at the State Library Victoria.