Today we assume that we have television as entertainment.   Television presenters make sure that the subject of programs are what people want.   Thus the program style changes on a very regular basis.

In the memory of most people in their 60's they can remember life before television.

Whilst experimentation with television had been going on since the early 1930's it came commercially to Queensland in the late 1950's.   Reception was limited basically only to the Brisbane area but for more than 75 years the local radio station has been a distinctive part of Queensland's way of life.

Radio reception in country areas was generally restricted to the national, non-commercial broadcaster, the A.B.C.

In 1925, the Queensland Government, led by E.G Theodore, set up the first radio station in Brisbane.   This first station was called 4QG.   This station subsequently became part of the Australian Broadcasting Commission network in 1932.

In line with the then close connection with Great Brittain programs included British Wireless News received by cable from London; weather, stock exchange and shipping news; the ABC Women's Association session, Morning Devotions, and music.

Brisbane and Sydney broadcast, on alternate evenings, a 'national program' to Queensland through 4QG.   All programs went to air live in the early days and there were no chances for another take if there was a mistake made.

		Typically, the ABC announcers dressed in dinner suits and music was played live to air by an orchestra as it was not until 1935 that a disc recorder was installed in the studios.   The ABC had a number of orchestras but they were phased out by the 1980's. Photo left:  Typical announcer and broadcast desk - things have changed.

That is a basic history of the early days of Radio in Australia.   How things have changed since those days.

TYPICAL MEMORIES OF YESTERDAY'S
wireless programs.

For most of us around today our memories most likely start in the early 1940's.   In those days radio was king.

One of the similarities with today, radio in those days was about half music and the other half included sporting events, news and radio plays.   Also as with today radio presenters were household names, names such as Alan McGilvray and his now famous 'synthetic' broadcasts of cricket tests played in England between England and Australia, where ABC commentators, using cables from London and sound effects produced in the Sydney studios, achieved authentic-sounding commentary of the match in play.   A long way from the ball to ball in real time ball description that we have today.   Even with today's modern facilities I don't think that any cricket broadcaster lives up to the descriptions of Alan McGilvray.

		Drama was performed live, with many plays specially adapted for radio.    News bulletins mostly were read by the duty announcer.   Local and foreign news items read straight from the newspapers under an arrangement with local Australian Newspaper companies. Dorothy Lober, the ABC's first woman sound effects officer with sound effects chief, Oscar Lansbury.

With the outbreak of World War II, strict censorship was imposed and most programs had to be submitted to censors three weeks before broadcast.   Even weather information was not broadcast in case it helped the enemy in planning their battles.   For the first few months of the war, even weather reports were not broadcast due to the censorship restrictions.

With Japan's entry into the war Australia became 'a vital centre of war' and, 'in response, radio became a major instrument of national policy'.    Prior to the war males dominated the airwaves.   As a result of Australians serving overseas with the various military units many ABC radio staff members joined up giving the opportunity for women to become announcers, supervisors, and musicians.

In the 50's and 60s Australia began to prosper and migrants poured in.   Radio once again became the glue that held the community together as it was a fast and efficient way of getting information and entertainment to the masses.   No transistors in those days.   Radio players were not the small pocket sized and mobile items that they are today.   They were large valve driven furniture models driven by mains power.   The radio was most likely the pride of the lounge room furniture.

As with today, children having their own television programs radio provided a similar fascination with programs such as "The Adventures of Biggles, The Argonauts, Hop Harrigan, Tarzan, Yes No and many others.   These became compulsory listening, all gathered around the radio in the corner of the living room.		Click here to listen to the start of Hop Harrigan

		The Argonauts Club, ran briefly in Melbourne in 1933-34, and was revived as a national program in 1941. By 1950 there were over 50 000 Club members.   The Club encouraged children's contributions of writing, music, poetry or art and was one of the ABC's most popular children's programs, running six days a week for 28 years, until it was broadcast only on Sundays and was finally discontinued in 1972. Photo left:  recording an episode of The Argonauts. Click here to listen to an announcement of Brittain & Australia declaring War with Germany  followed by an episode of "Blue Hills" File is 2.2 mg  -  requires Quicktime player.

For the adults "Blue Hills" by Gwen Meredith at lunch time became their compulsory living.   'Blue Hills’ was a long-running Australian radio serial about rural life.   It was broadcast nationally from 28 February 1949 to 30 September 1976, itself a sequel to an earlier serial The Lawsons, both by Gwen Meredith. (Photo Right  -  Hilda (Nellie Lamport) serves tea to Dr and Mrs Gordon, seated, (Queenie Ashton and Gordon Grimsdale) and Peter Frobisher (Max Osbiston) in 1949)

As today some programs were firmly set in the minds and hearts of the listeners.   RUSS TYSON took over the Hospital Half Hour and the Breakfast session in 1948.   His programs became part of Australia's daily routine. Russ Tyson's breakfast session was also heard in overseas countries through Radio Australia."

Similarly GARRY ORD'S HOSPITAL HOUR was one of the most popular programs on Australian radio.    This was most likely the forerunner to talk back radio.   Countless thousands of people began their day listening to him introduce a blend of fact and fancy, comments wise and otherwise, music, serial readings, and all the other items which made him a welcome visitor in so many homes.

His first program was broadcast on Monday, 6 June 1966, featuring the Eventide Home, Sandgate, Queensland. His broadcasts featured many hospitals and medical institutions inside and outside Australia, from Whitemark, on Flinders Island in Bass Strait, to Bamaga on the very tip of Cape York; from the tiny town of Cook in the heart of the Nullarbor to Norfolk Island in the southwest Pacific.

During the first five years of the program, the ABC received almost 30,000 letters from listeners; asking for copies of poems read during the broadcasts, information about records played, details about the hospitals mentioned, and historical data on various towns and districts referred to in the program.

During the 1970's, 80's and 90's, local radio in Brisbane gained a reputation for being at the forefront of news in the state. In 1974 the station provided widespread coverage of the Brisbane Floods, while the buildings on the banks of the Brisbane River were being inundated with flood waters.   Of particular concern at the time was the damage to recorded material, some of which has proven irreplaceable.

Brisbane in the 1980's were dominated by two major events, the Commonwealth Games on 1982 and the World Expo of 1988.

The ABC was the host broadcaster for the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 1982.    Not only did the ABC supply material for broadcast on its own network but it also supplied material for broadcasters around the world.