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Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr celebrate 30 years reading Seven News together


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    Seven in Perth has the distinction of having two of the most popular and trusted newsreaders in Australia, who have not only served longer than any other pair in the country, but have lived the era of much of the recent history of our State and Nation. This gives them an air of authority, compared to the ever changing presenters on the other stations. The viewing public see them as a constant, reliably being there to convey the good and bad news of the day. The popularity of Seven News in Perth demonstrates the strong audience preference for this highly competent pair, who no doubt are thought of as part of the family.

    Susannah is a qualified architectural draftsperson, who has pursued a career in radio and television since 1974. Sue was mentored by the many veteran broadcasters at the ABC in Perth starting with David Guy. This was during a period when the ABC made great efforts to develop the speaking voices of their on-air staff, with a special emphasis on breathing and pronunciation to ensure the words were clearly heard and enunciated correctly. A role the ABC has now abdicated to institutions such as the broadcasting branch of the WA Academy of Performing Arts, which has been headed by former ABC veterans, who have continued to mentor outside the national broadcaster.


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Susannah in the Seven Newsroom at the old Dianella studios

    The added opportunities offered by the commercial arena has enabled Susannah to report on world events from not only News hot spots but also present specials from historic places. Sue’s contributions to Seven’s national coverage of the funeral of Princess Diana were highly valued for the superior manner in which she was acquainted with the subject, as were her live reports from South Africa during that country’s first all-race elections, and the documentary filmed in Moscow titled, “The Secret Treasures of the Kremlin”. In more recent times, Susannah was part of the continuous coverage of the Sydney Lindt Cafe siege, when this was hosted from Perth, owing to the Seven’s Sydney studio being out of action.

In 1986, Sue won the Logie Award for Most Popular Female, Western Australia.


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An early photo of the popular News team of three decades at Seven.
Susannah Carr, Jeff Newman and Rick Ardon

    Rick Ardon also gained a thorough grounding in the field of News. He began his media career at The West Australian, being awarded the Cadet Journalist of the Year in 1977, before joining TVW Channel 7 as a news journalist in 1978. Rick rapidly progressed from being a relief newsreader on weekend bulletins to the all important weeknight news anchor role.

    Rick has covered significant News events both in Australia and Overseas. There was the Gulf War of 1990-91, codenamed Operation Desert Shield, in defence of Saudi Arabia, and Operation Desert Storm, in response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait. Then there was the Bali Bombings of 2005, the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 20 people and injured more than 100 others.

    Rick then covered the subsequent Amrozi bin Nurhasyim trial. Amrozi was an Indonesian terrorist who was referred to as “The Smiling Assassin”. He was convicted in 2003 for his role in carrying out the earlier 2002 Bali bombings, where two bombs exploded in the Kuta tourist strip on the Indonesian island of Bali. One hit Paddy’s Irish Bar, and the second exploded in a van outside the nearby Sari club. A total of 202 people died as a result. Amrozi was executed by firing squad in 2008.


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Rick reports from Pearce RAAF base on the Missing Malaysia Airlines plane MH370

    Rick also covered the Monaco Grand Prix Formula One motor race held on the Circuit de Monaco, which was followed up by reporting on the Cannes International Film Festival, an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from around the world.

During the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Rick presented the Seven Perth News from the Olympic Stadium.

In addition to his news-presenting role, Rick has also written and produced three documentaries for the station.

In recognition of Rick’s work, he won 10 Logie Awards as Western Australia’s Most Popular TV Personality.


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Angela Tsun, Rick Ardon, Jeff Newman, Susannah Carr and Basil Zempilas
Presentation to Rick and Sue on 30 years as a News team

    Rick and Sue have experienced many changes since becoming a team 30 years ago. From film coverage of stories, that were delayed by processing time, to Electronic News Gathering (ENG) using videotape and then digital as the medium moved from analogue to the widescreen of today.

    Television revolutionised the delivery of news and it has remained in a state of evolution since. The Daily News afternoon newspaper was a casualty of this new medium many years ago, whilst the Internet now presents a new challenge, as does social media and the ability of the public to contribute with submissions from their smartphones and tablets.

    The weakness of modern day social media is that anything can be disseminated regardless of facts and accuracy. A professional News team such as Rick and Sue, backed by a news gathering organisation, that now embraces a combined print and television newsroom, offers the mechanism for checks and balances.

    No doubt the checking process is placed under addition pressure now that everyone expect their News to be delivered immediately, which lends itself to various pranks that occasionally gain prominence when they catch the unwary.

    One wonders how much longer real people will be fronting the News, for computer animation is becoming increasingly life like? Like the spoof newsreader Max Headroom, the future readers may come from a computer rather than a studio.

    Its one step further that virtual studios, where the talent stands in front of a green screen and the studio set is inserted from a computer.

    Once virtual newsreaders arrive, we’ll have ageless presenters that work for nothing, experience no fatigue and can change their appearance at the push of a button.

    The down side is that they’ll not be able to make public appearances, without employing impersonators. It will be a bit like engaging the services of Fat Cat, except he never speaks.

    It will be a while yet before the technology can deliver flawlessly speaking and life-like computer substitutes for the top personalities in the field today.

    Maybe the younger generations will grow to accept that, but the public now would much rather have the real people, such as Rick and Sue, who they have grown up with and trust.

    Rick and Sue are just two years away from of a world record for a newsreading couple, which was set by retired New York newsreaders Sue Simmons and Chuck Scarborough.

  


Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr celebrate 30 years reading Seven News together

Seven News Perth
The world changes, moment by moment, but team Rick and Sue don’t.






A Historic Era of Television Activity is Coming to a Close for Seven Perth

    Perth’s three commercial television stations established their studios at one of the highest points in the metropolitan area, so they could had a direct line of sight to the transmitter sites in the Darling Ranges. With TVW Channel Seven opening on Friday October 16th, 1959 and STW Channel Nine following on Saturday 12 June 1965. It would be another twenty three years before Perth gained its third commercial television station.


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The Television Precinct

    Meanwhile the ABC selected East Perth, owing to the fact that this land was purchased by the Federal Government in 1942, during the Second World War. The ABC thus required a tower to gain a direct line of sight to its transmitter site. ABW Channel Two opened on Saturday 7th May, 1960.

    In the early days, TVW Channel 7 and STW Channel 9 were owned by West Australians and presented their daily programs and much local content from their studios on the hill. Seven and Nine started as autonomous companies with a local emphasis. They then employed microwave links to get the programs from the studios to the transmitters, a requirement no longer needed with the introduction of fibre optics and satellite communications.

    NEW Channel 10 was sold, soon after gaining the licence following a long court battle. TEN in Perth, which opened on Friday May 20, 1988, became the first commercial station to be owned by a national network soon after its inception.

    Channel Seven was the first television station established in Western Australia, and it was its inaugural general manager (Sir) James Cruthers, who selected Mount Yokine as the studio site, which was deemed to be part of Tuart Hill. The Metropolitan Water Board had already built a reservoir on top of the hill in 1950, with a water tower. Prior to that, Yokine Hill, was used as a survey point. Trig points (also known as a Trigonometric Stations) were valuable to early surveyors, providing reference points for measuring distance and direction, and assisting in the creation of maps.


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Mount Yokine Water Tower

    The early White history of the locality dates back to January 1832, when the sale of unoccupied Crown Lands by auction was introduced, with the northern half of the Perth Shire location allocated to T.R.C. Walters on the 10th March 1840. Yokine was part of this allocation, which was originally referred to as Osborne Park, until the hill situated on Williams Road was named by N.S. Bartlett in 1922 as Yokine Hill, where the trig station was sited.

    Years later, when the area was still bush and the reservoir had opened, the surrounding land was resumed for the State Housing Commission (Government Gazette, 27 November 1950) which then required WA Newspapers to negotiate with the Labor Government of the day to purchase the 8 hectares (80,000 square metres) on which the studios were built.

TVW Building in 1959


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TVW Building in 1959

    The television station location is now given as Dianella, though Tuart Hill was referred to as the early address. A name adopted through common usage that was derived from the groves of Tuart trees on the rise above Dog Swamp, adjacent to Wanneroo Road.

    With the advent of corporate takeovers and centralisation, all television networks now emanate from either Sydney or Melbourne. The local studios are no longer the distribution points for their content, other than the nightly News bulletin and other local productions, which are then routed through the eastern states before broadcast. For all programs must now be sent to the east for insertion into the national networks. As such, the studios no longer require direct line-of-sight links to the transmitters, nor do they need to be located on high ground any more.

    Now after more than 55 years on the Hill, the historic Channel Seven studios will be demolished to make way for housing. The site has been rezoned to residential R30, which was gazetted in July 2012.

    The station is currently in the process of relocating to the Osborne Park premises of the West Australian newspaper, where new studios for Perth’s Seven News and Today Tonight have been constructed with edit suites and the necessary infrastructure. The latest labour saving technology will be used with robotic cameras and a virtual set designed especially for the News.


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Newspaper House in Osborne Park

    Seven and the West Australian can now take advantages of the synergies obtained by having a combined newsroom. The print, broadcast and online outlets can also cross promote giving them a competitive advantage as well as extra exposure through joint investigations and special reports.

    This expanded newsroom will feature a 24-person super desk holding senior production and editorial staff from the newspaper, online and television entities, including the respective chiefs of staffs for the paper and TV bulletins.


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Super Desk

The Seven news helicopter will move permanently from Dianella to Jandakot.


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Seven News Helicopter

Nine Perth is also expected to look for new premises to relocate in 2016.


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Proposed Channel Nine Subdivision

Meanwhile, Network Ten is reported to have sold their land, but leased it back until late 2016.


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Aerial view of TEN Perth

    Now plans are underway to conduct a Seven Reunion-Wake for past and present staff to commemorate the many achievements and good times had at the old studios.

    This is proposed to take place on Sunday April 19th, 2015, from 2pm through 5pm hosted overlooking Elizabeth Quay at The Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

   Expressions of interest are sought from people wishing to register. Please find a form provided at the Registration Page


Related stories:





Celebrating the life of Miss Coralie Condon

Posted by ken On February - 11 - 2015


Celebrating the life of Miss Coralie Condon


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Coralie Condon and Max Kay judging Stars of the Future

    Coralie Condon died peacefully at Castledare Nursing Home on 24 December, 2014, aged 99. Only a few months short of her birthday on May 16th.

    Coralie was an actress, writer, composer, producer, presenter, business woman, the Grande Dame of Perth theatre and the First Lady of Western Australian Television.

    She was a great friend for many at the old Rep, Playhouse, Music Hall, Dirty Dicks and a string of other theatre restaurants.

    Coralie’s Funeral Mass was conducted at St Patrick’s Basilica in Fremantle on Friday 23rd of January 2015.


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St Patrick’s Basilica

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Family follow Coralie into the church

The Eulogy was delivered by Max Kay.


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Max Kay delivered the Eulogy

    Readings were provided by members of Coralie’s family: Tonia Kozak-Calabrese and Dominic Calabrese, Judy and Kon Kozak, Elizabeth Matthews and Susan Leef, with the service conducted by Father Maher. Megan Kozak also took part in the service.


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Father Maher escorts Coralie from the church

    Following the service, family and friends celebrated her life at a Wake in which guests reminisced about their experiences with Coralie.


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Rick Hearder remembers Coralie Condon

    Rick Hearder pointed out that the only theatrical performances he and Coralie did not engage in together was Ballet.


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Audrey Long explained how charitable Coralie was

    Audrey Long pointed out how much Coralie gave to many charities, with them constantly ringing her for donations.


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Judy Kozak with Sally Sander, who mentioned Coralie conducting the heavenly choir

    Sally Sander concluded by saying that she’s sure that Coralie will be conducting the heavenly choir and Frank Baden-Powell probably corrupting it.


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Jenny Davis, Max Kay and Janet Prance

    Jenny Davis pointed out that despite Coralie’s diminishing eyesight and being seated in a wheelchair, she remained a regular patron of live theatre until very recent times.


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Eileen Colocott

    Eileen Colocott, the widow of Frank Baden-Powell, told of her first meeting Coralie on arriving in Australia in 1953.


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Eileen Colocott in “Turn on the Heat”

    Many will remember Eileen Colocott in Gerry Glaskin’s play ”Turn on the Heat” at the Hole in the Wall Theatre in 1967. A play about a woman with more than a passing resemblance to Marilyn Monroe.


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Jane Roberts

    Jane Roberts, the eldest daughter of Frank Baden-Powell and Joan Bruce remembered sailing down the Nile with Coralie.


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Sherylee Jeffery

    Sherylee Jeffery related her experiences starting with Children’s Channel Seven and later working for the Old Time Music Hall for many years.


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Jeremy and Gaylor Murray

    Jeremy Murray reminisced about gaining employment with Dirty Dick’s theatre restaurant, where he became the manager.


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Janet Prance, Tony Howes, Jan Boyd (nee Ladner), Gai MacLennan (nee Spillman), Bill Gill and Peter Goodall in the rear

    Gai MacLennan (nee Spillman) explained how she was released early from school to be the first child to perform on Children’s Channel Seven. Later Gai and close friend Jan Boyd (nee Ladner) became part of the Channel Seven Ballet. Jan also worked at the Old Time Music Hall and appeared in the cast of the last show at the Capitol Theatre called Tenderloin, which was produced by Coralie and Frank Baden-Powell in 1967.


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Tenderloin was the last show at the Capitol Theatre

    A common theme expressed was that of a kind hearted lady who did much over many years to mentor and help youngsters establish themselves in the performing arts.

    A special thanks was given to close friends Rick Hearder and Audrey Long who tirelessly helped Coralie throughout the twilight years of her life.


Celebrating the life of Miss Coralie Condon

WA TV History
The opening, eulogy and closing to this video was kindly provided courtesy of Seven News Perth. The remaining footage was provided by the WA TV History team.


More stories on Coralie Condon…



Some related links to our WA TV History web site…

It was only on the 14th of February of last year that her dearly beloved brother James passed away aged 90 years.




Part 2 – Tribute to Coralie Condon (1915-2014)

Posted by ken On January - 22 - 2015

    An important phase in Perth theatrical life was the period of the Playhouse Theatre in Perth, which opened on Wednesday 22 August, 1956, with the production “The Teahouse of the August Moon” written by the American playwright and screenwriter John Patrick, and directed by Nita Pannell. The cast included James Condon, James Kemp, Michael Cole, Penelope Hanrahan, Garry Meadows and Frank Baden-Powell. Coralie Condon was on the theatre company’s management committee, whilst also conducting her own school of speech and drama.


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The Playhouse in 1956

    The Playhouse was originally designed to facilitate television coverage of the stage performances. Ian Stimson was a lighting man for the theatre and has clear recollections of the stage extensions that would enable this. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but was never put to use. Later many of the actors would find work, no matter how transient, performing on television. Meanwhile, the new National Theatre Company at the Playhouse presented opportunities for actors to earn money, compared to the days of the amateur based Repertory Club.

    The top local actors had always depended on work with ABC Radio Drama to supplement their income. Though this era finally came to an end in 2012 when the ABC axed radio plays after an 80-year tradition.

    The Playhouse Theatre closed in 2010 after 54 years, and operations shifted to the State Theatre Centre in January, 2011. The theatre was demolished in 2012.

    Frank Baden-Powell (1929-1992) was to play a significant role in Coralie’s life as a business partner, whilst Garry Meadows became a star of radio and television both here and in the East, before his untimely death at 42.

    The paths of Coralie and Frank crossed many times. Frank was active as a youth in the Therry Society, a Catholic dramatic group, that was active along with many others around the 1950s. Such as the Repertory Club, Theatre Guild founded by Colleen Clifford, Patch Theatre founded by Edward and Ida Beeby, South Perth Dramatic Club founded by Constance Ord (now Old Mill Theatre), University Dramatic Society, Garrick Club and Independent Players.

    When unsuccessful in seeking employment with The Company of Four, Frank spent five years overseas gaining theatre directing skills. Whilst in England he married the actor Joan Bruce and returned with her to Australia in 1955 to stage manager the tour of Sir Ralph Richardson, Meriel Forbes, Dame Sybil Thorndike and Sir Lewis Casson. They began their tour at the Capitol.

    In 1956, Frank starred in the Coralie Condon produced ‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’ at the Repertory Club. After he appeared in the opening production at the Playhouse, Frank became the Stage Director of the theatre from 1956 to 1959.

    Coralie first met Audrey Barnaby (now Long) in 1956 whilst she was adjudicating country drama competitions of one act plays, presented by clubs from Narrogin, Bruce Rock and Corrigin. The judging was conducted in Corrigin, where Audrey was appearing alongside Frank Evans. The reaction Audrey gave to the kiss in the play left an impression on Coralie, who instantly made a note about the girl in the green dress. Audrey was most impressed by the kind nature of Coralie, which left an indelible impression.


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Audrey Barnaby with Barry Michael in 1960

    Meanwhile, in 1957, Sol Sainken produced a play titled ‘Small Hotel’ by Rex Frost, which starred Garry Meadows and Frank Baden-Powell. Then in December of that year, Coralie produced ‘As Long as They are Happy’ by Vernon Sylvaine, a British musical comedy starring Margaret Ford, Ken Brougham and a cast of ten.

    In February 1958, Coralie produced ‘George Washington Slept Here’ by George Kaufman and Moss Hart, which starred Ron Graham, Joan Bruce and a cast of seventeen at The Playhouse.

    In 1958, Coralie’s musical comedy ‘The Good Oil’ was staged at the Playhouse. It was produced by Peter Summerton and the cast included Gerry Atkinson, Janice Beilby, Joan Bruce, Don Burgess, George Burns, Paula Cantello, Ron Graham, Philip Porter, Roland Redshaw, Neville Teede, Bert Shaw, Judy Schonell, Dorothy Wilson, Ron Barnaby and Audrey Barnaby. A person who in some ways influenced the story line was a gentleman who worked in Fleet Street named John Byrne. Coralie first met him during her stay in England during 1950. Coralie wrote the book, lyrics and music for this production, which was also performed on ABC Radio in Melbourne.


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‘The Good Oil’ was staged at The Playhouse in 1958

    Ron and Audrey Barnaby were selected for ‘The Good Oil’ cast for the high level of dance skills the pair possessed. They were experts in the Jive and Charleston, and created great audience interest when they performed at venues such as the Charles Hotel.

    In early 1959, Coralie was offered a job by the late Brian Treasure, the newly appointed Sales Manager of TVW Channel 7, but without it being firm she went to Sydney to pursue her own interests by working for the ABC in Sydney, as a writer of children’s TV programs. Three weeks later a telegram requested that she meet the newly appointed TVW Programme Manager Lloyd Lawson at the Australia Hotel in Sydney, and during this meeting she thought “there’s no place like home”, so Coralie returned to Perth and agreed to work for TVW.

    Coralie was the first producer appointed by Channel Seven, doing all initial auditioning (with others) for announcers, on-air personalities, musicians, actors and newsreaders for that station.


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Coralie Condon, Beverly Gledhill, Lloyd Lawson with script assistant Penny Hoes auditioning television hopefuls at Newspaper House in St Georges Terrace, Perth

    She selected, trained and groomed presenters and comperes and wrote publicity material and promotion scripts for on-air programs.

    From 1959 to 1960, Coralie assisted Rolf Harris with the production of the first Children’s program – Children’s Channel Seven. She then trained and established a kindergarten program with Carolyn Noble as compere, and guided her career thereafter.

    In October 1960, Coralie produced ‘The Gondoliers’ for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of WA, with Earle Nowotny, a musical director for a number of the Society’s productions, who also appear on Seven in the program ‘Lets Build an Orchestra’.

    In the 10 years Coralie worked with TVW on a permanent basis she devised a woman’s session called Televisit, which began in 1960 and ran for seven and a half years of her time there. She also compered this show for four and a half years, conducting interviews with overseas visitors and local dignitaries, and anyone or any subject that was of interest, not only to women viewers, but to all viewers. Audrey Barnaby’s Shopping Guide was also a segment in the show. Shopping Guide then appeared as a stand alone program on Thursdays, and during Lloyd Lawson’s ‘Today’ show.

    Audrey Barnaby (now Long), who enjoyed a close and continuous relationship with Coralie Condon over many years, was at Coralie’s urging involved in the establishment of the make-up section at Seven. Coralie also tricked her into auditioning for on-air work in the woman’s programs. In 1960, all on-camera staff were asked to come up with program ideas, of which Audrey devised Shopping Guide, which proved to be an excellent introduction for new clients to television advertising. It was most affordable at only 15 pounds per minute. Other than national film advertisements, local advertisements were presented live from 1959 to 1962, until videotape replays became popular.

    It was a pioneering time not only for television in Western Australia, but also for women who were fulfilling many important roles. Beverly Gledhill directed the opening ceremony of TVW Channel 7 and the live segments that night.

    Sex discrimination was not a factor in the early days at Channel Seven, other than woman had to leave once they married, and there was a strict dress code where the company secretary Frank Moss would measure the height of each uniform above the knee, for each woman was required to wear the standard company uniform, that had a light blue blouse and navy blue pleated skirt. Enforcing this became an issue when fashions moved on to the mini-dress and the ladies made efforts to raise the hemline. This necessitated many girls having to line up to be remeasured. Something no doubt Mossy would have enjoyed. Rumour has it that this dictate came from the bosses wife, Sheila Cruthers rather than the men?

    Carolyn Noble will surely confirm that Coralie was a mentor and a mother-like figure to her. Carolyn too wore the regimental uniform till she changed into her emblazoned tee-shirt and Mickey Mouse ears for the Mickey Mouse Club segment. Others like Audrey Barnaby and the late Jean Hunsley not only worked with Coralie at Seven, but became close friends and worked with her in the theatre restaurant business too.


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Carolyn Noble in 1960

    Jean Hunsley proved her competence in the production field, rising from film librarian to script assistant, then on-air program coordinator to studio director. Her successful stand against wearing the obligatory uniform will be remembered by people of the era. Her brother Neil was a costume designer and Jean herself excelling in making dresses. Eventually Jim Cruthers, the General Manager, capitulated, announcing this fact on the notice board, that Jean was free to wear what she liked. Being a lady of style, her attire was always of good taste and in fashion.


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Jean Hunsley, Coralie Condon, Penny Hoes and Carolyn Noble

    From 1962, Coralie was called on to advise the outside broadcast director on church procedures for Easter and other religious occasions. Coralie told an amusing yarn about this period, concerning TVW colleague Richard Ashton during an outside broadcast of an Easter service from St Mary’s Cathedral. As Richard was not familiar with the Catholic rites, Coralie gave him a running description as he directed the program. Gordon McColl was mounted high on a camera in the cathedral as Richard was calling the shots. One of the priests was walking down the aisle swinging incense, which Richard described via a Freudian slip as ‘incest’ causing Coralie to nearly fall off her chair and Gordon to be audibly heard chuckling from high in the rafters.

    To make things worse, a button popped out of the vision switching panel, to disappear somewhere in the van. That left Richard with only two of the three cameras available to him. Fortunately, Paul Kinna the technical director jumped to his aid with a pencil as a substitute for the button, so Richard successfully continued the broadcast using the pencil to switch camera one. Otherwise poor Gordon would have been stranded high in the rafters with his camera taking no further part in the proceedings.

    Seven repeated that Easter service recording each year, until it got to the point where Coralie noticed that many shown in the congregation had died. Concerned by this, she raised it with (Sir) Jim Cruthers, the then General Manager of TVW. The station was being very frugal during the early years, until revenue built up steam, hence Jim was less than excited to find that another outside broadcast was required to correct this anomaly.

    Coralie proved to be the actors’ friend by offering work at the station whenever there was a program that required local talent. On the opening night she engaged Phillip Edgley, Brian Card, Dianne Briggs, Judy Schonell, Dorothy & Bert Shaw and Reg Whiteman, which became a weekly half hour variety show written and produced by Coralie Condon, directed by Beverly Gledhill and compered by Phillip Edgley.


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Compere Phillip Edgley with star Frankie Davidson and the cast

    Other performers on Spotlight included Frankie Davidson, Colleen Clifford, Rolf Harris, Rhythm Spinners, Rhythmaires, The Four Notes, Bob & Shelda Wrightson and vocalist Maureen Corless. The Harry Bluck Band provided the musical backing.

    Many local musical talent gained work at Seven for the 1961 special, ‘Do You Remember’, a trip down Memory Lane of Perth in the 1920’s, which was directed by Brian Williams.

    By 1962, Brian Williams was busy making an ambitious special called ’Songs of the Wars’. It was a cavalcade of songs and music sung and played by Australians in conflicts from the Boer War through World Wars I and II. The studio sets were life like, representing realistic trenches of the French campaigns. There was a large troop of Coralie’s theatrical contacts engaged in its making. But as this complex effort was taking so long, Brian Treasure teamed Coralie up with Brian Williams, to hurry up the production and bring it to fruition. Coralie mused later that they were calling it, “Songs of the Bloody Wars”.

    In 1963, an elaborate dance special was mounted at Seven, this time in the newly built Studio One. “Invitation to the Dance” was produced and directed by Brian Williams, with Sam Gilkison as his associate producer. The script was by Coralie with the narration by Lloyd Lawson. This costume extravaganza engaged dancers from all the dance studios in Perth, who performed the various European styles, as they evolved over the centuries to the modern form.


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Invitation to the Dance – 1963

    Meanwhile, the Anglican Church began their Drama Department in mid 1963, with a Drama School operating from 1964 to 1968. Coralie, though a practicing Roman Catholic, supported their efforts and following the request of their Drama and Education Consultant, Anthony Howes, Dean James Payne appointed her Principal of the St Georges Cathedral Drama School. She supervised the teaching program and small staff of three professional actor-lecturers, and the productions staged by pupils. Dean Payne and Anthony Howes had a great relationship with the Playhouse with Dean Payne being a very effective unofficial chaplain to the theatre folk.

    Interestingly, Anthony first met Coralie during his final year at school. She spent a good hour talking about the theatre and television career opportunities for him when he left school. She introduced Anthony to Colleen Clifford – by telephone – and, that led to him joining her Theatre Guild of Perth’s drama school, in the following year. Coralie kept in touch, and gave Anthony his first professional job (while still at the Theatre Guild) as a ‘puppet voice’ in “Children’s Channel 7”.

    In the midst of full time employment at Seven, with extra curricular activities helping the Anglican Church and others, Coralie found time to direct “The Mikado” at the Playhouse Theatre in May 1964.

    Back out at Seven that year, they were making the television version of Coralie’s musical comedy ‘The Good Oil’, which starred Jill Perryman and husband Kevan Johnston with top-line local artists, who included: Margot Robertson, Vic Hawkins, Bill McPherson, John Chalton, Neville Teede, Philip Porter, Joan Bruce, Gerry Atkinson, Veronica Overton, Danni Harford and the Channel 7 Dancers – Jennifer Hayden, Karen Obbs, Janet Ladner, Adrienne O’Meara, Gay Chandler and Clarice Page. The production was directed by Max Bostock with the choreography and male lead performed by Jill’s husband Kevan Johnston. This was broadcast in 1965.


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Coralie on The Good Oil television set in 1964

    Coralie produced several night variety shows and several editions of ‘In Perth Tonight’. The first series ran from 1965 to 1966 with Gary Carvolth as the host. Talent included Lloyd Lawson, Bon Maguire, Eric Walters, Janet Prance, eastern states stars Graham Kennedy, Stuart Wagstaff and Mavis Bramston, and a host of other guests. It was first directed by Brian Williams, to be later directed by Richard Ashton and Max Bostock. A second series was hosted by Garry Meadows and Joan Bruce with Keith Mackenzie as the director. Meanwhile, Coralie employ her old theatre and musical pals Frank Baden-Powell, Max Kay and Harry Bluck as judges for a children’s talent quest.


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1966 – PerthTonight

    Coralie also directed the odd play for the Playhouse and other theatres, mostly during the latter years of her period with TVW 7.

    In 1965, Stephanie Quinlan took over the Shopping Guide role, and later became the presenter of Televisit when Coralie helped Frank Baden-Powell to create the Old Time Music Hall in 1967. It did not take much persuasion when Frank, by now a well known theatrical entrepreneur, asked her to do the music for a show he was producing at the Hole in the Wall Theatre. It became an evening of old time music which proved very popular. The same year, she co-produced with Frank the last show presented in the Capitol Theatre in 1967. It was called Tenderloin, and was a musical in which the cast could let their hair down and have a ball.

    Coralie remained at Channel 7 on permanent staff from July 1959 to August 1969 and then on a casual basis from 1969 to 1973.

    Former TVW Enterprises Managing Director Sir James Cruthers described Coralie Condon to Dr Peter Harries as,

“…a very important cog in the TVW wheel… She was responsible for almost all the production we did, one way or another… quite unusual that a woman should do this in those days.”

    Earlier in September 1964, Frank Baden-Powell had formed The Hole in the Wall Theatre, on the corner of Newcastle and Stirling Streets, North Perth, in partnership with John Gill. David Hough kindly advised that this evolved out of a theatre company Frank formed in 1961, to perform ‘alternative theatre.’ This was called “theatre ‘61”. Frank said that the small theatrical ‘t’ was intentional — “to stop us getting up ourselves.”

    Running simultaneously with The Hole in the Wall Theatre was The Hole in the Wall Club next door.

    This club was a sly grog shop, cleverly avoiding the liquor laws by serving beverages brought in by the patrons, with the half consumed contents left on a shelf with the patron’s name plastered over the label. Much of this was a subterfuge as drinks could be obtained by well known and reliable clients. To keep the riffraff out, Frank turned it into a key club where members were issued with keys, distinguished by a clover leaf emblem.

    Frank was a pioneer fighting the bureaucracy over rules and regulations with everything from liquor laws and hours to other business limitations. The old style wine saloons did not have a good reputation and were known for attracting men who were chronic alcoholics or derelict. Frank revolutionised the notion and made such venues trendy and popular with the provision of food. He opened Henry the Eighth in Main Street, Osborne Park (which was managed by former TVW Studio Supervisor Mike Brand). Frank also opened the Pink Pig in Hay Street, West Perth, which later became the Bangalore Bicycle Company.

    Murray Jennings kindly alerted us to the fact that in 1969, Frank wanted to test the Sunday trading laws by illegally staging a local play for four consecutive Sunday nights.

“He chose my play ‘Devil Take the Company’, which started out as a three-act, but which Brian Hayes (a Perth amateur actor and the producer of the morning talkback shows on 6IX) and I reduced to a two-act.”

“Frank started to direct it, then handed the reins to Brian and we ‘workshopped’ it with the actors.”

(Andrew Burke stage managed it.)

“The play ran to pretty good houses for the four Sundays, thus breaking the law, but gave Frank the means to having the law changed.”

It even got a favourable review from Donna Sadka (1926-2010) who was the theatre critic for ‘The West Australian’. Donna was the daughter of Albert Kornweibel (1892-1980), the journalist and music critic who wrote under the pen-name ‘Fidelio’. It is from his reviews that much of Coralie’s early work for this tribute is drawn.

    In September 1967, when the Hole in the Wall Theatre was unable to get the rights to a play, Frank Baden-Powell and John Gill decided to put on a music hall production instead. They asked Coralie Condon to write the script. Coralie and Frank devised, wrote and directed the show at the Hole in the Wall Theatre, which became Perth’s first Theatre Restaurant. They decided to present old time British style vaudeville as a Christmas attraction. Something that had disappeared from Perth with the closure of the Tivoli in James Street, North Perth, many years before. It was planned for an initial 8 to 10 week season and was called the Old Time Music Hall. No-one dreamed the experiment would turn into a multi million-dollar money spinner.

    The show consisted of a chairman or master of ceremonies and an assistant whom they described as the captain of tables. These two staff members greeted the customers as they arrived and socialised with the patrons for the first three quarters of an hour.


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Old Time Music Hall cast

    The Old Time Music Hall shows ran for approximately seventeen years with such quirky names as, “Eliot Mess and the Unmentionables”, “Murder, Mayhem and Motherhood”, “Plastered in Paris”, “Regimental Christmas Dinner, 93rd Foot & Mouth Regiment”, “Curse You, Snidely Despard”, “Eskimo Nell”, “The Great Russian Coconut Plot.”


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A Music Hall was also opened in Fremantle

    Its popularity and earning potential soon gave it a higher priority over staging plays in the small hall, so to accommodate this, the Hole in the Wall Theatre was relocated to a converted warehouse in Southport Street, Leederville, in August 1968 (later the theatre moved to the new Subiaco Theatre Centre in 1984, which was part of the Subiaco Civic Hall. In 2005 it was refurbished and renamed the Subiaco Theatre Centre.)

    Over the next decade they opened and ran successfully in Western Australia, ten theatre restaurants, a wine-tavern and a wine bistro.

    Diamond Lil’s Wild West Saloon, Island Trader, Mexican Fiesta were three theatre restaurants that operated at the Old Civic Theatre site.


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Full cast of Diamond Lil’s.
L-R ‘Cecil the Sexy Sheriff’ – Ivan King, Harry Driver, Sue Ammon (now Scrutton), Joan Sydney as ‘Diamond Lil’, Carter Edwards, Christine Mearing. About 1972

    In 1970, they conceived the format for Dirty Dick’s Bawdy Banquets, and in 1972, then opened in Sydney and Brisbane. These were followed by Melbourne, Los Angeles, Adelaide, and finally in 1981, Auckland. The initial floor show revolved around a jester and three wandering minstrels. The format was loose at first, but formal shows slowly evolved around medieval themes.


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Serving Wench at Dirty Dick’s

    As patrons entered they were given a bib and a name for the evening, with names like: Nora Knoboff, Romin Hans, Charlotte the Harlot, Disappointed Dottie, Ben Dover and many more.

    The appeal lay in the fact that the patrons were allowed to do all the things people at a restaurant were normally not allowed to do. The could eat and drink too much. They could yell out, laugh and sing. They could even carve their name into the dinner table.

    There was a gigantic barrel of red wine where patrons could freely fill up their mug from the tap.

    Patrons could also have their photo taken, which was then inserted into Dirty Dick’s key rings.


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Coralie with Jean Hunsley, a cast member and Frank Baden Powell

    In Sydney, they expanded to three other theatre restaurants – a Polynesian one “Beachcomber Island”, a bogus Roman orgy “Roman Scandals”, and a variety show “The Golden Garter.”

    Then there was “Your Father’s Moustache” at the East Perth Pub on the railway end of Edward Street. This venue was popular for old time dancing where Rita the wife of the licensee, Bill Hammond, sang regularly on Friday nights. It was also common for Music Hall and Dirty Dick’s performers to join in the festivities.

    For those who preferred a German beer house theme, there was the Hofbrauhaus Pub on the corner of Newcastle and Beaufort Streets at the former Beaufort Arms Hotel. The patrons clinked beersteins there and sang German Songs.

    Dirty Dick’s Holdings became the parent company of all their group of companies, with Coralie responsible for the production side. Coralie wrote most of the scripts with Frank Baden-Powell. Coralie also play-doctored other writers’ scripts to tailor them to their needs. Coralie would audition, rehearse, hire and fire all performers in all States. Once the show opened, the manager of each establishment became responsible to her for the smooth running, and reported to Coralie constantly, supplying her with tapes of the show monthly, so that she may vet the standard.

Coralie had assistant directors in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

    She would travel overseas as often as possible to keep in touch with changing trends in audience reaction, audience participation and music.

    Meanwhile, Coralie appeared on STW 9 over three years as a judge in “The Entertainers” and “Perth’s Young Entertainers” – both of these were talent quests.

    Frank Baden-Powell died of a heart attack in Hunters Hill, NSW, on 16 May 1992, whilst in the midst of a back manipulation operation.

    Frank was given the posthumous award of the Medal of the Order of Australia in June 1992 in recognition of service to the performing arts. The following year, Coralie was granted a similar medal.


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Coralie awarded the Order of Australia

Dirty Dick’s Perth restaurant closed after a final performance on 31 December 1996.

    Coralie maintained contacts with her friends from Channel Seven through a group called the Seven Ex, who along with social activities, collected money for Telethon.

    Coralie loved to throw parties which were attended by many from not only her theatre days, but also television veterans and folk from her theatre restaurant days.


Coralie Condon’s 99th Birthday

WA TV History
Rick Hearder and friends organised a party for Coralie Condon on Sunday May 18th of May, 2014, to celebrate her 99th birthday.


    Coralie had to move from her South Perth residence following an attack on her premises one night by an unruly bunch of hooligans. Such activity would happen from time to time when the drunk and disorderly patrons left the local hotel in her street. Richard Ashton, who lived across the road from Coralie, would witness similar incidents of vandalism taking place regularly from his balcony. People jumping on cars and smashing letterboxes, in what was otherwise the very civilised suburb of South Perth.

    This particular night, the hooligans destroyed the power box on Coralie’s house, leaving her in the dark. Her eyesight was already impacted by macular degeneration, so on rising in the morning and unable to see, she fell down the stairs breaking a number of ribs. There Coralie lay for some time before being discovered by Rick Hearder, who called an ambulance.

    Carolyn Tannock (nee Noble) was instrumental in getting Coralie into the nursing home at Castledare. It was only recently that Coralie sustained another fall, which broke her hip. Sadly, she quickly deteriorated from that point on.

   Coralie and her many friends were eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate her 100th birthday. For she loved the party celebrations and being surrounded by family and friends, of whom there was always a plentiful supply, as she had touched so many of us during the many wonderful facets of her most active life.

    Coralie died peacefully at the Castledare Nursing Home on 24 December, 2014, aged 99. Only a few months short of her birthday on May 16th.

    The Funeral Mass for Miss Coralie Condon of Wilson, formerly of South Perth, will be celebrated in St Patrick’s Basilica, 47 Adelaide Street, Fremantle commencing at 10:00am on FRIDAY (23.01.2015).

A Cremation will take place privately at a later time.

CONDON (Coralie Grace):
Loving sister of Terry (dec) and Jimmy (dec). Much loved aunt and friend to many. The family wish to sincerely thank all the Staff at Castledare. Special thanks to Audrey and Rick.


The following are a number of condolences that have been forthcoming…


Coralie, a great friend for many years in the old Rep, Music Hall, Dirty Dicks and Island Trader. “Our revels now are ended”.

Many happy memories. You’ll be sorely missed. Much love, Rick Hearder.


Dearest Coo, what a joy and privilege it was having you in my life. Our 57 years of friendship I will always treasure. God bless you.

Audrey, Marc, Deb and family, Brendan, Leisel and family and Fiona.


Our dear friend and fellow judge, how we enjoyed those years working together. You lived a fruitful life totally dedicated to your profession, bravely fought over the last few years. Sadly missed. RIP dear friend.

Norma and Max Kay


A standing ovation for a leading lady of the theatre world. With love and fond memories from two friends Jill and Kevan Johnston

We have watched our old home gradually fall to pieces over the last few years. The loss of Coralie seems the final “fade to black.”

Probably much of our production & talent would have taken a different direction without her guidance. Stage production was in her blood & it rubbed off on us.

I will always remember the GOOD OIL.

With love & respect

Max Bostock


Thanks for everything Coralie. I will never forget your kindness, guidance re my early days at Channel 7 and more. Gary Carvolth.


I find the passing of Coralie as being so sad…Coralie helped me obtain a position at TVW when I was a young man…I was also in a few plays which she produced.
Last Friday, I received a lovely Christmas card from her.
Not a nice beginning to the Festive Season …..I will never forget her

Graeme Plummer


A simply wonderful lady and so talented. Sister-In-Law Anne Haddey and brother James both in Neighbours in the mid 80`s. Strangely I always had the feeling she loved the Dirty Dicks time best, but I could be quite wrong.

Bill McKenzie


My earliest memories were of Coo visiting our house in Nollamara. I must have been about 4 yrs of age. I would not forget such a vision. Engaging and statuesque with that incredible shock of black hair. Then, how lovely to work with her later when I was in my early 20’s. In about 1992 I was having coffee in Soho and couldn’t believe my eyes… Coo was walking past at quite a pace on her way to see a friend in a West End musical.
So glad that we got to enjoy and celebrate her 99th birthday.

Damien O’Doherty


Ring down the curtain, dim the marquee lights, there will be no more encores. A bon vivant, talent extraordinaire, on the boards and across the table. We rejoice half a century of wonderful memories, and mourn the loss of this towering wit, intellect and spirit.
Her final bow taken. Akermans and Coles


Aunty Coralie, you lived a very long and enriched life. It was fun listening to your repertoire of tales about your travel and business adventures. Thanks for the fond memories.
Love Tonia and Dominic.


Darling Coo..since I can remember you have inspired, encouraged and enthralled us..you are unforgettable and your spirit will remain with us, as does our darling Dad, {James} forever..All Our Love from Susie, Barry, Tashi, Jamie and Tiana..xx


Curtain down on a wonderful lady. It was a privilege to know you. Rest in peace dear Coralie. Love Elizabeth and Paul.


Great friend and mentor for many years. A gifted lady full of wit and wisdom. It was a rare privilege to know and love you Coo – what fun we had!
Viv and Gordon Poulton


An inspirational lady who will be sadly missed but always remembered.
Buschi on behalf of Jill and all the family in England


In loving memory of Coralie’s long and fulfilling life. Thank you for the opportunity of playing Emily in our town all those years ago. God Bless you. Dixie


Coralie will be remembered for a long time for her amazing achievements, and her very full and active life. A wonderful person. May she now rest in peace. Derek Bond


Always remembered as a dear friend to my late Uncle, Bill Austin. Your eulogy at his funeral in 1995 still remembered. Resting in the wings.
Sandra Playle


The most amazing lady of her time. She knew you could even if you did not. One of a kind. Now directing choirs in Heaven. Always in our thoughts.
Michelle and Phil


Loving memories of a beautiful lady and friend. Sadly missed by Joan, Debbie and Aaron.
Peace at last Coo


I admired you from afar, what an asset you were to WA Theatre.
Colleen Ingle


Heaven had better watch out can see you and Dad taking over the big productions with mum, Jim and Annie starring . What a celebration you will all have up there. Thoughts are with the family much love Jane Roberts


“We shall not look upon her like again”. Barbara/Marjorie


We would like to thank Audrey Long, Rick Hearder, Colin Nichol, Anthony Howes, David Hough, Colm O’Doherty, Murray and Rosalind Jennings, Sue Scrutton, Richard Ashton and Gordon McColl for their much valued help in assembling this story.




Some related links on our WA TV History web site…



It was only on the 14th of February of last year that her dearly beloved brother James passed away aged 90 years.




Part 1 – Tribute to Coralie Condon (1915-2014)

Posted by ken On January - 22 - 2015

    Coralie Condon gently passed away at 7am on Christmas Eve 2014, aged 99, at the Castledare Retirement Village, in Wilson. Once the site of the Castledare Boys Home and still the location of the Castledare Miniature Railway.


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Coralie Condon (OAM)

    Coralie was an actress, writer, composer, producer, presenter, business woman, the Grande Dame of Perth theatre and the First Lady of Western Australian Television.

    Much of the following is based on Coralie’s reminiscences, those also of her close friends and a paraphrasing of the many newspaper reports and critiques by such non de plumes as ‘Thespis’ and ’Fidelio’ of The West Australian, and social happenings from ‘Priscilla Pepys Prattle’ and ‘Molly’s People & Parties’ of the Mirror, and many articles by anonymous authors.

Accounts of the Repertory Club performances come from Chris McMaster who wrote under the pen-name ‘Thespis’ and Albert Kornweibel (1892-1980) whose newspaper persona was ’Fidelio’.

    Coralie Grace Condon was born on May 16, 1915, at Nurse O’Grady’s Maternity Home, 156 Mandurah-road, South Fremantle, to Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Condon.

    Her parents, Thomas Joseph Condon, a bookkeeper, and his wife, Ruby Valentine (nee Sweeney), a coloratura soprano, loved the theatre and immersed their three children in every aspect of it, from performing to painting the scenery. Her mother also conducted the choir at St. Patrick’s Church, whilst her father was vice-president of the South Fremantle Football Club.

St. Patrick’s Church is now the Basilica of St Patrick’s, where Coralie’s Requiem Mass will be celebrated in Adelaide-street, Fremantle, commencing at 10:00am on FRIDAY (23.01.2015).

    Coralie’s father worked at the State Implement Works, at 101 Thompson Road, North Fremantle. The department was started on January 1st, 1901, with C.Y. O’Connor (1843-1902) as the Engineer in Chief. It was the State Government Agency of Western Australia, which was charged with providing and maintaining public infrastructure such as dams, water supplies, schools, hospitals, harbours and other public buildings.

C.Y. O’Connor was responsible for the construction of Fremantle Harbour and the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme project, which supplied water to the Eastern Goldfields, before becoming the inaugural Engineer in Chief of what became the Public Works Department. Sadly, O’Connor committed suicide less than a year before the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme was officially commissioned. This was after much unfair criticism that claimed the project would fail. It proved to be a great success.

    The Condon family residence for most of Coralie’s childhood was 170 Ellen street, Fremantle, where they lived on the top of a large hill located between Monument Hill and another nameless one. The street numbers were changed in 1935/36, though the house could be found behind the former Girton College girls’ school, a venue for musical events that Coralie participated in. This took place in a Gothic building that still survives at 200 High Street, Fremantle. Coralie pointed this out to her friend, former broadcaster and historian Colin Nichol.

Ellen Street was named for Ellen Mangles of Woodbridge, Surrey, England, wife of Sir James Stirling, who persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony, to which he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia.

    Much of Coralie’s pre-teenage childhood was during the silent movie era, when vaudeville was still very much in fashion and people entertained each other in the home, singing and playing instruments.

    Entertainment places of influence around Fremantle would have been: Victoria Hall in High Street, which had a long history as a live venue right up until the modern day, as was the Town Hall and Kings Theatre in South Terrace (now the venue of the Metropolis Nightclub). For the city was well served with not only live events, but also early moving picture houses such as the Majestic, the Princess, and Palladium. Meanwhile, some of the popular Perth vaudeville venues were the Luxor (1925), the Ritz (1934) and the Tivoli (1940s), all at the same location cornered by Beaufort, James and Stirling Streets, over the railway line, which was also to be the site of the Canterbury Court Ballroom, next to the Shaftesbury Hotel.

    Coralie’s mother died on September 29, 1928, at the age of 41, leaving Coralie as a young teenager to assist with supporting her younger sister Beryl (1918-2011) who the family called Terry, and brother James (1923-2014). It was also a time when Coralie was trying to win a school scholarship.

It should be noted that Coralie’s mother was a friend of the Australian speech and language therapist and stage actor Lionel Logue (1880-1953), who treated King George VI’s stammer. Logue’s professional career began in Perth. When the 2010 movie titled “The King’s Speech” was released, Coralie pointed this friendship out to close friend and confidante Audrey Long. Geoffrey Rush played Logue in the movie.


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Lionel Logue speech therapist to the King

    Coralie and Beryl both attended the St. Joseph’s Convent, in Fremantle (demolished c1968), which at that time was located next to St. Patrick’s Church. Both girls studied music with Coralie concentrating on the piano and Beryl the violin. Coralie went on to play piano for the Fremantle Orchestral Society (which became the Fremantle Musical and Dramatic Club in 1941).

Over a number of years, she was to keenly study not only singing and piano, but also the art of speech.

    At 15 years of age, Coralie passed her Junior Certificate in January 1930, with seven subjects English, French, German, Geography, Mathematics 1 & B and Music. The same year, she achieved Grade I Honours in a Music examination conducted under the auspices of the university. Beryl was also excelling and won a best essay from school children on “Why Western Australian Products Should Be Used” in May 1931. Professor Walter Murdoch, of the University, made the final choice.

    Whilst Coralie was in her teenage years, Australia suffered badly during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and it required the industrial effort of the second world war to stimulate the economy. Fortunately, Coralie’s father was in the public service, which provided a buffer for the family during a period of high unemployment, where people lost their homes, and there was a great shortages of goods.

It was a time when the racehorse Phar Lap dominated Australia’s horse racing scene and the cricketer Don Bradman wrote his name into the record books. Sound movies arrived, as more wireless stations appeared on the radio dial. There was also a growth in gramophone record sales.

    But all was not grim for Coralie, for in 1932, the Parents and Citizens Association organised a trip to Melbourne for her and a group of fellow schoolgirls. A tour that involved attending concerts, both during and after Coralie’s return. It was the same year she passed English, French, Mathamatics A and Music in her Leaving Certificate examination. Following this she passed the Alliance Francaise examination in French.

    In 1933, she passed a Shorthand examination at 80 words per minute. The same year she passed English and French whilst working towards her Bachelor of Arts.

    In 1934, at 19 years of age, Coralie qualified in an examination for female telephone exchange operators. Coralie was also making regular appearances in the social pages of the newspapers for either entertaining at or participating in a variety of parties.

    In 1935, Coralie passed with credit in the practical examinations in music conducted at the University of Western Australia, under the auspices of the Australian Music Examinations Board.

    In 1936, aged 21, Coralie participated in a three-act comedy, “Take Two from One,” produced by Miss Ethel Gordon, and given by her pupils at the Swan-Suburban Theatre, East Fremantle, in the presence of a large audience. Then she passed her Art of Speech examination.

    By 1937, it is common for Coralie and her sister Beryl to join their aunty Miss Grace Sweeney in entertaining at various functions, usually in honour of a bride to be.

    In 1938, aged 23, Coralie was entertaining at meetings of the Fremantle Musical and Dramatic Club at The Rendezvous in Fremantle and the same year passes with a Grade 1 Credit in University practical music examinations.

    Coralie spent the year in Melbourne during 1939, in which she confided that, “We became mad first-nighters and rushed about going to every show that was on. The person I stayed with had been a concert artist and it seemed the natural thing to do.”

   By 1941, Misses Coralie and Beryl Condon were entertaining at their flat at 22 St. George’s-terrace, Perth, where they had moved with their father and brother James, until he joined the air force. Their father took the girls regularly to plays at the Repertory Club.


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Coralie loved to entertain

It was a time when music tastes in the community were changing, with the big show-band music of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo and others. Overseas music stars who started their career singing on the stage and radio where being seen on the big screen. Many films depicted Broadway as the musical genre carried over into the movies. There were so many more influences to inspire young talent wishing to participate in the entertainment field than ever before.

    At 27 years of age, Coralie joined the Repertory Club in 1942, and was given her first part, a minor one during May of that year in “Her Shop”. Her brother James was also in the cast; then in July she stepped straight into character work, playing at extremely short notice, the inebriated elderly spinster in “Ghost Train.” Since then there were a number of parts, including many camp concerts and shows during the war and the production of several one-act plays and sketches, while she was often heard in radio plays with brother James Condon at the ABC. James was only 18 when he joined Coralie in repertory theatre that year, and joined ABC Radio. It was also the year James enlisted in the RAAF.

    In October of 1942, the Repertory Club presented the Drama Festival prize-winning play, “Morning Sacrifice,” set in the staff room of a secondary school. The star was Dorothy Krantz with Coralie promoted to a small acting part opposite her. This was the beginning of an association between the two that resulted in a life-long friendship.

    In 1943, the three-act comedy, “Family Affairs,” featured Rick Hearder’s mother Beryl in the cast and a swath of actors including 6PM’s John Luke and Coralie Condon. Beryl’s husband Kirke was a Supervising Engineer with the PMG Telephone branch. A government department that also employed Coralie. Mr. Kirke Hearder was the electrics expert who installed all the lighting at the Repertory Theatre and was in charge of lighting during performances. He was also the stage manager and acted when needed. It was around this time, and through his mother, that the young Rick Hearder became friendly with Coralie, who was fifteen years his senior. This too resulted in a life-long friendship for the pair. Part of the proceeds from “Family Affairs” went to aid patriotic funds, for the war effort. A practice common throughout the conflict.

    In 1944, Coralie had a mishap whilst watching a baseball game on the Esplanade, when she received a crack on the calf from a stray ball. She faired better than another woman who got a crack on the head and had to be carried off.

    In May 1945, aged 30, Coralie, as Secretary of Perth’s Postal Institute, was the only woman present at the first conference of Postal Institutes throughout the Commonwealth, that was held in Melbourne. She also got the opportunity to visit Sydney and sandwich in several good plays. Coralie brought back a number of plays on approval for the Rep.

    In 1946, there was a change at the helm at ABC radio with Alexander Turner taking over as the Play-producer from Harry Graham. Turner, who had recently been released from the Army, proved to be too regimented in his approach to actors, to please Coralie. The ABC was an important institution for local actors, as it provided a means of payment for something they otherwise indulged in voluntarily. This was also the year that the Repertory Club Ball was held at the Y.A.L. Ballroom. This added much fashion glamour to the proceedings, following six years of war, when the heavy boots and brogues of servicemen and women were replaced by silks and satins, white ties and tails rather than khaki and blue clad dancers. Coralie was one of the committee responsible for the arrangements.

    In 1948, Coralie once again turned her hand to comedy in the operetta ”The Lilac Domino,” which was composed by Charles Cuvillier. The production was in the hands of Nita Pannell.

    American playwright Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,”, was produced by Coralie Condon for the Repertory Club and declared the best production of the WA Drama Festival of 1949. She also co-produced the highly successful ‘Bittersweet’ with Sol Sainken at His Majesty’s Theatre. This being an operetta in three acts written by Noel Coward.

    Coralie left with Biddy Lawson for England in December 1949. She was on long-service leave and had a strong desire to enrich her store of theatrical knowledge. During the twelve months away, they also visited the Continent, Scotland and Ireland. Meanwhile, when their liner was still in the Atlantic off the coast of Portugal, Coralie, Biddy Lawson and other West Australians entertained during a ship’s concert. The director of this group of six female and five male voices was a lecturer of the University of WA, Alec King (1904–1970), with the music arranged by Coralie.

Alec King was married to Catherine King (1904-2000), elder daughter of (Sir) Walter Murdoch (1874–1970), a founding professor of the University of Western Australia. (His nephew was (Sir) Keith Murdoch, the father of Rupert Murdoch.) Catherine, his pipe smoking daughter, ran the ABC’s Women’s Session for many years.

    Miss Biddie Lawson returned before Coralie, after nine months holiday abroad, where the two shared a flat in London. They saw all the plays they could in the West End. Plays that featured luminaries such as Laurence Olivier and the Australian actor Peter Finch.

    On Coralie’s return in December 1950, aged 35, there was an outbreak of influenza on the liner Orcades and the passengers were transferred to the quarantine station at Woodman’s Point. After her release, she reminisced about seeing more than 100 plays, excluding musicals and ballet, in her year abroad. “The best thing of its kind that I have ever seen-and I went four times–was an American review, ‘Touch and Go,’ which was notable for its first class production and the excellence of the dancing,” she said.

    In August 1951, the Repertory Club ball at the Cottesloe Civic Centre featured a fashion parade where the mannequins demonstrated the change in styles worn by well dressed women of the day, compared to those at the turn of the century, 50 years earlier. Coralie was one of the 250 dancers present.

Modern dances of that era included the Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep and Viennese Waltz. Latin-American dances had also become popular in the ballroom with the Rumba, Cha-cha-cha, Samba, Jive, Paso Doble, Bossa Nova, Salsa and Mambo. The policy at the Embassy Ballroom was half modern and half old time dancing. The Jive was not considered nice by the traditionalists, so was not allowed on Friday or Saturday nights.

    In the United States, during the 1950-51 Broadway season, Variety reported that 13 musicals opened, and that audiences were being packed in to capacity. At this same time,”Oklahoma,” “Kiss Me, Kate” and “South Pacific” were either set to tour Australia or had played to smash business.


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1951 – Anne Holmes, Coralie Condon, Hazel Lewis interviewed by 6WF’s David Moore

    Meanwhile, Coralie was about to inject a large dose of entertainment onto the Perth scene with her series of reviews called ‘On The Beam’. For the inspiration acquired on her overseas trip was reflected in her musical comedy reviews at the Repertory Club. She excelled as writer, composer, producer and player of the brightest “home-grown” entertainment Perth had seen in many years in the sparkling show. Biddie Lawson (handled the costume design and the dance ensembles), brother James Condon was the compere and the cast included Hazel Lewis, Ian Millbank, Laurie Croisette, Harry Phipps, Gina Curtis, Kevin D’Alton, Noel de la Hunty, Lynne Clancy, Phillipa Howitt, Bernadette Pratley, Michael Cole, Robin Brennan, Toby Krantz, Judy Grace and many others, including several well-known ABC radio personalities. Harry Bluck and his orchestra provided the musical accompaniment. Rick Hearder played the Man in the Moon.


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    Coralie went on to produce six ‘On The Beam’ revue shows at the Repertory Club between 1951 and 1955, and was active in the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Western Australia, which was established in 1951.


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On The Beam

    By this stage, Coralie had become the inveterate first-nighter, and often made two visits to a show. In the following years there would be few visiting theatrical personalities who had not found the Condon household a home away from home. She had a deep love for the theatre and could talk of it with the real knowledge of a back stager who had gained much practical experience filling the roles of prompt, lighting, props, dresser, stage hand and stage manager.

    In April 1952, The Repertory Club presented ”Amphitryon 38,” a comedy by the French dramatist Jean Giraudoux, based on the Greek legend of Zeus’ rape of Alcmene, wife of Amphitryon.

In this case, the god Jupiter intrudes into the faithful marriage of the moral Alkmena (Coralie Condon) but discovers he must reckon with a woman far too intelligent to be led astray by passion, for she promised fidelity or suicide if she knowingly deceives her husband, and is thus determined to put marital fidelity before all other virtues, bringing forth this comment from the frustrated Jupiter: “She’s not a woman; she’s a fortress!”

    The principle male was James Kemp, then aged 38, but when he fell ill, it required the stage manager, a much younger Rick Hearder (aged 21) to play the husband of the leading lady, Coralie (aged 36). Rick needed lots of make-up to appeared older, though his voice gave away his youth. Rick did this for two nights until the ailing James was back on deck.


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    In December 1952, Coralie Condon and John Anstey arranged a “Star Parade” at His Majesty’s Theatre to aid the Darby Joan Food for Pensioners Fund. They found a sponsor and the theatre was kindly made available by Edgley & Dawe. There were sketches by the Repertory artists, a Radio Choir and various musicians.

The Festival of Perth was established in 1953.

    In May 1953, The Repertory Club, in an experimental vein provided two plays on the one program. In the first half, the audience was required to only listen, as the cast sat and read the dream act known as ”Don Juan in Hell” (Act 3, Scene 2) from the four-act drama called “Man and Superman”, by George Bernard Shaw (written in response to calls for Shaw to write a play based on the Don Juan theme). Owing to this act being so long, it is often dropped from the play. In this case it was treated as a performance in its own right. Coralie Condon played the role of Ann Whitefield, a young woman who must decide between two men, to accept one as a guardian following the death of her father. In the second offering of the evening, the audience needed to watch the facial expressions of a different cast as they performed “Martine,” a play by Jean-Jacques, where the dialogue does not express the characters’ real attitudes. Instead, emotions are implied in gestures, facial expressions, fragments of speech, and silence.

    In August 1953, Coralie Condon produced the musical “Anything Goes” with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, from the original book by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse. This was presented by the Repertory Club at the Assembly Hall. Brother James was one of the cast, along with friends in the acting fraternity, who included Gina Curtis, Hazel Lewis and Ronald Graham. The show received a most enthusiastic audience response.


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    In late November 1953, Coralie produced the farce “Charley’s Aunt” at the Repertory Club with Ian Milbank in the title role. Sadly, the joy and merriment came to a sudden halt with the death of Coralie’s father on December 12th, 1953, at their residence, 22 St. George’s terrace, Perth. He was formerly of the Public Works Department (known previously as the State Implement Works), and a former Secretary of the Celtic Club. His Requiem Mass was celebrated in St. Mary’s Cathedral, which was then the Condon family parish church.


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    By February 1954, Coralie was gradually overcoming her grief to participate in the round of parties taking place, in the form of birthday celebrations and farewells.

    For the Festival of Perth in March 1954, which was founded the year before by The University of Western Australia, Coralie was engaged as producer by The Company of Four to present “Ring Round the Moon” (by Jean Anouilh. translated by Christopher Fry). A season was staged at the Somerville Auditorium with a cast that included James Condon in the double part of the twin brothers-one wicked, one otherwise; also Nancy Lee, Dorothy Krantz, James Bailey, Hazel Lewis and Gina Curtis.


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    The ‘Company of Four’ was WA’s first semi-professional theatre company of local artists (they didn’t pay the actors to rehearse). It was set up after the second world war by Harold Krantz, Sol Sainken, Lily P. Kavanagh and Nita Pannell. John Birman, the Director of Adult Education was also most helpful.

    Meanwhile, The Repertory Club was gathering contributions for its Building Fund, with an ongoing round of parties, called Night in Tahiti, Hawaii, Montmartre, the Lido and so forth. They used a huge thermometer to track their fund raising success. For the club was working towards the day when they could have their own purpose built theatre, which was to be the Playhouse Theatre, designed by Harold Krantz.

The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust was founded in 1954.

    In June 1954, Coralie underwent an operation on her leg at St. John’s hospital, with her convalescing at the home of Harold and Dorothy Krantz (1912-1994). Harold Krantz was a successful architect whose firm donated the plans for the Playhouse, whilst his wife Dorothy was an icon of the theatrical scene in Perth of her time. Dorothy and Coralie became close friends, after Coralie was promoted to a small acting part opposite Dorothy, when she was playing the lead (during the 1942 Repertory Club production of “Morning Sacrifice”).

    For the 1955 Festival of Perth, Coralie, aged 40, was engaged by The Company of Four and the Adult Education Board to produce “Mary of Scotland” by Maxwell Anderson at the Somerville Auditorium. The cast featured Dorothy Krantz, Gina Curtis and her brother James Condon.

    In August 1955, Coralie produced the smash-hit stage comedy ‘The Man Who Came To Dinner’ for the Company of Four at the Capitol Theatre. Brother James Condon led the strong cast of 20 players.

    In February 1956, Coralie adapted Oscar Wilde’s ‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’ a collection of short semi-comic mystery stories starring Frank Baden-Powell (with whom she formed a partnership in 1967 which resulted in a thriving trade in theatre restaurants). Also in 1956, Coralie was called on to adjudicate at country drama festivals, during which time she met her lifelong friend Audrey Barnaby.

    On Wednesday 22 August, 1956, The Repertory Club joined with the Company of Four, to become a fully professional theatre company called the National Theatre, following the move to The Playhouse at 3 Pier Street, Perth.




We would like to thank Audrey Long, Rick Hearder, Colin Nichol, Anthony Howes, David Hough, Colm O’Doherty, Murray and Rosalind Jennings, Sue Scrutton, Richard Ashton and Gordon McColl for their much valued help in assembling this story.




Some related links to our WA TV History web site…

It was only on the 14th of February of last year that her dearly beloved brother James passed away aged 90 years.





Doug Burton Tribute – Part 1 of 6

Posted by ken On November - 12 - 2014


DOUGIE FLYPAST
By Stuart Joynt


    Douglas Joseph Burton MBE – what an extraordinary man, what an extraordinary life.

    Footballer, cricketer, baseballer, pilot, father, father-figure, grandfather, photographer extraordinaire and master planner.

    It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that Doug actually wanted to be a sports journalist and so it’s completely predictable that he created Australia’s first super group of what today we’d call photo journalists.

    I see many of those proud young practitioner’s of the fledgling art joining us here this morning to pay tribute to the man who started it all.

    Mike Baker, Richie Hann, Alex Regos, Reg Morrison, Tom Dann, John McKenzie, Graeme Dalton, Kevin Davidson, Dave Tanner, Rod Taylor, Ron D’Raine and countless others became an elite group of news gatherers because they learnt at the master’s knee.

    They rarely did what they were told, they searched for the pictures that would tell the story – often leaving perplexed young reporters like myself to ponder the meaning of life.

    But let’s start at the beginning, a young Dougie playing barefoot footie on the black bitumen playground of Perth Boys School. The headmaster had received a call from The West Australian offering two positions on the morning paper. Dougie put his hand up straight away. He was hoping for a journalistic job but instead he was offered a cadetship as a photographer.

    He took the gamble and accepted even though family legend has it that his mother wasn’t sure this unusual occupation was the right career choice. After all, Doug’s brothers had gone into the much more sensible worlds of banking and the civil service.

    But Doug had all the right stuff – he was self-confident, a good-looking young man with twinkling blue eyes, an inquiring mind and the gift of the gab. In fact, when I got to know Doug at the West I was glad I wasn’t a girl – he could have charmed the pants off me!!!! Doug was fascinated with how things worked and the camera became a source of endless experimentation. Of course, he would go on to take world exclusive pictures of the British atomic tests at WA’s Monte Bello islands with a home-made long-lens camera and then followed the big bangs across to Maralinga in South Australia. But like everything Doug did, he questioned it – and these man-made explosions troubled “Doug the human being” for the rest of his life.

    Planning for recording the atomic blasts was typical Doug. Along with scientist Bill Mangini and his trusty technician Harold Ruddinger, the team engineered a one-off camera which could shoot over the horizon.


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Doug Burton with one of the special cameras used to capture the 1952 atom bomb blast
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    This technical masterpiece achieved exactly what it was designed to do – capturing exclusive images which were destined to be seen around the world.


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An Atom Bomb Test on Australian Soil
photographed by Doug Burton
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

Of course, the actual taking of the pictures was nothing compared to sharing them.

    Doug’s logistical mind, honed by his war years in the air force, saw local flying legend Jimmy Woods dispatched to Perth with the images. Drivers waited for Woodsie to arrive and the race to publish first was on in earnest. I remember my Dad acted as a decoy and was stopped by the police as the images sped their way to Newspaper House. The Daily won the race into print and world history was made.


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Centre: Stuart Joynt Sen (Editor of Daily News) acted as a decoy
Right: Stuart Joynt Jnr is the author of this account

    There were three main prongs to the Burton family tree – first and foremost was his family of girls, his beloved wife Toni and four daughters – Carole, Jan, Judy and Kim.


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Left to right: Kim (Day), Judy (McGuire), wife Toni, Jan (Jackson), Carole (McAlwey) with Doug Burton

    Then there were his men – the young men who took to the skies for King and Country during World War Two – and finally, there were his boys – the youngsters who formed the nucleus of what was to become Australian newspaperdom’s most formidable photographic department.

    Doug loved his girls and like many fathers before him and since – he went to considerable trouble to guide and shield them. Daughter Jan, the family historian, recalls returning to The West as a young reporter after stretching her wings in Sydney.

    One of the bad habits she’d picked up was smoking and on her first day back in Newspaper House, she proudly arrived with her own Craven A glass ashtray and a gold cigarette lighter. She’d just lit up when news editor Peter Ewing planted himself on her desk to welcome her home. Jan tried desperately to hide her cigarette but the tell-tale smoke just kept on curling up. As Peter got up to leave, he quietly admonished. “And put that damned silly cigarette out, girl. It doesn’t suit you.” Jan did and hasn’t smoked since. The incident was never spoken about at home but she just knows Dougie had asked Peter for his help.

    The R double AF’s new recruit, Aircraftman 2 Douglas Joseph Burton, was devastated when he learnt he wouldn’t personally be going off to fight the Dirty Hun – even then, his leadership skills were clearly evident and he was destined to become a flying instructor.


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FLLT Doug Burton, was the Flight Commander for the Graduating No.42 Course
(Doug Burton, Pilot Instructor, No.4 Service Flying Training School, Geraldton)

    Many of those he taught to fly were his colleagues from the West, including DFC and bar winner Phil Martin, the West editor Jim Macartney and Daily News sporting editor Tom Hadfield.

Doug swears Phil was the most natural pilot he ever saw and history clearly illustrates his point.

    Dambuster Phil is credited as the man who finally sank the mighty German battleship Tirpitz after dropping a bomb straight down its funnel.


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Portrait of Phil Martin by Norman Aisbett Sen.
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    He won one of his DFC’s after dropping a Barnes Wallis earthquake bomb on the Kembs barrage – one of the main locks governing water and Nazi troop flow up and down the Rhine. Phil’s log book records his Lancaster was on its bomb run at a precise 600 feet, the supposedly neutral Swiss were firing ack-ack from one side, the Germans hammering away from the other, when the bomber in front of him blew up. The explosion flipped Phil’s plane on its back but he was so skilful he recovered to drop his bomb. On the way home, he lost control of his rudders, sent a crew member back to tie the severed control cables to either end of a fireaxe and walk backwards or forwards as directed by Phil when he needed to change direction.

The reason I tell this story is that Phil amazingly survived the war and returned to the West.


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Doug Burton, Jim Cruthers, Phil Martin, Max Holten in 1973
Photo: Brian Treasure, using a Polaroid Land Camera

    Many of Doug’s early photographers were returned servicemen and Macartney had promised everybody who returned alive a guaranteed job for life.

    Every night a fully-fueled Tiger Moth was left on standby in the Royal Aero Club’s hangar at Maylands aerodrome – where the police academy now stands.


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Maylands Aerodrome operated from 1924 to 1963
Courtesy of The State Library of WA ©

    A report of a ship on fire 20 miles the other side of Rottnest saw Doug and Phil scramble to get to the scene. Mission accomplished and they were heading home when Phil took control and dived down to sea level. Now you have to realise that the Tiger Moth was an open cockpit, single engine biplane. Before he realised it, Doug was being splashed by salt careening off the very close waves below. Doug confessed it was one of the few times he was genuinely scared but Phil was just having some fun on the way home.

    And having some fun was what led to the death of Australia’s second highest scoring fighter pilot, Squadron Leader Bluey Trustcott midway through the war. He was just 26.

    Keith Bluey Truscott was already a legend when he joined up. He had played in two Melbourne football club VFL premierships. The Bluey Truscott memorial medal is still awarded to Melbourne’s fairest and best player every year.

    Bluey amassed at least 16 confirmed kills with another five unconfirmed – most of them as a foundation member of No. 452 Squadron, R double AF over German-occupied France. The Australians were the top scoring fighter squadron in England from August to November 1941.


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Squadron Leader Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott

    Now a national hero, Bluey led his squadron in desperate fighting at Milne Bay in Papua – playing a vital role in the first significant defeat of the Japanese. He also shot down a Japanese bomber during the defence of Darwin.

    Soon after, Bluey and his wingman were escorting an unarmed Catalina back to shore off Exmouth when he decided to practice a mock attack on the flying boat.

    Unlike Phil Martin, Bluey was a notoriously bad judge of height, even the Australian War Museum recording his bad habit of regularly landing from too high in the sky.

Bluey’s Kittyhawk fighter hit the water and an Australian legend was dead.

    Doug was given the job of recovering Bluey’s body and bringing one of our national treasures back to Perth.

    The onset of darkness delayed the flight home and Doug’s crew opted to stop in Onslow – home of the infamous Bleedin’ Beadon hotel. The major problem was what to do with Bluey’s body – it was hot, humid and there was no such thing as air-conditioning in those days. So the executive decision was made to take Bluey to the pub one last time – his body was placed in the hotel cool room while his fellow flyers drank to his health in the bar next door.

Ironically, Bluey is buried right here at Karrakatta – so Doug will be right at home.


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    After the war, Doug joined the Daily News as head photographer. My Dad, Stuart senior, was editor. Mike Baker remembers when this combination of bosses came to his rescue after the two papers had amalgamated and the photographic department served two masters. He was called out to a plane crash near Pearce – an R double AF Dakota had crashed soon after take-off.

    Mike was alone in the company Land Rover – a short wheelbase 4WD – and when he got to the scene in the Darling Range, he found all the airforce rescue vehicles were bogged. He was pressed into service as an ambulance for two badly-burned survivors and had to decide between saving lives or taking pictures.

    He delivered the survivors safely to Pearce and then went back to take his pictures. But his life-saving mission meant he had missed the West’s deadline and, of course, the Daily News splashed his images on page one the next morning.

    Griff Richards, editor of The West, was furious and launched a scathing attack – demanding to know whether Mike wanted to be an ambulance driver or a news photographer.

    A stunned Mike duly reported to Doug – who took it all in his stride and decided his strike-back strategy. He told the story to Stuie senior, who immediately produced a memo praising the young Baker for his superb pictures and his initiative in saving the lives of two men. He also awarded Mike a hefty bonus of 10 pounds. Honour was satisfied and revenge was sweet. That was Doug’s way.

    Then there was the night of the St. George’s terrace shootout. Doug had been experimenting with some new high-speed film and he’d turned the photographer’s studio into a fully-fledged shooting gallery.

    He was trying to capture a photo of a bullet leaving a gun – and the end result was a stunning image of just that and the bullet in full flight. Incidentally, the gun in question was a .38 issued to one James Macartney for personal protection.


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Example: Bullet in flight

    Inspired by this experiment, Doug’s two resident gun maniacs, Kevin Davidson and Graham Dalton, brought their own arsenals to work and began peppering the office.

    Police headquarters was flooded with reports from the public about a shooting somewhere in the Terrace.

    Of course, this leads to the other side of Doug – while he encouraged initiative and risk-taking – there was a limit.

And, if anybody broke the limit – they were carpeted.

    Now, Doug’s office was fully-tiled – with no carpet – so it became standard office procedure to supply your own carpet when you got the personal call from an exasperated Doug: “and bring your own carpet” when you come in.

    During all of this, running a huge office to support the whole WA Newspapers group of publications, Doug’s life was still full of extra-curricular activities – he was one of the first people to recognise “post traumatic stress syndrome” after men he’d trained for battle couldn’t cope when they returned home.

    He also managed to mastermind and run the media centre for the Empire Games at Perry Lakes in 1962. He repeated the performance for the America’s Cup media centre in 1987 and he did it again for the World Swimming championships.


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1962 Commonwealth and Empire Games in Perth
Courtesy of Darcy Farrell

    When he retired from WA Newspapers, he joined TVW7 as a consultant – providing sage advice to Sir James Cruthers as he pondered whether to sell Channel 7 to either Alan Bond or Robert Holmes a’Court.

    Mike Baker, who’d gone out on his own with Don Shepherd and Ron Sullivan, received a call from Doug to be at the airport early the next morning – they were off to Wittenoom to make a television documentary on wildflowers.


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Language of the Flowers (1981)
Director & Writer: Don Shepherd
Narrator: Vincent Price
Cinematography by: Michael Baker, Douglas Burton and Richard Malins
Film editing: Alan Cox
Executive Producer: Douglas Burton

    A surprise member of the film crew was waiting at the airport – Jim Cruthers needed a break before making his fateful decision on the future of commercial television in Perth.

    Jim had a snooze in the bush every lunchtime for four days before deciding in favour of Holmes a’Court.

    Jim then joined Rupert Murdoch in New York, masterminding the takeover of the 20th Century Fox film library. This led to the worldwide Fox television and movie empire and Murdoch’s emergence as the number one media mogul on the globe.

    That’s Doug’s legacy, a story his girls, his men and his boys can treasure forever.




Doug Burton Tribute – Part 2 of 6

Posted by ken On November - 12 - 2014


DOUGLAS JOSEPH BURTON

By Jan Burton Jackson


    Among the lifetime collection of photographs, negatives, documents and writings of the late photojournalist Douglas Joseph Burton is a piece of ageing copy paper on which he long ago typed:

“The eye of the camera records all that is true, from the first visible beginnings of life, from the atom to the powerful constellation in outer spaces, and enables man to see what would otherwise be concealed from him.”

The truth of his life’s work in one sentence.

    They were the words of the eminent British arts administrator and art historian, Sir John Rothenstein. Doug read, reflected upon and borrowed them in the 1960s, years into his own celebrated career; certainly long after headmaster Tommy Chandler leaned out of his office window at Perth Boys’ School and asked a group of lads playing cricket in the playground if anyone was interested in a job at The West Australian, the local Perth morning newspaper. Most of the boys, in their third year of secondary school, had recently sat the Junior Certificate examinations and were awaiting their fate. It was November 1934. The Great Depression lingered. Most boys of 15 would soon be getting a job. A few lucky ones would be able to stay at school.


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Perth Boys’ School, James Street

    Doug Burton, the second youngest of six children of a North Perth widow, was destined for the workforce, and as far as his mother was concerned, preferably in a long and secure career in a bank or the civil service – like his older brothers.

    But Tommy Chandler’s news sparked Doug’s interest. He was an intelligent youth, a well-made athlete, curious about what was in the offing and despite family aspirations held a quiet ambition to be a sports journalist. There quickly came the interview at the newspaper offices with a man with the memorable name of Bill Shakespeare, followed by a telephone call to his mother that evening. Suddenly he had the job as an office boy on the editorial floor of the weekend publication, The Western Mail.


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The Western Mail became The Countryman in 1955

    Some months later he was offered a position as a cadet photographer, ending his dream of a career as a sports writer, but coming at a critical time in newspaper publication when the narrative power of a photograph was gaining recognition as a pivotal part of news gathering. Barely a decade earlier most newspapers were printed with endless slabs of type relieved occasionally by a line drawing.

    Doug took his first photograph in 1935. This was the era of cumbersome cameras, magazine film, flash bulbs, chemicals and dark rooms, when a capable photographer had to know the science and mechanics of the camera and picture making, when the fractional moment captured by the photograph was the result of careful control of the delicate implement that was his tool of trade.


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The most famous Press camera, the Speed Graphic

    Photography seemed to come naturally and he settled quickly and happily into the newspaper culture. But barely had he begun to make his mark when Hitler invaded Poland. In the New Year of 1940 he joined the militia force of the 10th Light Horse Regiment, proud to call himself Trooper Burton. But after 307 days Doug sought a discharge to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force, a decision that would foster his instinctive leadership abilities and open up a world that brought him excitement and companionship to his last days.


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Flight Lieutenant Douglas Burton

    And he learnt to fly, a skill that would in post-war years enable him to push the boundaries of newsgathering, making inaccessible places more accessible, distance less tyrannical, watching the world from above and always with an eye to saving precious time to meet deadlines for the next edition.

    While his years in the air force as a flight instructor were fulfilling and rewarding, he was frustrated and disappointed by his commanders’ regular refusals to release him for combat duties. Men he had taught to fly were being sent to do things he wanted to do for the war effort, but like so many like-minded flight instructors his ambitions were denied.


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James Edward Macartney
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    Flight Lieutenant Burton’s appointment with the Royal Australian Air Force was terminated on November 14, 1945, just before his 27th birthday. However, towards the end of the war he called on James Edward Macartney, a friend and former newspaper colleague who had gone through his flight and was then managing editor of the Daily News, Perth’s now defunct afternoon newspaper.


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    Macartney’s invitation to join the Daily News team meant he was about to embark on perhaps the most exciting and rewarding period of his career. Macartney was a man of big vision who relished the impact of a powerful news story and understood the role the Press should play in opening up the State of Western Australia by bringing its message to a world suddenly made smaller by the just-ended World War.

    Doug kept his pilot’s licence, became a member of the Royal Aero Club, and with others of the editorial and photographic staff who had also been wartime pilots, produced world-breaking news stories.

    One of his more memorable assignments came shortly after the war and is as familiar today as it was 60 years ago. According to a tip-off from Canada, the first Japanese whaling fleet on its way to the Antarctic was steaming south off the WA coast with an Australian observer on board. Doug, with the Daily News’ pictorial editor, Doug Watt, chartered an aircraft to track down the ship and towards dusk, after a long flight, spotted it through a break in the clouds. They flew low, took their pictures, including one of the observer – who turned out to be a Western Australian from suburban Mt Hawthorn – and came home with a world scoop.


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    A deeply emotional assignment during the frightening 1951 polio epidemic rewarded him with achieving the picture of the year series in Britain, Europe and the USA. The photograph of a polio-afflicted mother who had given birth to a daughter in an iron lung at the Shenton Park annexe of Royal Perth Hospital resulted from gently persuading the father of the importance of such a news story and waiting two days at the hospital for the birth. Years later the child, then a mature woman, contacted Doug to thank him for sharing her story with the world.


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DJB’s Famous shot of The Iron Lung Baby

    But perhaps his greatest achievement as a news photographer was his coverage of Britain’s atomic bomb tests, the first of which was conducted on the Monte Bello islands off the north-west Australian coast in October 1952. How the story, with its extraordinary photographs, launched onto the front pages of newspapers across the world is the result of investigative journalism at its best. It is worth telling again.


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West Australian Newspapers photographic and journalistic staff achieved this world scoop

    In the years following 1945 it was thought that Britain, reduced to its knees by the economic burden of two World Wars, had been left behind in the arms race between the USSR and the USA. Therefore, the disclosure in 1951 that Britain had made an atomic bomb was unexpected. The location of the test site was a strictly kept secret, though it was announced the bomb would be exploded in Australia with the expectation that the Woomera rocket range in South Australia was the most likely place. However, on April 16, 1952, two Royal Navy ships arrived at Fremantle only to slip out of the harbour a few days later. As the RN supply ships headed north the people of Western Australia learned that for two years Britain had been planning to explode the bomb on the uninhabited Monte Bello Islands, about 135 kilometres north of the nearest town of Onslow and about 70 kilometres from the WA coast.

    Immediately The West Australian and Daily News learned the possible location of the test site, four men were sent to Onslow with the brief to get to the Monte Bellos, an almost impossible task when obstacles were thrust in their path at every turn. Eventually they hired a dilapidated 22-foot fishing boat to take them on the long, extremely dangerous, journey to the group of more than 100 islands. There they saw the two Royal Navy ships that had been at Fremantle a few days earlier and the islands swarming with men and their equipment . They had located the test site.


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Members of the first expedition aboard Thelma.
From left: Harold Rudinger, Jack Coulter, Jack Nicol and Norm Milne
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

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Thelma was hired to sail to the Monte Bellos
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

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Navy intercepts Thelma on approach to Monte Bello Islands
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    Soon after, the Australian Government declared the islands and nearby areas off-limits, hundreds of thousands of square kilometers were restricted flying areas and other security precautions promising heavy penalties were put in place to prevent atomic spying. Adding to the heavy cloak of security and secrecy was the British Government’s announcement that representatives of the Press were banned from the area.

    The only chance for The West Australian and Daily News teams to witness the atomic test was from the mainland in “rugged, barren, waterless and virtually uninhabited” country to the south of Rough Range. After long negotiations with security personnel unofficial permission was given for an observation post on the mainland outside the prohibited area. Even though it was possible the news party would see little of the explosion at such a distance and security could close the camp at any time, managing editor Jim Macartney decided to mount the expedition.

    On August 16, 1952, four vehicles carrying six tonnes of equipment headed for a pre-selected site in a desolate wilderness of ironstone and spinifex 215kms north of Onslow and eight kilometres from the coast. The main camp was struck by a billabong and the observation post set up about 1.5km to the west on Mt Potter, the highest hill in the area. Because it was impossible to get a vehicle up the rocky, boulder-studded hill it took the newsmen two days to carry two tonnes of equipment to the top. Among the equipment was a camera about four metres long that had been developed and built by the scientist Bill Mangini and Doug specifically to photograph the atomic explosion. Doug believed it was the longest camera ever used on a news assignment.


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Doug Burton with one of the special cameras used to capture the 1952 atom bomb blast
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

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Special long distance cameras
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    Mounting the huge cameras onto sturdy two-metre length posts cut from ghostgums growing by the billabong was exasperatingly difficult. A sledge hammer and crowbar were useless against the solid ironstone ground so dynamite was eventually used to blast the required 60cm deep holes into which the poles were sunk. By then the portable darkroom with the requisite developing dishes, enlarger and supply of film had been erected.


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Blasting post holes in the ironstone earth
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    A post office was set up on the back of a truck parked at the billabong camp. A field telephone was connected between the observation hill and the post office so that reporters on the hill could telephone their stories to a copytaker on the truck, who would then pass them on to Post Master General’s telegraphists who would send the story to Perth. Such were communications in 1952.


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The make-shift Post Office, called Mount Potter, which was located
underneath the single North-West telegraph line and staffed by
PMG telegraphists Roy (Buck) Buchanan and Ted Rodgers
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

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The copytaker was journalist Peter Barnett
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

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PMG telegraphists Roy (Buck) Buchanan and Ted Rodgers
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    Once the camps were established and driven by the ever-present fear of equipment failure, there followed day after day of testing every camera, other equipment and the communications system in all conditions at all time of the day and night.

    Then they waited, week after week, in bleak, inhospitable conditions – ceaseless winds, searing heat and flies their main enemies. The British had given no indication of the time or date of the explosion. Nor were they confident the camp would not be shut down by the authorities at any time. Each night Doug slept by his camera on the hill until Friday, October 3, when at 8am the bomb went off. In a flurry of manic activity, as the atomic cloud like an immense cauliflower appeared and grew on the horizon, the photographs were taken, developed in the tiny darkroom, the film put into billy cans and rushed down the hill to be driven to a chartered aircraft ready at Mardie Station landing strip and flown to Perth. More negatives were sent by road to Onslow to be air-lifted to Perth. Everything went to plan. Doug’s first picture of the explosion was used in countless publications around the world.


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Doug sleeping next to camera
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

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    Considering this was a time of unsophisticated wired communications and long before rapid-fire digital photography, no less than 175 photographs were taken in the first four minutes of the explosion and another 65 in the following three minutes. The first news flash reached the newspapers’ Perth offices 75 seconds before the bomb’s sound wave reached the Mt Potter observation post almost 100 kilometres from the test site.


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Stories sent by morse code from nearby Mount Potter post office
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

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Photograph negatives air freighted to Perth by Captain Jimmy Woods
Courtesy of The West Australian ©



Jan Burton Jackson’s account continues in Part 3.




Doug Burton Tribute – Part 3 of 6

Posted by ken On November - 12 - 2014


DOUGLAS JOSEPH BURTON

By Jan Burton Jackson
(Continuing the story of the 1952 Atom Bomb expedition.)


    Doug was second in command of this expedition. Its leader was John Nicol, a former naval commander with considerable bush experience. Also there was James Cruthers, a reporter for The West Australian who in his journal described Doug: … ‘a good-looking man, tall and with short, curly brown hair… 33 and in his earlier years had been a fine athlete… I knew him well as an exceedingly popular man with an amazing capacity for making friends…Whenever he introduced himself…he gave his full name, Douglas Joseph Burton, and he had a host of nicknames, including Curly, Joe and D.J.B.’


First UK Atom Bomb Test in 1952 – Operation Hurricane

WA TV History
West Australian Newspapers head photographer Doug Burton, not only played an important role training Australian airmen during the second world war, but also gained the distinction of capturing the first image of an atomic blast on Australian territory, following the war on the morning of October 3rd 1952.


    Because of the success of his pictorial coverage of that explosion Doug was the only news photographer in Australia or from overseas permitted to cover future British atomic blasts at Maralinga and Woomera in South Australia. He also covered future atomic tests on the Monte Bello islands along with other Press representatives. There were six atomic tests on Australian soil between 1952 and 1957. Doug photographed them all.

    The first atomic test coincided with a heightened interest in the economic potential of WA, particularly the sparsely-populated under-developed north. Enthusiastically encouraged by Macartney, several Commonwealth Press Union expeditions were organised with the express purpose of selling the State and its resources to the world. Oil and mining exploration and discovery added to the excitement of opening up the West. Doug accompanied dignitaries and Press representatives from interstate and overseas on journeys that penetrated the length and breadth of Western Australia. Some of his most dramatic and beautiful photographs were captured in the bush.


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Australia’s first significant oil discovery was made at Rough Range near Exmouth in 1953
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    While his youthful ambition to be a sports journalist was thwarted, photography gave him entrée to many of the world’s great events. He led photographic and media teams at the Rome Olympics in 1960, the Commonwealth Games in Perth in 1962 and New Zealand in 1974, the America’s Cup regatta in Fremantle and the World Swimming Championships in the early 1990s. A keen and capable sportsman himself, this was grist to his mill.


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The Main Grandstand at Perry Lakes
Site of the 1962 Perth Commonwealth and Empire Games
Courtesy of TVW Channel 7 ©

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Doug at World Swimming Championships with deputy premier Mal Bryce

    Each new assignment opened more doors, igniting Doug’s curiosity and massaging his considerable intellect. He assiduously researched his subjects, particularly if an expedition was in the offing.

    Dutch East India shipwrecks off the West Australian coast and the bullion they carried stirred much interest in the 1950s and 60s. In 1958 Doug led The Daily News expedition to examine the wreck of the Zuytdorp, which had foundered on the coast north of Kalbarri in 1712. Previous expeditions to the site in 1941 and 1954 had returned with many relics. Both the 1954 and 1958 expeditions were initiated by the young geologist Phillip Playford, whose energies to a considerable degree eventually resulted in the WA Museum’s involvement in marine archaeology.


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Zuytdorp Wreck Site 1954 Expedition with Phillip Playford and Jim Cruthers
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    This fascination with shipwrecks also took Doug to waters about eight kilometres south-west of Garden Island where the 6,300 tonne British cargo and passenger vessel Orizaba foundered on a sandbank and sank on February 16, 1905. His father, Frank Burton, was a passenger on the ill-fated ship sailing from London to Sydney. He and the other passengers were rescued from the sinking vessel. However, despite the disaster being front page news at the time, knowledge of the wreck and its exact location all but disappeared until in 1959, intrigued by his father’s link with the ship’s last voyage, Doug successfully led an expedition to find and film the wreck.


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The Daily News report of the sinking of the ‘S.S. Orizaba’

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The ill-fated Orizaba

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Underwater footage of the Orizaba wreck

WA TV History
Bow section of the Orizaba, wrecked off Rockingham, Western Australia in 1905


    Doug’s weekly columns on photography, begun in 1960, ran for 18 years in The West Australian. Though this was before the digital age, his belief that “without the combination of seeing, controlling, conveying, and the perfection of mechanical technique, photography could easily be a wonderful idea but a shabby result” holds true today. He experimented endlessly to see what he could push a camera to do, whether it was capturing a bullet flying from the nozzle of a pistol or the long shadows of dusk on a windswept sandhill. The power of the image was paramount. This core belief flowed into his lecturers for the Adult Education Department, and as a member of the photographic advisory committee of the technical education division of the WA Education Department as well as in the chapter on photography for the Australian Journalists’ Association text book “The Journalists’ Craft”.


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Doug demonstrates a press camera to students
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

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Doug Burton took part in an episode of ‘This Is Your Life’ hosted by Mike Willesee in 1976, which dwelt on the life of Paul Rigby

    In 1978 he retired from WA Newspapers to take up a consulting role at TVW Channel 7, Perth, and later as manager of the channel’s photographic laboratories. During this time he was executive producer of the successful documentary ‘Language of the Flowers’, filmed by former WA Newspaper colleagues and distributed to more than 20 countries, and was active in the development of camera recording technology for sporting events.

    There were countless significant events during Doug’s professional life. Whatever the assignment, whatever the subject, he strove technically and emotionally to capture the essence of a given fragment of time that became a photograph. The poet in him saw each of these for their drama, terror, tragedy, brilliance, melancholy, joy and serenity. He was never averse to uttering the cliché – ‘A Picture Tells A Thousand Words’. For it is true.

    While Doug gave much of his life to photography and the news industry, he reaped the rewards of a remarkable and adventurous career. An unabashed patriot devoted to the physical beauty of Australia, his job allowed him to see it all. In his retirement, when it was all done and contentment had come to him, he wrote about his past years:

‘How I love this great wide country,
Where waving grasses and wildflowers grow.
From the blazing red dawn of the mornings,
To the purple of evenings’ glow.

For I have tramped her dusty byways,
And bathed in her billabongs.
Gazed into the mysteries of a campfire,
And sung her national songs.

I have climbed her highest mountains,
And rode her endless plains.
Felt the stresses of her cities,
And the peace of her country lanes.

I have chased the endless horizon,
Over sand dunes and waterways.
Through the coldest of winter evenings,
And the hottest of summer days.

I have breathed the red dust of her deserts,
In contrast to the blue of her skies.
Soared through her Empyrean spaces,
And probed the depths of her seas.

I have experienced the mystical silence,
On the blackest of a desert night.
Put out my thoughts to touch heaven,
Beyond the stars so big and so bright.

I have watched the firmament from my blanket,
Contemplated the vastness of it all.
Witnessed the silent passage of celestial bodies,
Glittering proof of nature’s call.

I have awakened to the screech of the cocky,
Felt the sweet breath of dawn.
And wondered at the glory of the morning,
Its dewy coolness soon to be gone.

I have witnessed the beautiful Phenomenon,
Of the sun as it illumines the days.
Have been enthralled by its fiery disappearance,
Over a horizon softened by a distant haze.

I have wandered the green glades of her forests,
Marvelled at the height of her trees.
Scrambled to the top of her ranges,
And gazed at the distant seas.

I have witnessed the torments of nature,
Bushfires, floods and drought.
Pyrotechnical displays of such grandeur,
One cancelling the other one out?

I have breathed deep the ocean breezes,
Trod endlessly on her shores.
Been dazzled by the white of her beaches,
And swum over her ocean floors.

I have seen this land unfolding,
From a position in the sky.
Have marvelled at God’s ability,
To fashion, sculpture and apply.

I have tasted the sweet flavour of victory,
The humility of defeat,
I have exalted at the highest pinnacle,
And been humbled at its feet.

I have watched the awesome energy,
Of man-made weaponry.
Been bewildered by the incurable necessity,
To mortify, maim and destroy.

I have witnessed the hate of nations,
In their futile quest for power.
Who gives their leaders the strength,
To make the weaker cower?

I have been blessed with a wife and children, And therein lies the hope – The inherent strength of families, Is the only way to cope.’

Signed: DJB – the moniker on all his writings.


    Doug’s contribution to the news industry, photography and photojournalism was rewarded with an Associateship of the Institute of Australian Photographers, the Australian Photographic Society Medal for achievement in photography, and an MBE for service to the community and photojournalism in particular.

    His family, friends and colleagues were all similarly touched by Doug’s personality and demeanour. A friend and fellow newsman, D’Arcy Farrell, recently wrote of Doug’s humility, unassuming confidence and honesty, adding:

‘Doug was a leader and you did not want to let him down.

He gave you his trust and you didn’t want to displease him.

    He was not just a leading newsman and superior photographer. He knew how to handle people and, with all his wartime experience and exploits as a newspaperman, it was probably his humanitarianism, compassion, friendship and humour which will live in the minds of many who knew him.’

    Douglas Joseph Burton was born on November 29, 1918, in a time of new peace, and died with great reluctance in the small hours of July 25, 2013.


Jan Burton Jackson




Doug Burton Tribute – Part 4 of 6

Posted by ken On November - 12 - 2014


Michael Baker’s Eulogy to Douglas Joseph Burton MBE


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Douglas Joseph Burton MBE


All of us gather here today to celebrate the life of a man who was much loved, admired and respected by so many.

Douglas Joseph Burton MBE

Carol, Janice, Judith, Kim and their families will miss him so much, so will his friends.


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Standing left to right – Kim (Day), Judy (McGuire), Carole (McAlwey), Jan (Jackson)
Seated – Doug Burton

I would like to take you down memory lane and share with you a few glimpses of what went on behind the scenes and also some of the issues that confronted Doug on a daily basis in what surely was the golden era of newspapers in this state.

During the war as a flying instructor Doug taught Jim Macartney to fly and this forged a lasting relationship which was just as well for some of us.


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One of the Avro Anson aircraft used by Doug Burton as a flying instructor at No. 4 Service Flying Training School, Geraldton

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A restored Avro Anson

After the war business and commerce soon boomed and by the late 50’s and early 60’s many new cadets were hired to cater for the expanding needs of the company.

The photographic staff now consisted of returned war veterans a few in betweeners and many new cadets all under his leadership.

During his time as a flying instructor, Doug formed the view that high spirited young men made the best pilots and he took this view with him into civilian life. Hire high-spirited young men, he said.

He interviewed hired and managed these high spirited young men who were all good at their jobs.

But….. Good at their jobs as they were, the best shall we say…… were free range and indeed, dare I say it, some were quite feral.


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WAN photographers
Back row: Alex Regos, Joe Wheeler (beard), Graeme Dalton (dec – white hair and glasses ), Greg Burke (glasses) and Ron D’Raine (moustache)
Middle row:  Tony Ashby, Doug Burton (dec) and right hand side Ian Ferguson
Seated: Tom Dann (dec), Phil Martin (dec) and John McKenzie

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Doug Burton’s 90th birthday breakfast at The Boatshed, South Perth.
Back row, L to R;
Kevin Davidson, David Tanner, Ron D’Raine, Barry Hall, Graeme Dalton,
Alex Regos, Joe Wheeler, Greg Burke, Don Palmer, Ian Ferguson, Richie Hann
Front row, L to R;
Mike Zekulich, Mike Baker, Doug Burton, Tom Dann, Tony Ashby

To make matters a bit more difficult for Doug, these testosterone charged young men were given access to high powered cars as part of their jobs.

Indeed if hoon legislation was in force in those days it would have been highly likely that many of WA Newspapers extensive car fleet would have been locked away in police yards.

Now for a legal disclaimer.

We must remember not to judge these young men too harshly as this era was a long time ago when things were a bit different and many speeding offences were committed when news photographers chased deadlines.

Unfortunately for many, Mr Macartney insisted on viewing all accident reports and speeding tickets once the cops had sent them to the office.

Mr Macartney had sent multiple memos to all staff insisting that there was no situation where speeding was acceptable and that miscreants who disobeyed this order would face the full force of his anger.

Therefore Doug who was incredibly loyal to his boys had to tread a well worn path to the quarterdeck on many occasions to plead their case for understanding.

On many of these occasions after he had talked the MD into leniency, and no further action, these meetings often finished with more than one drink.

After one of these sessions Doug was driving home at low speed as the sun peeped over the Darling Range when an errant lamp pole jumped quickly onto the road and smacked his Studebaker right between the eyes. An accident report had to follow.


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Doug Burton with his WAN Studebaker

Years later he told me that Mr Macartney examined his report and sent him a memo which read

Memo Mr Burton

I have reviewed your accident report and am not at all satisfied with your explanation.

Had you been drinking?

Signed
JM

At random I have selected a couple of incidents of interest from the past behaviour of a couple of these young men.

Here are some details from their rap sheets.


Kevin Davidson.

A long term non reformed serial pest……Practical joker, serial speedster, multiple other offences which are far too many to detail here. He drove poor Max and Doug absolutely crazy.


Alex Regos…. Where is Mr Regos?

Mr Regos these days is a model senior citizen and butter would not melt in his mouth ….. He’s almost a national treasure…… Back then he clocked up a large number of speeding offences.

He was in fact a serial hoon.

Indeed he clocked up enough hoon offences in a short time for Mr Macartney to ban him from driving for 6 months. In a high risk strategy Doug traipsed upstairs again and told the MD that Alex Regos was useless as a news photographer if he could not drive. He talked him into removing the ban after the civil court bans were complete.

On another occasion Alex got a bit lippy with DJB and performed a strategic retreat when Doug stopped him mid sentence and told him, “Don’t push your luck pal”.


Now we turn to Graeme Dalton.

His rap sheet included speeding offences and accidents where his report claimed that 4 crazy nuns had run him off the road causing extensive damage to the office car. Also the nuns had fled the scene without stopping. Mr Macartney said bullshit. This was a true report but he had another accident when he ran into the back of a Morris Minor van in George Street. He blamed the van driver in his report but that accident was actually caused because Graeme was looking at Twink Pummer’s bare legs.

In the interest of fair play I must confess myself to a number of very minor incidents which were nothing really.

I confess to being a bit feral and a bit of a hoon. My wife claims to this day I am still a hoon and very feral.

There were a few accidents, one where a high speed crash caused the car to be totalled, another where I drowned a landrover, multiple speeding offences including a high speed race with Alex Regos in Charles Street, which I feel sure he not me probably instigated the event, expenses violations, and I also pleaded guilty to sending a very large sky rocket up the office communications tube.


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Pneumatic office communications tube system as used at WAN

Hardly anything really!

The rocket affair was serious as I was told that Doug wanted to see me as soon as I appeared for my shift and to bring my own carpet. Wow.

He had his serious face on and the conversation went like this.

Did you send a large rocket up the tube last night?

Yes.

Why did you do that?

Quick think……. I don’t know! ………….Now he has nowhere to go I thought.

You don’t know well pal I’ll tell you a few things that you might care to know.

Firstly Mr Lawler has already sent a memo to Mr Macartney suggesting that you should be sacked.

Secondly as your rocket went over the head of poor ageing Miss Connie Hooker, you caused her heart palpitations and I am reliably informed that she wet her pants and thirdly you may care to know that Mr Macartney has summoned me to the quarterdeck and in his words to “try to convince him not to sack you”.

Fortunately for me DJB used his persuasive charm and magic again and I was spared.

In those days there was no occupational health and safety departments, no purchasing department, no personnel department, no damage control and mitigation department and no research and development support…….

DJB managed all of these things himself as well as the day to day situations which he handled with great skill and above all humanity.

He was the boss…. But at the same time he was your teacher, your defender, your advocate, your coach…….. He was your guide and your friend.

His people skills were just beyond brilliant.
His moral compass always pointed exactly true north.

As I look around here today I see many people whose successful careers were kick started by Doug. All are incredibly grateful.


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When Doug passed away last week I emailed Reg Morrison who used to work with us and I would like to repeat Reg’s response which says it all about this special person.

“I have fond memories of him as a truly good man, a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He was a fine boss and bought good judgement, good humour and compassion into the office on a daily basis…..”

Three cheers for DJB.




Doug Burton Tribute – Part 5 of 6

Posted by ken On November - 11 - 2014

DOUGLAS J BURTON
By Darcy Farrell

It’s easy to see how Doug Burton was chosen to be a wartime flight instructor.

You often hear the statement ‘he’s a born leader’.

That term is sometimes used loosely. But Doug was a born leader – akin to General Peter Cosgrove.

In leadership qualities Doug Burton reminds me of General Cosgrove, Weary Dunlop and Angus Houston.

Sir Peter Cosgrove

His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1968 and rose to become the Chief of Australia’s Defence Force. The role in 1999 which gave him public prominence was commander of InterFET (International Forces East Timor), where he was responsible for overseeing East Timor’s transition to independence. For his leadership in this role he was promoted to Companion in the Military Division of the Order of Australia (AC). He was named Australian of the Year in 2001. He was sworn in as Governor-General in 2014.     DJB4-01.jpg
Weary Dunlop
Colonel Sir Ernest Edward “Weary” Dunlop, AC, CMG, OBE (1907-1993) was an Australian surgeon who was renowned for his leadership while being held prisoner by the Japanese during World War II. A courageous leader and compassionate doctor, he restored morale in the terrible prison camps and jungle hospitals. Dunlop defied his captors, gave hope to the sick and eased the anguish of the dying. His example was one of the reasons why Australian survival rates were the highest.     DJB4-02.jpg
Angus Houston
Air Chief Marshal Allan Grant “Angus” Houston AC, AFC is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Air Force. He served as Chief of Air Force (CAF) then as the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) until his retirement in 2005. Houston has since been appointed to a number of positions, including chairman of Airservices Australia. In March 2014 he was appointed to head the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) during the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Following the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster when the aircraft crashed on 17 July 2014, presumed to have been shot down, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board, Houston was appointed the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Ukraine, with the objective to “lead Australia’s efforts on the ground in Ukraine to help recover, identify and repatriate Australians killed in the MH17 crash”.     DJB4-03.jpg

I was a newcomer at Newspaper House in 1953 and although I saw Doug around the building I didn’t get to know him well.


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Newspaper House in the 1950s
Courtesy of The State Library of WA ©

That is, until I was in Carnarvon with a West photographer and I think we were covering the round-Australia car rally.


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That 1953 Redex Reliability Trial was the second longest trial in the world

Doug was there as the leader of the photographic team and we were all staying at the Gascoyne Hotel owned by the colourful Cornish family.


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Best remembered of its licensees in the early days were Dick and Marge Cornish

I think Phil Martin may have been with him. Harold Rudinger was also there.

Doug was the leader but he didn’t have to demonstrate his authority. He just exuded the charisma of the leader.

Leaders are people you want to follow.

They have a warmth and strength about them.

Listen to Cosgrove and shut your eyes and you could be listening to Doug Burton.

There is the same humility, unassuming confidence and honesty.

What Doug said made sense. He was decisive. When Doug wanted your attention he did not have to say a word. You wanted to hear him.

Doug was a leader and you did not want to let him down.

He gave you his trust and you didn’t want to displease him.

He was not just a leading newsman and superior photographer. He knew how to handle people and, with all his wartime experience and exploits as a newspaperman, it was probably his humanitarianism, compassion, friendship and humour which will live in the minds of many who knew him.

It is often said that ‘the closer you get to a great man, the more you realise he is just a man’.


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The more you saw of Doug the more you realised that he was a great man.

• D.Farrell, April 24, 2014



    For most of the years in which television has existed in WA, there has been a connection between the West Australian newspaper and Seven Perth, for it was the managing editor of WA Newspapers (WAN) James Macartney who instructed one of his executives, Jim Cruthers (now Sir James), to apply for Perth’s first television licence. Newspaper staff became founding members of TVW Channel 7’s staff, of which Darcy Farrell was the first news editor. Darcy is thus able to detail the many connections between these two WA media organisations. It was Jim Cruthers and Darcy who engaged many WAN journalists in the news reporting, promotions and presenting roles. People the calibre of Syd Donovan, Dan O’Sullivan and Athol Thomas made appearances or joined the staff, with many more journalists to follow in the rank and file over the years, working in the newsroom, or on interview programs and sporting panels.

    John Cruthers has kindly pointed out that his father Sir James had a huge amount of time for DJB, as he called him. They started in newspapers roughly together and remained strong friends their entire lives. “Dad was very sad to hear of his passing.”

    Sir James pointed out in his oral history, that Doug Burton as the head photographer, was a very fine person who got on well with everyone. He went on to say that, “In 1947, (the WAN managing editor James) Macartney bought a car for the head cameraman, Mr Doug Burton, or at least subsidised the car. I think Burton got a shilling a mile or some such. It was the only vehicle we had, and in those days a reporter would be given a story by the chief of staff. He would go downstairs to the camera area, see the head cameraman, Doug Burton, and say, ‘I’ve got to do this story and they want a picture,’ and Burton would allocate one of his cameramen to go, and off they’d go and get a tram and go wherever they were going. Now when Burton got his car, of course, he became the most popular person ever among journalists, because all of us… we did our absolute utmost if we had to get a picture to see whether we could go with Burton, because we’d go in his car.”

    Darcy Farrell has provided some enlightenment regarding their early careers when they covering the first British atom bomb test in 1952. Sir James was then a young journalist whilst Doug was the photographer responsible for capturing the first image of this massive explosion on Australian territory.

Here Darcy has kindly provided background on the WAN team that covered that historic event…



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The West Australian and Daily News Expedition members covering the Britain’s atomic bomb tests at the Monte Bello islands in October 1952
Back: J L (Jack) Nicol; Jimmy Woods; E (Ted) Rodgers; R (Buck) Buchanan; R (Dick) Long; A F (Alec) Laughton; R (Bob) Warren; James Cruthers, Sir; N F (Norm) Milne; Peter Barnett;
Front: W J (Bill) Mangini; R O (Owen) Williams; P H (Phil) Martin; D J (Doug) Burton; H (Harold) Rudinger; Jack Coulter; Dan O’Sullivan
Courtesy of The West Australian ©

    In the back row, from left, Jack Nicol, a decorated ex-Navy officer, who was one of J E Macartney’s executives; Captain Jimmy Woods (1893-1975), owner of Woods Airways and a genuine pioneer of Australian aviation (he flew with and worked for Norman Brearley). Next two are Ted Rodgers and Buck Buchanan. In the dark suit, is photographer Dick Long, then the driver wearing the RSL badge is Alec Laughton, the bearded man is Bob Warren, then (Sir) James Cruthers, Norm Milne who became the first PR person working in the Australian oil industry and Peter Barnett, a West journo, whose brother was either the first or second Director of ASIO.

    Front row, from left: Bill Mangini a scientist; Owen Williams, another former wartime photographer, who died in the crash with Dig Milner at Cervantes; Phil Martin DFC and Bar, 617 Squadron. Phil raided the dams and may have sunk the German battleship Tirpirtz (see the book The Dam Busters by Paul Brickhill); Douglas Joseph Burton, wartime instructor of thousands of young pilots, head photographer at The West and subsequently in the film and photographic section at TVW; Harold Rudinger, engineer and boffin who helped assemble the special lens and other equipment to photograph the bomb ‘going off’;   Jack Coulter (1915-2008), double Walkley winner for his work as Australia’s best police roundsman; and Dan O’Sullivan (1926-2006), superb feature writer who was to become Editor-in-chief of West Australian Newspapers. Jack Coulter told me that when the bomb went off it was O’Sullivan who made a name for himself by grabbing the only phone linked to the rest of Australia and gave a running commentary of the explosion and its aftermath.

    Dan O’Sullivan later became the editor-in-chief of West Australian Newspapers, a company that assisted with the start of The Jakarta Post in 1983. He helped set up the Sister-State Agreement in 1990.

    Paul Rigby prepared the following cartoon to commemorate the WAN men who took part in the first Monte Bello expedition. It was only for the amusement of staff and not for publication, hence the depiction of them being somewhat sex starved for the duration.


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Paul Rigby cartoon

TVW Channel 7 photographic staff also had a link to WA Newspapers and Doug Burton.


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    The early Seven cine-cameramen Digby Milner, Tom Hall, Peter Goodall and Lu Belci were all drawn from Doug’s staff at the West. Sadly, Dig Milner and the West’s Owen Williams lost their lives in an air crash on Monday 28th November 1960, when their chartered aircraft crashed into the sea near Cervantes Island whilst photographing a stranded freezer-boat, which was holed and resting on a reef. Prior to that, Dig Milner and Doug Burton covered the Rome Olympics from August 25 to September 11, 1960.


News Coverage Events of 1960

WA TV History
Newspaper and Television News not only covers the dramatic elements of real life, as a window on the world, but sometimes the disasters and tragedy can occur within the News gathering team, to inadvertently become part of the News story.



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Doug Burton with Bing Crosby, their Italian driver and Syd Donovan
at the Rome Olympics in 1960 (Photo by Digby Milner)

    Though development began in the mid 1970s, it was not until the 1990s that digital cameras became commercially available. These revolutionised photography, as film cameras were the technology up until then.

    Prior to that, photographs were made by exposing a light sensitive film, and then using chemicals to develop and stabilize the image. By contrast, digital photographs can be displayed, printed, edited, transmitted and stored using the new techniques.

    When Doug Burton retired from WA Newspapers in 1978, he took up an administrative consulting role at TVW Channel 7. Five years earlier, TVW had acquired a controlling interest in Group Color, to provide a colour film and slide processing service for colour television and to develop the NECO (Nippon Enlarging Colour Inc) colour enlarging operation in Perth. Group Color soon became a wholly-owned subsidiary of TVW Limited and its founder, Ray Irvine, left eventually taking the NECO business with him. The company was relocated to TVW and Doug Burton became the manager. Another branch of Group Color was located in Adelaide. Eventually, Doug retired leaving Richard Ashton to manage the business. On 8th November 1980, Robert Holmes à Court launched the Western Mail, a Saturday newspaper, to challenge the Herald & Weekly Times (H&WT) which had bought the West Australian in 1969 (not to be confused with the WAN’s Western Mail which was renamed The Countryman in 1955). When Holmes à Court gained control of TVW, he moved Group Color into Perth to service the colour photography needs of the Western Mail, but when he gained control of the West Australian, he disbanded Group Color. Holmes à Court’s Western Mail made estimated losses over seven years of $50 million.

    The fortunes of both TVW and the West were to take many twists and turns over the ensuing years till they were united in 2011 as Seven West Media Limited.

    This journey entailed an all important emphasis on catering for the community under James Macartney and Sir James Cruthers, which led to acquisitions and diversification, company growth, record dividends followed by corporate raids, eventual bankruptcy and marvellous recovery as ownership changed several times. It should be emphasised that the television and newspaper divisions did not fail, it was the dubious corporate manipulations and a crash in the economy which led to the downfall of the owning identities of Robert Holmes à Court’s Bell Group, Alan Bon’s Bond Corporation and Christopher Skase’s Qintex, which in turn impacted on the otherwise profitable companies.

The Herald and Weekly Times Limited bought The West Australian in 1969, but the newspaper was sold to Robert Holmes à Court in 1987, as part of the News Limited takeover of H&WT. In 1971, TVW Enterprises purchased the Adelaide station SAS10, now SAS7. In 1973, City Theatres was taken over by a consortium consisting of local television companies TVW, STW and Michael Edgley, until 1978 when TVW bought out the other partners.

In 1979, decisions by the Federal Government to relax Electronic Media ownership rules led to a flurry in takeover activity in the ownership of Australian Television Stations. In 1982, TVW (and SAS) were no longer a public company after purchased by Perth based businessman Robert Holmes à Court’s Bell Group. In 1983, Bond Corporation bought control of STW9, then purchased TCN9 Sydney and GTV9 Melbourne from Kerry Packer. In 1987, The West Australian was sold to Robert Holmes à Court’s Bell Group when the remainder of H&WT was bought by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.

In October 1987, the stock market crashed. The financial pressure placed on the Bell group as a result led to a takeover of Bell by Bond Corporation Holdings Ltd. The takeover was completed around the end of 1988. In 1988, Christopher Skase and his Qintex group bought TVW7 (Perth) and SAS (Adelaide). Then Qintex collapsed in 1989, after an unsuccessful takeover of the Hollywood film studio MGM/UA, leaving TVW and the other Qintex interests in the hands of receivers. In 1989, Bond Corporation announced a $980 million loss and went into receivership. Eva Presser’s Sunraysia Television bought STW9 from the receivers of Bond Media for $95 million. Robert Holmes à Court succumbed to a heart attack in 1990 and died intestate. The same year, Kerry Packer regained control of TCN9 Sydney and GTV9 Melbourne for around $250 million after selling it to Bond for $1 billion.

In 1991, Qintex’s television interests, including TVW and SAS, were consolidated within a separate company, and floated on the stock exchange as the Seven Network. Then in 1992, following the collapse of Bond Corporation, a newly formed company, West Australian Newspapers Holdings, purchased the paper from the receivers. Then in 1995, Kerry Stokes acquired a dominant stake in Seven.

On 4th April 2007, Australia’s new media-ownership laws took effect with the repeal of cross-media and foreign control rules. The companies are now allowed to own up to two media outlets – television, radio and newspaper – in a single area. Mergers are allowed if the transaction passes a media diversity test that ensures there are five remaining independent media groups in metropolitan markets and four in regional markets. Under the amended laws, media mergers are subject to the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). On 3rd December 2008, Kerry Stokes gained control of WA Newspapers and becomes chairman. In 2011, West Australian Newspapers Holdings Ltd bought chairman Kerry Stokes’ television and magazine interests, with the company renamed Seven West Media Limited. This reunited Channel Seven Perth with the company which founded the station in 1959. Seven Perth will soon be joining the West at Osborne Park in early 2015.

It was at the photographic studios at The West’s new Osborne Park site where Doug recorded this video tribute to the golden era of photography at WA Newspapers, when they obtained a world scoop covering the first British atom bomb test in 1952.


Doug Burton (1918-2013) 1952 UK Monte Bello Atom Bomb test

WA TV History
Prior to his death in 2013, Doug Burton recorded this tribute to the golden era of photography at WA Newspapers.
Courtesy of the West Australian


BURTON (Douglas Joseph) MBE:

Passed away peacefully on 25 July 2013, in his 95th year.

Beloved husband of Toni (dec).
Devoted father of Carole, Janice, Judith and Kim.
Father-in-law of John, Kevin, Kingsley and John.
Grandfather “Dougie” of Roger, Fiona, Susannah, Elizabeth, Claire, Andrew, Paul and David.

Great grandfather “Dougie” of Thomas, Samantha and Benjamin.
Strong, Thoughtful Kind and true.