Vaudeville was the popular entertainment before the advent of motion picture houses, though it was not uncommon for live shows to be complimented by a few silent movies. Though there was an amateur theatre community in Perth, many shows were brought across from the eastern states. As people often entertained themselves, family or friends, it was not uncommon to be taught an instrument or attend singing or dance lessons. This created among the more talented a source of performers, even if they only engaged in this part time. Soon many picture houses would spring up, some as picture gardens and others with a hard top. As there was a lack of air-conditioning in our warm climate, a number of early theatres had a roof that opened up to the cool evening skies.

The Edwardian-style His Majesty’s Theatre replaced Ye Olde English Fayre at the corner of Hay and King Streets in 1904.

During World War II, His Majesty’s Theatre functioned chiefly as a cinema due to travel restrictions on touring companies, and as it was considered too large to provide a feasible venue for locally produced live-theatre productions, the Playhouse Theatre in Pier Street was built.

    Kings Theatre, 52-62 South Terrace, Fremantle. Opened as such on 27th September 1904 (formally the Dalkeith Opera House), where a range of promoters presented live performances from concerts, pantomime, plays to follies featuring singers, dancers, musical and acrobatic numbers, and West’s Pictures or Spencer’s Pictures screening films. Often sharing the same program as that provided in the Queen’s Hall in Perth or the Shaftesbury. Kings Theatre was also used for boxing contests.

It was 1910 when it became the venue for West’s Pictures at the Port. From 1908, the company was also exhibiting films at the Melrose Gardens in Murray Street, Perth. West’s Pictures were established by English theatrical entrepreneur Thomas James West (1885-1916) who helped turn the company into one of Australia’s largest exhibitors. The theatre was under the management of Albert Clark, for its role as an early silent movie venue.

West’s Pictures soon merged with other existing film distributors, first becoming ‘the General Film Co of Australasia’, then ‘Union Theatres and Australasian Films’. Union Theatres was liquidated during the great depression, and its assets purchased by Greater Union Theatres. The cinemas are now owned and operated in Australia by Village Roadshow.

    Mr. George R. Lawrence was instrumental in presenting much early live entertainment in Perth and Fremantle from as early as 1895, often accompanied by films from the British Biograph studios. He was also involved with more than one incarnation of Ye Olde Englishe Fayre.

    The Shaftesbury Hotel was built about 1904 by Thomas Alfred Shafto, businessman, Perth City Councillor and owner of the Shaftesbury Gardens at 49 Stirling St, Perth (a semi-open air picture theatre with a seating capacity for 2000 people that opened in 1911). The Shaftesbury, the Luxor and the Tivoli, were all on the same site, but at different times. It was a celebration of Perth’s home of vaudeville where comedians, clowns, tumblers, acrobats, magicians and dancing girls all performed. This fleapit theatre remained as the Shaftesbury until it closed in 1924, re-opened as the Luxor in 1925 to be called the Ritz in 1934 and then back to the Luxor.

The Ritz at this time was routinely promoted as “formerly the Luxor Theatre” (having been renamed in March 1934). The venue appears to have struggled to establish its new identity, and a few weeks into the Cameo Revue Company season “Ritz” was removed from advertisements and replaced with Luxor.

In the forties it was known as the Tivoli, then it was converted for dancing and became Canterbury Court Ballroom with a muti-story car-park added above in 1969, before demolition in 1990 and then for a while the site of the Myer Megamart building.

    Australia’s earliest surviving film, “The Story of the Kelly Gang” (1906), is considered to be the world’s first true feature film, running for more than an hour and surviving in over 15 minutes of fragments restored by the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA). The film was written and directed by Charles Tait, and cost £1,000 to make. It proved to be extremely successful, and was said to have returned at least £25,000 to its producers. His brothers John, James Nevin and Frank founded J. & N. Tait in 1902, to promote concerts. They then joined with Millard Johnson and William Gibson in the production of “The Story of the Kelly Gang”

The Taits, Johnson and Gibson merged their film interests in 1911 to form Amalgamated Pictures which continued to produce features and newsreels. Amalgamated combined with its main opposition, Australasian Films, in 1912, and the Taits then concentrated their energies on concert presentation and occasional film exhibition. In 1920, their production company, J. & N. Tait, combined interests with the J. C. Williamson Film Company which produced a number of feature films during 1914-1918. The Tait brothers also amalgamated their concert management with J. C. Williamson in 1920 to form the largest theatrical empire in the world, offering a constant flow of ballet, drama, grand opera and musical comedy. J. C. Williamson continued to promote celebrity artists until 1976, when production ceased, its theatres were sold and the company closed and leased out its name. It was a company founded by James Cassius Williamson (1845–1913) an American actor and later Australia’s foremost theatrical manager, until 1907 when Williamson reduced his managerial work and spent more time with his family overseas. The fortunes of the company over the next fifty years were primarily guided by four of the five the Tait brothers, John, Nevin, E. J. and Frank Tait who, at the invitation of chairman of directors George Tallis, became managing directors in 1920.

With the passing of the Tait brothers, the company struggled to survive mergers and restructuring during the 1970s and 1980s. in 1976, the firm was sold to a new company, J.C. Williamson Productions Ltd, a consortium headed by Kenn Brodziak of Aztek Services Pty Ltd, with Stadiums Ltd and Edgley International. The new company presented plays and musicals including Chorus Line, before moving into the area of concert promotions. In 1984, it was acquired by the private investment company, the Danbury Group, who in 1997, revitalised the company as J.C.Williamson Entertainment Inc, an American based independent group of companies involved in live and filmed entertainment.

The Tait Memorial Trust was formed in 1992 by Isla Baring in memory of her father Sir Frank Tait and his four brothers who played such an important part in the establishment of theatre and the performing arts in Australia. The Tait Memorial Trust raises money to help support young Australian musicians and dancers who need financial assistance while they are studying in the UK, as well as general help in the furtherance of their careers while resident in the UK. The five Tait brothers were Charles (1868–1933), John (1871–1955), James Nevin (1876–1961), Edward (1878–1947) and Frank (1883–1965).

    Between 1901 and 1914, one of Australia’s first travelling film shows was presented by the Corrick Family Entertainers, later known as The Marvellous Corricks. Albert and Sarah Corrick and their eight musically talented children toured Australia and the world with a show balancing live music, vaudeville-style comedy and film programs. Films included short melodramas, coloured fantasies with special effects and travelogues shot in the towns they were visiting.

    Albert (1848-1914) and Sarah (1853-1935) raised a family of seven daughters and one son:
Emily Eleanor Gertrude (‘Gertie’) (1878-1945), Alice May (1880-1956), Amy Beatrice (1882-1968), Ethel Mildred (1884-1971), Henry John Leonard (‘Leonard’, ‘Sonny’) (1886-1967), Ruby Florence Elizabeth (1888-1948), Jessie Winifred (1892-1957) and Elsie Collingwood (1894-1974).

    The son, Leonard Corrick is believed to have made up to ten films in Australian towns during their time on the road. Sadly only two have survived, both featuring Western Australia. One moves up and down the streets of Perth recording the action on the street. The Corricks advertised the time and place of filming to ensure crowds on the street and a full house for their next evening’s performance.

Street Scenes in Perth, Western Australia (1907)

    Whilst in his teens, Leonard Corrick developed an interest in photography and convinced his father to purchase a magic lantern projector, which by 1900 proved popular with audiences when used to provide a backdrop picture for certain songs. In 1901, the family obtained an Edison projector and a small collection of moving films, which were promoted as “Leonard’s Beautiful Pictures.” To better cater to people in country towns, the Corricks obtained a portable electricity generator in 1906, to improved stage and projection lighting and illuminate the sky with a spotlight to attract customers.

    In 1905, the first theatre designed solely for motion pictures opened in the United States, located at Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania. The venue was called a nickelodeon because the price of admission was a nickel, a five-cent coin. “The Great Train Robbery”, made in 1903 by the Edison Manufacturing Company, with a duration of only 11 minutes, became the first attraction. The theatre had 199 seats and it was soon filling them. So popular and lucrative was the concept in the US, that there were 3,000 nickelodeons by 1907 and 10,000 by 1910.

    In 1908, King’s Picture Gardens in William Street became the first premises in Perth designed and built exclusively for the presentation of moving pictures, before becoming Spencer’s Esplanade Gardens in 1911, which combined films with boxing events. This site was later redeveloped to become the Capitol theatre and the Temple Court buildings housing the Embassy Ballroom at 2-10 William Street, Perth.

    In 1908, the Melrose Gardens in Murray Street was showing films provided by the British exhibitor T.J. West (West’s Pictures), with the venue turned into a barn like establishment in 1911, which eleven years later was transformed into the prestigious Prince of Wales Theatre, that opened in December 1922. This was sited next to the Bairds Department Store.

    In 1911, located at 227 Murray Street, Perth, the Empire Picture Palace was the first purpose-built hardtop cinema in Western Australia. It only opened briefly, then changed owners and in 1912 was renamed the King’s Picture Palace, but then ceased operations again in early 1913, to change ownership again and be renamed the Melba Picture Hall, until it closed permanently in 1914.

    1911 set a record for Australian film making that would remain unsurpassed until 1975. Bushranger films proved highly popular until banned in three states the following year, NSW, Victoria and SA, claiming they mocked the law and glorified criminal behaviour.

In 1912, the Princess Theatre in Fremantle was opened.

    In 1913 there was a great decline in local production caused largely to a series of amalgamations and mergers which led to a monopoly that was not interested in producing Australian films, but rather distributing and exhibiting imported attractions. The outbreak of the First World War also caused European film production to a halt. Within a few weeks of the Australian landing at Gallipoli in 1915, the scene was restaged near Sydney for the feature film “The Hero of the Dardanelles”. This and “Within Our Gates” (also known as “Deeds that Won Gallipoli”) and “The Martyrdom of Nurse Cavell” (1916) proved popular until the horrors of war sunk in and audiences sought escapism and comedy. After the First World War, Hollywood emerged as the dominant movie producer, distributing films in Australia with so much success that by 1922-23, a majority of films (94%) shown in Australia were American.

    In 1914, the Pavilion Theatre opened at 709 Hay Street in Perth. It was another purpose-built hardtop cinema in Perth following the Melrose hardtop in 1911. The one thousand seat Pavillion was advertised as ‘the People’s Theatre’, but lacked the audience comforts of the more modern cinemas, resulting in the property being sold in the early 1930’s to became shops.

Pavilion Continuous Picture Theatre was sited in the present building that is located at 709 to 711 Hay Street Mall, Perth. The front of this heritage listed building no longer resembles the former theatre, which resided there in from 1914 until 1930. Prior to that it was occupied by Barnett Bros Glass Merchants in 1903-08, W.A. Book & Art Depot in 1909, W.A. Book & Art Depot & Registry Office & Jas Goss Wire Worker in 1910-11, Walter Buckridge Optician & Jas Goss Wire Worker in 1912-13, then Pavilion Continuous Picture Theatre, in 1914-30 (seating 870 people). In 1930, the Pavilion transformed into Perth’s first 18 hole Miniature Golf Course. In 1932 Walsh’s Ltd mens wear, bought the building and operated from the site, until expanding and moving to the former Cox Brothers Economic Store site on the corner of Hay and William, opposite the Wesley Church.

    In 1916, the silent film only cinema the Palladium at 723 Hay Street, the Majestic at 656 Hay Street and the Grand theatres all opened. Majestic had a policy of cheap admissions and continuous screenings and to meet with the public demand, movie sound equipment was installed in 1930. The Majestic was demolished in 1937, taking over the neighbouring building between the theatre and the Savoy Hotel, to use the expanded block to erect a modern arcade with shops on the street level and the Plaza cinema seating 1,313 above. The theatre was renamed the Paris in 1965 and finally closed in 1984. The building still exists and is heritage listed, though access to the auditorium is now restricted to the fire escape from a rear entrance on a lane-way, midway down the arcade. The Grand was located at 164-8 Murray Street, Perth.

The former Palladium building still exists and is clearly identified as Bacton House. This rendered federation free classical design heritage listed building at 723 to 727 Hay Street Mall in Perth, was built in 1900, and occupied by the Palladium Picture Palace in 1918-25, Bunney’s Frock Shop in 1938, and Corot & Co Ltd Frocks in 1939-49. It displays a Worth’s Menswear neon sign and current houses a variety of small fashion stores.

    Also in 1916, another Majestic Theatre opened in High St, Fremantle. It seated 1,000 and was located in a building that still stands in the port city. In August 1918 the lease was taken over by J. C. Williamson Films, a movie making unit of the theatrical firm J.C. Williamson Ltd, which produced a number of feature films during 1914-1918. They were concerned with reports of American films being made from plays which they were producing in Australia, and decided to move into film productions themselves. The produced the following films: Within Our Gates (1915), For Australia (1915), Within the Law (1916), Nurse Cavell (1916), Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford (1916), Officer 666 (1916), Seven Keys to Baldpate (1916) and His Only Chance (1918). Hoyts took over in 1927 and operated the theatre until it closed in 1938.

    Prior to the introduction of film sound, it was the acts that performed on stage that were being replaced by the celluloid performers, as the audible entertainment was still coming from musicians in the theatre. Vaudeville would hang on till television made an impact, almost forty years later, for primitive TV was little more than bicycle parts with an electric motor spinning discs with nothing more electronic than a photoelectric cell and some wiring. Technology that bore no resemblance to the idiot box of today.

    Four years after the University of Western Australia opened its doors in 1913, the University’s Dramatic Club came into being in 1917 – two years before the Perth Repertory Club was formed. An article published in Uniview magazine, Winter 2007, pp23-25, provides great insight into activities within the University of Western Australia Dramatic Society and its many students, performers and influential patrons.

Old programs and theatre reviews throw up familiar names – Sir Paul Hasluck, who later became Governor General, produced “Murder in the Cathedral” in front of the St George’s Chapel in 1938. Katharine Brisbane and her late husband Dr Philip Parsons, founders of Currency Press, met at UWA and were involved in campus theatre before going on to publish David Williamson and others, and to have an extraordinary impact on Australian drama. Faith Clayton followed memorable performances in student theatre with those in professional theatre. Poet and playwright Dorothy Hewett added a radical touch to campus theatre, writing experimental plays for the New Fortune stage from the 1960s to the 1980s; celebrated painter Guy Grey-Smith painted murals on hessian for the old Dolphin in 1960; and actress Greta Scacchi (who enrolled at UWA but did not complete a degree) added her fledgling star quality to several UDS productions in the 1970s. And comedian/musician Tim Minchin, who won the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Perrier Newcomer Award, and who recently made a return trip to perform in his home town, also enlivened campus production. Tim, who now lives in London, did several theatre units as an undergraduate and performed in Theatre Studies and UDS productions.

    The University Dramatic Society is a student-run theatre company based at the University of Western Australia. Affiliated with the Guild of Undergraduates, and open to students and others alike, UDS has a reputation for producing original works, as well as performing contemporary and historical theatre.

    In 1919, the Perth Repertory Club was established and initially worked out of a basement room at Perth’s Palace Hotel, then later, the old composing room of the West Australian Newspaper. The Repertory Club started as a social club for people interested in dramatic art, music and the presentation of plays, with the first meeting held in the basement rooms of the Palace Hotel. From the Palace, the club moved to the Commerce Buildings in King Street by 1922. They then rented a cottage next door to the Assembly Hall (formally St. Andrew’s Hall) in Pier Street, where they staged most of the productions for a period of 11 years. This consisted mainly of monthly musicals, social evenings and impromptu parties. 143 full length plays were produced and 109 one-acters during this time. Their final move was to the West Australian Chambers before the club assumed the name of The National Theatre Company and moved to the Playhouse Theatre in Pier Street in 1956.

    The prestigious Prince of Wales Theatre opened at 254 Murray Street, Perth, in December 1922 to present vaudeville for the first half, followed by a short film comedy or cartoon, before the interval and the feature film.

Richard Ashton provided much input and guidance in the compilation of this essay, Gordon McColl assisted in field trips and library research with Richard. Also appreciate the help provided by Dr Peter Harries, and Ian Stimson. Conversations with Coralie Condon, Audrey Long and Rick Hearder are highly valued, as they reminisced about the topic.

INDEX: Factors that moulded entertainment in Perth

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

The next revolution was to provide remote entertainment to the listeners at home by the means of broadcasting. This initially impacted on silent films until cinemas were able to present movies with sound. The Perth airwaves were then populated by a variety of commercial and ABC radio stations.

    The advent of wireless opened up additional opportunities for musicians and singers, with many theatre trained voices proving popular as announcers when in 1924, Western Farmers Limited (Wesfarmers) began operating radio station 6WF from the top floor of the company’s Wellington Street building. The transmitter was located on the roof of the building. Wesfarmers also manufactured and sold the ‘Mulgaphone’ radio receivers. Within the first month of operation the sealed set system was abandoned by the government and the Mulgaphones were re-designed, making it possible to receive stations in wavelengths within the range of 250 metres (1200 KHz) to 2000 metres (150 KHz).

During the radio era music tastes changed radically and the nature of programming altered considerably. Before the introduction of television, radio evenings were more like TV without the pictures, for there were the dramatic serials, comedy and quiz programs. Radio serials in Australia date back to the 1930s, though many of Australia’s greatest radio serials were produced during the 1940s, as radio reached its boom stage. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, possibly the most popular programs were those of a frantically adventurous nature aimed at a younger audience.

    Many halls have been build in Perth since colonial day, which provided a venue for all manner of social activity and entertainment. The Rechabite’s Hall, located at 224 William Street in Northbridge, was purpose built for the Independent Order of Rechabites in 1924, one of 15 friendly societies that have been registered in Western Australia, which had a large following during the early decades of the 20th century and continues with smaller numbers. The Rechabite’s Hall played a significant role in the social life of Northbridge, as a venue for balls, dance exhibitions, church services, conferences, annual meetings, school productions and an election polling station.

The upper level and foyer of The Rechabites’ Hall was leased to The Perth Theatre Trust between 1986 and 2009. From 1997 – 2008, The Hall operated as a 140-seat, arena style theatre converted from an Edwardian dance hall, under the management of the Performing Arts Centre Society, (the managing body of The Blue Room Theatre), on behalf of The Perth Theatre Trust. The Hall remained unaltered until it was sold in 1947 to The Commonwealth Bank. The bank vacated the building in 1978 and Multiplex took over the space as a site office for the construction of the Alexander Library. The Performing Arts Centre Society, trading as The Blue Room, ceased management of The Hall on 31 March 2009.

Performances that were presented through the Rechabites’ included cabaret; mono-drama; stand-up; music theatre; independent film screenings; contemporary and classic texts; dance; magic and buffoon. It was the setting for edgy, alternative theatre.

    In 1926, the silent movie industry in the United States was declining due to radio, and the increasing popularity of recorded music in the form of gramophone records, which offered something that the movie theaters lacked at the time – sound. People no longer had to leave their homes for entertainment and could enjoy music, comedy, or drama simply by tuning in or playing a record.

    In 1927, the historian and foundation member of the Senate of the University of Western Australia, William Somerville, conceived the idea of a venue defined by a cathedral of Norfolk pine trees. The outdoor Somerville Auditorium will accommodate 1000 patrons on deckchair-style seats as well as 200 grass seats. Today the venue is best known for the Perth International Arts Festival’s Lotterywest Film Season from November through to April each year. The venue is also renowned for the annual In the Pines music festival organised by local community radio station RTR FM.

    The Ambassadors, in central Hay Street, was opened in 1928, being based on a grand, spanish style atmospheric theatre in America, the Riveria in Omaha, Nebraska, which opened in 1927, one year before the Ambassadors, and is now preserved as the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Theatre.

Additional venetian and roman elements were incorporated in the design of the Ambassadors, with the theatre interior designed to evoke a romantic courtyard, with a ceiling lit to imitate a star studded night sky, as if the audience were seated in an open-air garden, surrounded by exotic plants and birds.

The theatre also featured a Wurlitzer organ, which would rise from the floor to entertain moviegoers, before the screening commenced. A band also performed from the orchestra pit, and there were stage shows.

The orchestra was dispensed with in 1931 and the exterior redesigned in “moderne” style in 1938, a late type of the Art Deco design.

The organ was replaced in 1946, by a white grand piano that had a decorative role.

The Ambassadors closed on 4 February, 1972, and was demolished soon afterwards.

Ambassadors a Lost Cinema Heritage

WA TV History
The black and white film was taken by the late Ken Alexander (former projectionist, cine cameraman and TVW film editor). The film was provided courtesy of Barry Goldman, a friend and colleague of Ken Alexander. The narrator is former TVW and ABW host and reporter John Hudson. The colour photos come from the collection of cinema pioneer, the late Ron Tutt.

    The Prince of Wales was one of the two cinemas to introduce sound films to Perth on 6 April 1929, while the Regent screened The Red Dance (1928) using variable density sound-on-film, which contained music and no recorded dialogue, the Prince of Wales presented Warner’s The Jazz Singer (1927), using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc, though this movie was mostly silent, with segments of recorded dialogue and lip sync songs. The quality of the the sound-on-disc was then superior to the early sound-on-film, though this was to change with the development of variable area sound-on-film.

Al Jolson (1886–1950) was the star of The Jazz Singer in 1927, who at that time was dubbed “The World’s Greatest Entertainer”, for between 1911 and 1928 he had more than 80 hit records, and 16 national and international tours. His music was to influence the style of Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and many more.

The Jazz Singer (1927)

The son of a Jewish Cantor must defy his father in order to pursue his dream of becoming a jazz singer. – The Jass Singer was the first feature-length motion picture with synchronised dialogue sequences, but even though the film was only eighty-nine minutes long… there were fifteen film reels and fifteen sound discs to manage. The projectionist manually synced each of the reels to its own phonograph record containing dialogue and music. Much of the film was presented as a silent movie without spoken dialogue, using written captions to convey the words, as this excerpt illustrates.

    At the beginning of sound movie era there were two competing and incompatible sound systems. The Vitaphone process was cumbersome, relying on an mechanical interface between the projector and the turntable. Fox’s Movietone sound-on-film process was less accident prone, escaping the many operator errors with sound-on-disc, though required a costlier projector. By 1933, the Vitaphone system had lost popularity, but they still supplied discs until 1937, when the optical sound-on-film system won out. Meanwhile, The Prince of Wales theatre closed permanently in 1935.

The theatre’s namesake in 1922 was Edward, the son of King George V of the United Kingdom, who briefly was King from 20 January to 11 December 1936. He abdicated the throne to marry the American divorcee, Wallis Simpson and then lived in exile as the Duke of Windsor. His romance with Mrs Simpson was well developed by the time the theatre closed in 1935, during the Great Depression which lasted until the start of World War II.

The Prince of Wales Theatre was located between the Gaynes menswear store on the corner of William and Murray Streets and the Bairds department store, before Bairds demolished both buildings to contruct a modern new store on that corner.

The Bairds department store was later was taken over by Myer, before taking over Boans and demolishing that too, to construct the existing Myer Perth store.

This corner has now been completely redeveloped and is positioned above the underground rail station. The site currently comprises three office towers above two levels of retail, dining and entertainment. The large scale development weaves fully-restored, existing heritage buildings into its design. On Wellington Street theres the Wellington Building, the original Globe Hotel and the Bairds Building, along with the facade of the Mitchell Building on William Street. The former Commonwealth Bank building (completed in 1933) is the only surviving structure found in the vicinity of that corner on Murray Street.

    Not only was entertainment technology making advances, but music was also making a transition. Lyrics were being liberated from the 1920s on, with Ragtime flowing onto Jazz, which dominated the counter-culture of the roaring twenties. Blues was also popular by the 1920s, and highly influenced the Jazz Age.

    Then a branch of jazz called Swing in the 1930s influenced dance with the Jitterbug and the big band show-band music of Benny Goodman carried on into the 1940s. Other prominent band leaders and their orchestras were Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians. It was a time when the music was generally accepted by old and young alike, until Rock ‘n’ Roll alienated the elderly. Radio, recorded music and movies were to help mould the music listening culture. But until then, live performance still had a life in entertaining the masses who could afford the tickets.

    Followed the end of World War I, female dress fashion changed in the 1920s with a movement away from the long dresses to the short skirts of the “flappers” who flouted social and sexual norms. By the 1930s, this liberalism was reflected by a number of movies such that the National Legion of Decency and the Production Code of 1934 was introduced in the US. This impacted on the risque humour, tendency to show ample flesh and sexual innuendos of artists such as Mae West (1893–1980) and the Betty Boop cartoons.

    The Perth Symphony Orchestra was established in 1928 and performed many concerts in the Queens Hall (later the Regent theatre before morphing into the Metro theatre) and Perth Town Hall, of which some were broadcast on radio station 6WF. A smaller group, the Western Studio Orchestra was formed by the ABC in 1932, to then be known as the Perth Symphony Orchestra in 1937. The orchestra was named the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in 1950.

    The finely decorated Capitol Theatre opened in 1929 where the lounge foyer featured a bust of the great silent star Rudolph Valentino, and legend has it that the bust’s lips were constantly red with the adoring but heartbroken kisses of his Perth fans. The bust is today part of the WA Performing Arts Museum collection at His Majesty’s Theatre. Though initially a cinema, with the advent of television, the Capitol confined itself to orchestral concerts and other stage shows until its demolition in 1967.

    As a live theatre, its stage was graced by some of the 20th century’s legendary performers, including Noel Coward, Vivien Leigh and Sir Lawrence Olivier.

    At the base of William Street next to the Capitol theatre was Elder House which occupied Temple Court. This building also housed the Embassy Ballroom, a popular dance hall.

    It was a time when our culture was undergoing a radical change, largely driven by new technology as we moved away from the horse and cart into mass entertainment through the cinema and the ever increasing number of radio stations.

    In 1929, radio station 6WF was taken over by the Australian Broadcasting Company and moved from the Wesfarmers building to the English, Scottish and Australian Bank (E.S. & A.) building at the corner of Hay and Milligan Street, Perth. It was an an A-class radio station funded by listener licence fees.

    In 1930, Musgroves Limited opened their station 6ML (on 19th March 1930) with Clarence Serl as the engineer. The transmitter was housed on the top floor in a screened room, with its a long wire antenna strung from the top of Musgroves limited to the top of the Post office building.

    In 1931, Radio Station 6PR begins broadcasting via the Applecross Wireless Station. 6PR was then owned by Nicholson’s Limited, with studios located on the the second floor of their music shop at 86 Barrack Street, Perth. Later the 6PR transmitter move down to Alfred Cove on the Swan River, then when that site was demolished they joined 6PM on their former mast at Coffee Point, opposite the South Perth Yacht Club. Since the demolition of that transmitter site, 6PR has joined ABC radio at the Hamersley transmitter site. 6PR’s original broadcast frequency was 880 kHz – a position that it stayed at until 1978 when it moved slightly up the dial to 882 kHz with the advent of 9 kHz spacing on the AM dial. The station still broadcasts on that frequency today.

    In 1932, the Garrick Dramatic and Repertory Club was founded in Guildford, which still continues to this day as the Garrick Theatre Club Inc.

    In 1932, the Australian Broadcasting Commission Act was passed, following which The Australian Broadcasting Commission took over the premises from the Australian Broadcasting Company, and the 6WF transmitter was relocated to Wanneroo (now called Hamersley).

    Built in 1932 on the University of WA site, Winthrop Hall looks like a marble cathedral. It has an auditorium whose acoustic structure is ideal for holding classical and choral music. It has been a venue often used by the ABC for the broadcast of serious music works.

    In 1933, the W.A. Broadcasters Ltd owned 6IX was officially opened on the 27th November with its first studios situated above the Musgroves shop, known as Lyric House, Murray Street, Perth. The transmitter: was located on the roof of Newspaper House in St. George’s Terrace, Perth. The service was broadcast on a wavelength of 242 metres or 1240 kilohertz at a power of 500 watts.

   Meanwhile, live theatre was being fostered at the community level by a wide range of groups that were spread far and wide. For example, The Roleystone Theatre had its beginnings in the 1930s as a choral and amateur dramatic society, has evolved since the 1970s into a group which puts on plays and musicals. They produce, on average, five major shows every year in a heritage listed art-deco style auditorium.

    With the advent of sound with the movies and the spate of musicals which flourished through into the 1950s, light classic music such as late 19th century operettas proved popular as did that featured in the Broadway and London West End shows. Popular not only in the cinema but on radio too. Two stars of the light classic genre were soprano Jeanette MacDonald (1903–1965) and baritone Nelson Eddy (1901–1967). They became “America’s Singing Sweethearts” of the 1930s and starred in classic movies like Naughty Marietta, Rose Marie, Maytime, New Moon, in live opera, on radio and in early television. MacDonald recorded more than 90 songs during her career whilst Eddy made more than 290 recordings. Their movies were still being screened in Perth in the 1950s with Eddy making four tours of Australia, appearing in Perth at the Capitol Theatre.

    Another star to sing classics was Deanna Durbin (1921-) who by the age of 21 was the highest-paid woman in the United States and highest-paid female film star in the world. She appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias.

    In 1937, the art deco Plaza cinema opened, seating 1,313. It was located above the Plaza arcade. The theatre was renamed the Paris in 1965 and finally closed in 1984. The building still exists and is heritage listed, though access to the auditorium is now restricted to the fire escape from a rear entrance on a lane-way, midway down the arcade.

    In 1937 the ABC moved its studios and staff to St Georges Terrace, located on the edge of the Supreme Court Gardens, next to the Government House Ballroom. The building was then called ‘Broadcast House’.

    Also in 1937, 6PM became Perth’s third commercial radio station (launched on April 22, 1937 on the frequency 1000 kHz) transmitting from a site in Palmyra and stayed there until they was moved to a transmitter site at Coffee Point in 1942, on the south side of the Swan River, near the South of Perth Yacht Club, after approaches to the prime minister John Curtin were made to shift to this site. The company directors were Frank Whitford, Perth (Managing) and his brother Archer Whitford, who lived in Sydney. The first studios were located at 23 William Street, Perth, which was where Whitford’s theatre advertising and photographic theatre slide making was conducted. Both 6PM and 6AM broadcast from this building until they moved to St. George’s House, 115 St Georges Terrace in 1953. Whitford Broadcasting Network came to comprise 6PM Perth, 6AM Northam, 6KG Kalgoorlie and 6GE Geraldton. 6GE

    In 1939, the Patch Theatre Guild and Dance School was founded in Perth by Edward and Ida Beeby. The theatre operated for many years in Murray Street, then William Street before setting in Victoria Park.

    The Piccadilly theatre opened in 1939, located in central Hay Street.

   

With the outbreak of the Second World War, technology made enormous advances, which was reflected in the new ways the public were informed.

   

The filmmakers turned their attention to news reporting, which continued as a popular cinema feature until the introduction of daily television news bulletins. Southern Cross Newsreel’s ‘Westralian News’ being one, with cine cameraman Leith Goodall, the father of television veteran news cameramen Peter and Michael Goodall.

    Making a presence at this time was Jane Powell (1929-) an American coloratura soprano who started her career singing on the radio before age 13. She was also a dancer and actress who had a successful career in movie musicals in the 1940s and 1950s and appeared regularly on US television, with guest spots on most of the top variety shows during the 1950s and 1960s. Shows which were shown on Australian television, such as The Perry Como Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Red Skelton Show, The Dinah Shore Show, The Dean Martin Show and The Judy Garland Show. Hosted mainly by singing personalities whose voices were heard often on recordings and Australian radio before the revolution of Rock and the Beatles.

    In 1941, the newest station in town 6KY opened on 23rd October with a broadcast frequency of 1210 kHz – which was changed to 1206 kHz in 1978. Being the fourth commercial station in the city and the last one to open in Perth for the next 39 years. Its regional station 6NA Narrogin opened on 1951.

    In 1943, 6ML merged into 6IX. 6ML went off the air on 30th May 1943, for an oversight in that someone forgot to pay their license. The 6ML studios were then taken over by W A Broadcasters who then held the license for 6IX (West Australian Newspapers Ltd.). The merged operation began transmission officially on 17th August 1943.

    The middle aged and the elders were born in the century before and often clung to the values of that period, meanwhile the youngsters were growing up in an age of electricity, the motor car and the aeroplane… all impacted by the economic and political turbulence of the great depression and two world wars. The cinema, theatre and dance halls provided a refuge for many from the concerns of the day.

Richard Ashton provided much input and guidance in the compilation of this essay, Gordon McColl assisted in field trips and library research with Richard. Also appreciate the help provided by Dr Peter Harries, and Ian Stimson. Conversations with Coralie Condon, Audrey Long and Rick Hearder are highly valued, as they reminisced about the topic.

INDEX: Factors that moulded entertainment in Perth

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

Hollywood created an illusion with performers becoming stars who were recognised world wide. The movie musicals offered a glimpse of Broadway well beyond the streets of New York. The sale of gramophone recordings also made stars out of singers, musicians and bands. Much of this conveyed American culture to the world, which was a big influence on our behaviour by causing us to follow these overseas trends.

Amateur theatre went professional when the Repertory Club evolved into the National Theatre Company at the Playhouse Theatre.

Locally, the Edgley family had a big influence on theatre and the early days of television by partnering stage productions and arena events with TVW Channel Seven.

Television soon became the dominant influence on our everyday entertainment needs.

Theatre restaurants and cabaret bloomed as TV and theatre folk moved into the hospitality field.

Music and dance has had a big impact on our culture and what is considered acceptable behaviour. For example, there was a time in history when the Waltz was considered improper for the close contact with one’s partners body, which contrasted sharply with the stately dances of the aristocracy – the minuets, polonaises, and quadrilles – in which one kept one’s distance. the Oxford English Dictionary shows that it was considered “riotous and indecent” as late as 1825. How those notions were to change a century later when the dance floor witnessed the tango, foxtrot and the Charleston. It was to get another big shake up with the introduction of the jitterbug whilst dancing to swing music, and its lively and uninhibited variation called “Jive”, which in the 1930s and 1940s was also an expression denoting glib or foolish talk. By the late 1940s and early 1950s there was a further incarnation that evolved called Rock ‘n’ Roll.

At each step of the way there was pressure from elders wishing to impress their values on the younger generations. Obviously they did not succeed otherwise we would still be wearing hats and suits in the Australian summer and women would be wearing long Edwardian dresses and still lining up one side, and men the other, at dance halls. The modern DJ in a discotheque, music, dance styles and modern fashions are a world apart.

A lot of people went to the Embassy Ballroom in the late 50s and early 60s where the policy was half modern and half old time dancing. Jive was not allowed on Friday, or Saturday night, as the traditionalists “wanted to keep it nice”. Much of the old time was sequence dancing, which was a lot older than modern ballroom dances.

Old-time included the Circular Waltz, Country dance, Quadrille, Galop, Polka, Saunter, Gavotte, Two Step, Mazurka, Schottische, Cakewalk, Pride of Erin and many more.

Modern dances include the Modern Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep and Viennese Waltz.

Latin-American dances have also become popular in the ballroom with the Rumba, Cha-cha-cha, Samba, Jive, Paso Doble, Bossa Nova, Salsa and Mambo.

Dances that were all featured in Channel Seven’s “Invitation to The Dance”, which was produced and directed by Brian Williams, with Sam Gilkison as his associate producer in 1963. This one off special involved the Perth dance studios and dance community at that time. The prominent ballroom dance studios were the Gilkison and the Wrightson dance studios.

All dances in ballrooms were sequence dances until the early 20th century. The movie musicals featuring Fred Astaire (1899–1987) and Ginger Rogers, with whom he made ten films, and a number of others with partners such as Eleanor Powell, Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, Leslie Caron and Audrey Hepburn, increased the popularity of modern ballroom dance forms. Big musical influences in his films were George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Music which also populated the Perth radio airwaves.

Not all the big Broadway stars made their way to Australia, though promoters often brought the shows out, even if Australian performers filled the roles. Movie musicals had a big impact as the large audiences absorbed the American dance culture, with gramophone recordings and the playtime they got on radio being an important source of American music culture, until the advent of television.

Before Rock ‘n’ Roll, Crooners at the time were the dominant popular vocal style remembered by the voices of Bing Crosby (1903-1977), Frank Sinatra (1915-1998), Perry Como (1912-2001) and others. It was a time when the radio stations played everything from late 19th century operettas, to the popular music of the day, including Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Frankie Lane and Glen Miller.

Crosby’s singing style influenced many of the popular male singers who followed him. He began by playing drums in his high school’s jazz band and listened to all the hot records at the music store. During his youth, his singing idol was the singer, comedian, and actor Al Jolson (1886–1950). A road trip with musical friends gave him much exposure to the popular musical styles during the prohibition of alcohol era from 1920 to 1933 in the US, which gave him and his friends an opportunities to play and sing in establishments that illegally sold alcoholic beverages. Particularly the higher-class speakeasy… the popular venues that offered food, drink and entertainment.

Establishing himself as a big band singer, Crosby’s popularity escalated from 1934 to 1954 as he crossed over from recording music to radio and television shows. Being a leader in not only record sales, but radio ratings and motion picture grosses. He became one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century. He recorded more than 1,700 songs, appeared on 4,000 radio shows, in 100 movies, and on 300 television shows. He was to be rivalled only by Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

Crosby’s trademark bass-baritone voice paved the way for the pop vocals movement which caused a revolution within the Australian Broadcasting Commission, which had tended to prefer music of a more classical nature. Local singers and musicians were greatly influenced by overseas trends, with Perth artists emulating the styles as they followed the popular movements in music.

Interestingly, when Max Bostock was auditioning acts for television, he found that miming hit records was an early trend in WA for hopeful performers, rather that having the singing skills to carry the tune. Some comedy acts on “Spotlight” were particularly entertaining in this fashion, though later the miming of popular hits songs of established artists gained use on “Club 7 Teen” in 1967, to demonstrate the hit parade.

One of the popular show bands of the 1950s was the Norm Wrightson Dance Band where Jack Harrison played clarinet. He was also to play for the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO).

Throughout the early 1950’s, the music of the big band era still reigned until the mid-1950’s, when performers such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ray Charles, and Jerry Lee Lewis attracting the attention of youthful audiences. This was triggered by the the advent of Rock ‘n’ Roll, first popularised by Bill Haley and his Comets with “Rock Around The Clock” released in 1954 in New York and elsewhere in 1955, this injected new zest into the dance and music scene and was particularly evident when the 1956 movie “Rock Around The Clock” was screened in Perth in 1957.

Interestingly, a few years earlier in 1952, that Elder, Smith and Co. Ltd. obtained an order for repossession of the ballroom from the Embassy Cabaret Pty. Ltd.

Elders core business was as a trading company and commission agent for wool and other agricultural products for sale back to Britain. The company owned Temple Court and needed more office space so after a compromise arranged by the State Premier, the Embassy Cabaret continued in its role as a public ballroom to a modified extent, although the whole of the former supper-room on the floor below was turned into offices.

The Coca Cola Hi Fi Club Hops at the Embassy Ballroom started in 1959 and ran until 1963. This was run by 6KY announcer Colin Nichol, who was also President of the local Club, which enjoyed an attendance of about 1,000 until there was competition from Canterbury Court, which ran gigs at the same time.

These Coca Cola Hi Fi Club events coincided with the beginning of television in Western Australia. Prior to this, many of the hotels had talent quests in the 1950s and bands not only had the Embassy and Canterbury Court, but also the Cottesloe Civic Centre, Government House; and Romano’s and La Tenda Night Clubs to perform.

Another venue located in South Perth, which started in 1922 as the Pagoda Chinese Tearooms, became popular as a ballroom after the second world war. It was also used over the years for roller skating, jazz music and weddings, to now be restored and known as the Pagoda Restaurant and Bar.

    In 1947, the Mayfair Theatrette opened in Hay Street showing newsreels and short films. It was built by Joel Moss in the basement of Sheffield House, under Levinson’s, in Hay Street. When the newsreel distributors refused to supply Moss with the Cinesound Review and Movietone News, he decided to produce a local newsreel, with Leith Goodall as chief cameraman, until Cinesound Review was offered to the Mayfair. The Mayfair closed on 25 May 1968, suffering from the impact of television to re-open on 10 June 1968, as the Cinema Capri then showing feature films until it closed in September 1987. The Mayfair sat between two earlier cinemas, the Pavillion (1914-1930) at 709 Hay Street and the silent film only cinema the Palladium (1916-1926) at 723 Hay Street. Leith Goodall’s sons Peter and Michael continued in the same field, but as News cameramen for television.

    The architect George Thomas Temple Poole (1856-1934) and C.F. Mouritzen built Sheffield House at 713 to 721 Hay Street Mall, in Perth, and also built the Capitol Theatre and Temple Court at the foot of William Street. Sheffield House is a majestic Inter-War Chicagoesque building that is part of an important collection of historic buildings facing on to the Hay Street Mall.

The Heritage listed building was occupied by W. Richards Engineer in 1918-20, Harrison & Co, Manufacturing Agents in 1921, C. M. Finlayson Dress-cutting and Paulines Milliners in 1922-25, Levinson & Sons Jewellers, Watchmakers & Optometrists in 1926-49, the Carlton Club Dining Rooms in 1927-46 (Basement) – Mayfair Theatre (Basement) in 1947-68, Cinema Capri (Basement) in 1968-87. The basement is now occupied by JB HI FI. There has been considerable layout modification, where the basement no longer resembles the former cinema auditorium.

    At the end of the 1940s, a once unsightly area that was little more than a sandpit was terraced to seat an audience facing the Shann Memorial at the University of Western Australia, which was flanked by two lily ponds and an arched rustic bridge. It was cleverly transformed from a quarry, used for the construction of the Hackett Memorial buildings, to a secluded amphitheatre with gardens, ponds and terraced lawns.

    The new venue became known as the Sunken Garden and was first used for a theatrical production of Oedipus Rex in 1948, which earned the plaudits of Laurence Olivier and Vivienne Leigh among others. Jeana Bradley of UWA was the director.

    In 1951, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Western Australia was established with the first production being H.M.S. Pinafore, held at the Assembly Hall in Pier Street from April 30th to May 9th, 1953. Bernard Manning, a professional performer trained in England, was instrumental in forming the society, in which he played an active role in ensuring the Society’s success for the next 10 years, until he died on May 5th, 1961.

    It was also in 1951 that ‘Edgley’ and ‘Dawe’ moved to Perth to manage His Majesty’s Theatre.

    52 years earlier, and In the same year that motion picture films first appeared at the Queen’s Hall in William Street, Perth, the theatre performer and impresario Eric Edgley was born in England with the surname White. Eric and his younger brother Clement developed a song-and-dance routine and went on the vaudeville circuit under stage-names to ‘Edgley’ and ‘Dawe’ (which they claimed came from London street names).

    Clem Dawe and Eric Edgley toured Australasia, the United Kingdom and South Africa, doing shows under various arrangements, and moving from performers to promoters.

    They moved to Perth in 1951 to manage His Majesty’s Theatre and bought a seven-year lease of the theatre in 1954, though brother Clem died suddenly in 1955.

Phillip Edgley (1930-1999), was the eldest son of Eric by his first marriage. Phillip’s mother died in childbirth. Phillip was a stage and television performer in Western Australia and an early newsreader with TVW Channel 7 and the host of TVW’s first variety show called Spotlight.

Christine Edgley, who was trained as a classical and modern jazz ballet dancer, had a short acting career before performing as part of an aerial act during the first season of Disney on Parade in Adelaide, but was sadly hurt when the contraption they were hanging from collapsed. In the accident, her pelvis, ankle and hip were broken and the base of her spine was damaged. Eighteen months later she was not only recovered but married the Mexican dancer Dante Palomino. She was to became involved in the organisational side of the family business.

The advent of television in Perth in 1959 caused a slump in theatre attendances until Edgley succeeded in gaining exclusive access and arranging highly successful Australasian tours by the best that the Soviet Union had to offer between 1962 and 1966, with many more to follow. Eric and second wife Edna mortgaged their Perth home to bring out the Moscow Variety Theatre. Edgley presented the Georgian State Dance Company (1963), the Omsk Siberian Dance Company (1964), the Great Moscow Circus (1965), the Berioska Company of Russia (1966) and the Mazowsze Dance Company of Poland (1966).

Interestingly, Eric’s sister Dorothy married the Russian-born violinist Gregory Ivanoff (1884-1965) in 1927. Ivanoff settled in Australia during the First World War. In Australia he regularly appeared on the concert circuit as a virtuoso violinist and conductor of light musical theatre all over the country. He became musical director of the St James Theatre, Sydney, and later moved to Hobart where he broadcast, taught and gave concerts until his death in 1965.

When Eric Edgley died in 1967, his son Michael, at the age of 23, carried on the entrepreneurial business. He presented his first show the next year, a Moscow Circus tour which attracted an audience of 1.2 million and grossed more than $7 million. It was the capital and confidence which resulted from this initial success which launched Edgley into a career as Australia’s most successful entertainment entrepreneur. The family bought the freeholds of His Majesty’s and its adjoining hotel. Though they sold both properties in 1972, they retained a lease on the theatre until 1976.

After successfully managing his company from Perth for many years, Michael moved to Sydney, in order to involve himself in Australia’s fledgling film industry. His first film venture, “The Man From Snowy River”, was a major success, grossing nearly $20 million in Australia, and more than $25 million in the United States. Other film projects include the highly successful “Phar Lap”, as well as II An Indecent Obsession”, “Burke and Wills” and “The Coolangatta Gold”. Michael Edgley has been associated with such renowned attractions as London’s Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Marcel Marceau, Torvill and Dean, the Moscow Circus and many more.

When Edna, the matriarch of the family died age 89 in 2000, she was survived by her two children, Michael and Christine, and six grandchildren.

Unfortunately in 2011, Michael Edgley’s decision to dabble in property development during his retirement has overshadowed the successes of the showbiz entrepreneur, when he filed for bankruptcy with debts of $7.3 million. This is not expected to affect his work as a consultant in the entertainment industry, including work for the touring Moscow Circus, which has been owned and operated by other members of the Edgley family and their partners for a number of years. As such, Edgley occasionally returns to the business, working for his son Mark who runs the Moscow Circus. His daughter, Gigi, is an actress.

    In 1952, the West Australian Ballet was established by Madame Kira Bousloff to be the first ballet company formed in Australia, and which is still in existence today. The ballet made its first stage appearance 1953 at His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth, with 35 dancers and first major television appearance in Brian Williams’ version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet masterpiece, The Nutcracker in 1963.

    Also in 1952, the Graduate Dramatic Society (GRADS), a not for profit theatre production company was established to be a leading source of fine, mostly classic, theatre in Western Australia. Membership of GRADS, was originally for graduates of UWA, but has now been extended to graduates of any tertiary institution, and non-graduate members are welcome as associate members. They present up to three performances per year, with the Dolphin Theatre as the prime venue.

The 1950s was also a time when the American tenor Mario Lanza (1921–1959) whose short career from the late 1940s and the 1950s, covered opera, radio, concerts, recordings, and motion pictures, not only featured in movie musicals but the soundtracks and his other music got considerable air play on Perth radio.

    In 1954, the Liberty Theatre was opened in Barrack Street, showing predominantly foreign films.

    Perth’s first drive-in theatre the Highway opened in Albany Highway, Bentley. The growth of drive-ins continued into the 1960’s despite the advent of television, which had a big impact on both live and cinema activities.

    Then in 1956, the Savoy Theatrette opened in Hay Street showing newsreels and short films. It was located in the basement of the Heritage listed Savoy Hotel, which was built in 1912. The space was originally a billiard hall, and was converted into the Savoy Theatrette in 1956. It operated as a newsreel theatre, also screening short subjects and cartoons, in one hour long programmes. When television arrived, the Savoy Theatrette went over to screening full length feature films from mid-1959. In 1975, the programming policy changed to R-Rated adult films.

   

The Repertory Club, which become a fully professional theatre company called the National Theatre, following the move to The Playhouse at 3 Pier Street, Perth, on Wednesday 22 August, 1956, after the site of the former Church of England Deanery tennis court was transformed into a live performance theatre.

    The Playhouse remained one of the city’s principle venues for performing arts until replaced by the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia in January 2011.

    In 1959, TVW Channel 7 opened, providing the first television service in Western Australia. The following year ‘Teenbeat’, initially hosted by David Farr, became TVW’s first Rock ’n’ Roll effort with Brian Prior, Clive Higgins and the Zodiac Allstars. This show was succeeded by Club Seventeen, with Gary Carvolth then Johnny Young and the Strangers.

    It was also a time of transition for Harry Bluck (1915-1991) whose band provided music for many of the revues at the Repertory Club, when he became the band leader for Perth’s first TV variety show called “Spotlight”.

Prominent dance teachers of the day were Shirley Halliday, Sharyn Woodhouse and Norma Atkinson. The Ballroom dance fraternity also played a role with the Gilkison and the Wrightson dance studios, who amongst others performed in the 1963 Brian Williams directed dance extravaganza “Invitation to the Dance”. The Repertory Club developed from humble beginnings in 1919 and it was not until the ‘Company of Four’ that WA gained its first professional theatre company of local artists set up after the war by Harold Krantz, Sol Sainken, Lily P. Kavanagh and Nita Pannell. John Birman, the Director of Adult Education was also most helpful. The Repertory Club and the Company of Four evolved into a fully professional theatre company called the National Theatre, following the move to The Playhouse at 3 Pier Street, Perth, on Wednesday 22 August, 1956, after the site of the former Church of England Deanery tennis court was transformed into a live performance theatre. Meanwhile, the local Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Western Australia was established in 1951. Then in 1952, the West Australian Ballet was established by Madame Kira Bousloff to be the first ballet company formed in Australia, and which is still in existence today. The ballet made its first stage appearance 1953 at His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth, with 35 dancers and first major television appearance in Brian Williams version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet masterpiece, The Nutcracker in 1963.

WA’s first television director, Beverly Gledhill was trained by the ABC before joining ATN-7 in Sydney. Both Beverly, Gordon McColl and others attended a one year course at North Sydney Technical College run by husband and wife team Bob and Pat Mondel, who later continued training in this field in the United States. The course involved all operational roles in television and the production of closed circuit TV programs related to other courses at the college, which proved a valuable learning aid. At this time the Sydney ABC television studios were located at Gore Hill, which neighboured the North Sydney Technical College.

Meanwhile, Brian Williams trained in television at Melbourne Technical College and the ABC TV Training School in Sydney. Brian rose rapidly from studio supervisor to producer and director and as the youngest producer/director in Australia at that time, he was responsible for a broad range of productions within the ABC and later at Seven in Perth.

Seven’s first floor manager on the opening night, Frank Evans, attended a very primitive form of training in Perth where cameras were cardboard boxes on a tripod in the absence of real studio equipment. Earlier, Frank Evans was a sound effects officer with the ABC in Perth, skilfully providing the atmosphere to radio drama productions. Most of seven’s staff learnt on the job and only a very few had experience elsewhere in television. In comparison, ABC TV staff in Perth received extensive training at Gore Hill, the headquarters of ABN in Sydney.

Both Lloyd Lawson and Richard Ashton attended a Television Production techniques at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology which had a very small television studio equipped with PYE cameras, vision and audio mixers. Lloyd had recently been appointed TVW Production Manager and it was Lloyd who alerted Richard to employment opportunities at Seven in Perth. At that time Richard was producing commercials at GTV9 and HSV7 whilst working for the Noel Paton Advertising Pty Ltd and subsidiary Warwick Advertising Services.

    In 1960, ABW Channel 2 began broadcasting. ABC radio and the newly created ABC TV station was now operating from new studios in a purpose built building in Adelaide Terrace, Perth.

    Also in 1960, the old Dolphin Theatre came into being at the University of Western Australia. The theatre had been an engineering workshop and was named after the dolphins that frequently played in Matilda Bay. It was a weatherboard building that was demolished after the new Dolphin came into use in 1976. The present Dolphin has a large stage and is well equipped with lighting and sound rigs and a fly tower.

   In the 1960s the Lido at Cottesloe was the first cabaret club to feature a stripper and was run by Ron Jenkins, drummer Nutty Cooke, piano Jimmy Beeson and bass player Peter Harrison of ABC fame. It is now a cafe.

6IX became wholly owned by W.A. Newspapers in 1963.

    Also in 1963, eight enthusiastic amateurs formed Harbour Theatre in Fremantle. Its first home was the upper floor of the Evans Davies Library in South Terrace and by November 1989 had performed its 100th full length production. In 1995 the group was forced to departed from the Evans Davies Building, and as a temporary measure, Harbour Theatre performed at the Tivoli Theatre, in the suburb of Applecross, for about 18 months until a lease was arranged at the Princess May Building (previously known as the Princess May Girls’ School) Harbour Theatre had always been self sufficient, never having to call on Government or other funding bodies for support. Then in December 2008, Harbour Theatre, in conjunction with many other community theatre’s in WA, were successful in receiving a grant from the Ignite Funding for WA Community Theatre by the Department of Culture and Arts. In December 2009 whey were forced out of the Princess May Building into a temporary venue at the Port Cineaste Building at 70 Adelaide Street, where there is a seating capacity of 117, until a more secure home could be found. Harbour Theatre perform 5 seasons a year with at least 4 full plays and occasionally a season of 1-act plays.

    Towards the end of the Capitol Theatre’s life it became a popular venue for Australian and overseas rock stars. Everyone from Gene Pitney, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Dusty Springfield in 1964, the Rolling Stones, Dave Clark Five, The Seekers and The National Bandstand Tour in 1965 with Max Merritt and the Meteors, Lynne Randell, Jade Hurley, Ray Brown and the Whispers, Merv Benson, Bryan Davies and Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, then there was Bob Dylan in 1966 with other popular acts to include Normie Rowe and Johnny Young.

MAX MERRITT &THE METEORS

Recorded by TVW7 OB cameras in the 1960s at the Capitol Theatre in lower William Street, Perth.

How things have changed from the “Bodgies and Widgies” at Scarborough’s Snake Pit at the early Rock ‘n’ Roll venue of the 1950s, to the great Folk revival of the 1960s which began in the late fifties (Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens), the anti-Vietnam War (1962-1975) Protest Songs that crossed genres and included civil rights, the British invasion with the arrival of the Beatles in the 1960s, the peace, music, sex and drugs of Woodstock in 1969, the punk and hip-hop shakeup of the late 1970’s, the US based 24-hour outlet of music videos on MTV and the ABC’s Countdown with Molly Meldrum (1974-1987) pop revolution of the early colour TV period, Perth’s first commercial FM radio station 96FM began broadcasting on 96.1 MHz on August 8, 1980, Heavy Metal erupted 1970-1991, Stadium Rock dazzled 1965-1993 (Queen), then Alternate rock 1980-1994 (Nirvana) and Indie 1980-2007 (Oasis) taking music back to its roots in the clubs and bars.

    In 1964, the New Fortune Theatre came into use at the University of Western Australia, which is a unique venue based on the original Fortune Playhouse (London, circa 1600) of Shakespeare’s time. The first production was Hamlet, directed by Jeana Bradley and Philip Parsons, and involving Graduate Dramatic Society members.

    The New Fortune is an ideal venue for reproducing Shakespearean-era plays in their unique performance space. Located within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the theatre also makes a unique setting for dance, drama and music. It can seat up to 508 patrons on four levels around the stage.

    In 1965, STW Channel 9 in Perth begins transmissions. Early STW local shows included “All My Eye and Betty Martin Too”, “The Jeff Newman Show” with Ron Blaskett as producer, “Anything Goes” (not to be confused with the Peter Dean and John Fryer show of they same name on TVW), “Peter Harries Presents”, “Tonight with Don Spencer” which had Bruce Allan doing his famous mime act.

    Lloyd Lawson moved to STW in 1966, where he read the news and presented a woman’s program called ‘Roundabout’. Audrey Barnaby joined Lloyd on the program at the beginning of 1966, co-hosting with Veronica Overton.

    Lloyd became a household name and Western Australia’s first television star, owing to the reaction of viewers at that time. He was recognised for his rich, resonant and eloquent voice and people treated his personal appearances as significant events.

    Veronica Overton became a regular face on STW Channel 9 and a household name after appearing on the Channel Niners Club children’s program with Peter Harries, Peter Piccini, Useless Eustance (Alan Graham the station Newsreader), Ron Blaskett and Gerry Gee. Veronica Overton also produced the Breakfast Show with Tim Connor, prepared invitations for the Women’s and Children’s shows, appeared on the afternoon women’s programs, presented the ‘Weather’ each week-night, appeared on the The Tonight Shows and did voice-over presentations in the announcer’s booth. When Veronica left STW, Jenny Clemesha took over many of her presenting roles.

    In 1969, The Octagon Theatre was opened within the grounds of the University of Western Australia. The Octagon is an intimate thrust stage venue which has hosted opera, classical and popular music, dance, theatre, stand-up comedy and seminars. Versatility is the feature of The Octagon with stage extensions increasing width to 12 metres or the removal of the thrust stage to allow installation of 100 additional seats. Removing half the stage reveals an orchestra pit.

    Though television was making a big impact on cinemas and live entertainment, during the 1960s and 1970s, Channel Seven and Michael Edgley were cross promoting everything from the Great Moscow Circus, the Bolshoi Ballet to Disney On Parade. At His Majesty’s Theatre, in the big tent or at the Perth Entertainment Centre. Cross promotion also promoted talent appearing in Perth nightclubs, and by arrangement, it gave the TV stations a good source of talent for their variety shows

    Entertainers from far and wide were appearing on ‘In Perth Tonight’ and at popular nightclubs like La Tenda. ‘Club 7 Teen’ and Johnny Young had guest performers and promoted the local bands, which appeared at the Embassy, Canterbury Court or any number of popular venues. Seven and Nine conducted a number of talent quests from ‘Perth’s New Faces’, ‘The Entertainers’ to ‘Stars of the Future’ and ‘Young Entertainers’. Radio also did an excellent job promoting all manner of local attractions, often supported by competitions and other forms of public involvement.

    6PM was sold to Sir Frank Packer and the Whitford Broadcasting Network was renamed Consolidated Broadcasting System (CBS).

    Between 1850 and 1960 in Britain there existed a popular form of theatrical entertainment called Music Hall which was similar to American vaudeville, and involved a mixture of popular song, comedy, speciality acts and variety entertainment. This concept was revived in Perth in 1967 when Coralie Condon joined with Frank Baden-Powell to open the Old Time Music Hall. This started up initially in the former Braile Hall on the corner of Stirling and Newcastle Streets in Perth and then presented on a grander scale in Fremantle, before settling into the Civic Theatre Restaurant in Beaufort Street. The theatre restaurant notion proved popular, leading to Diamond Lil’s and then the Island Trader. In 1970 they opened Dirty Dick’s Elizabethan Room, which spread nation wide, with premises in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and several regional centres. At one time there was even a Dirty Dick’s in Los Angeles. The theatre group also toured extensively throughout the country with a selection of about fifteen shows.

    In 1972, Peter Harries with entertainment partner Kelly Green, business partner Gavin Worth, and his many friends opened up the the Knight Klub Night Club in Como, with its colourful and high spirited floorshows.

    In 1976 Max Kay opened his incarnation of the Civic Theatre Restaurant where he wrote, produced and performed in his own shows. The “Five past Nine” shows as they were called, incorporated a unique blend of singing, dancing and sketch comedy (which gave birth to some favourite characters, including the World War II Japanese Officer “Colonel Itchy Knackers” “Rhamet Upya” the Pakistani Immigrant, “Luigi Savadamoni”, and many others). The Civic Theatre was a successful Perth icon, for 25 years, playing to over 1.5 million people, and employing up to 100 people during the busy seasons including stage performers, stage technicians, administration and sales staff and food and beverage staff.

    Peter Harries points out that the Burswood casino, theatre and club complex killed off all the traditional cabaret clubs in Perth.

Richard Ashton provided much input and guidance in the compilation of this essay, Gordon McColl assisted in field trips and library research with Richard. Also appreciate the help provided by Dr Peter Harries, and Ian Stimson. Conversations with Coralie Condon, Audrey Long and Rick Hearder are highly valued, as they reminisced about the topic.

INDEX: Factors that moulded entertainment in Perth

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

With the loss of venues such as the Capitol Theatre, and the need for a new town hall, Perth’s culture experienced a lift with the opening of the Perth Concert Hall. Radio took a step forward with the introduction of FM stereo broadcasting. Perth’s third commercial TV station was launched in an era of colour television. NEW Channel 10 is now about to celebrate its 25th Anniversary on May 20, 2013.

Digital radio was then introduced in all States and Perth enjoyed new theatre, ballroom and convention facilities with the opening of the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre and the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia in Northbridge.

The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University now enjoys international recognition for putting Perth on the world stage with the quality of its graduates.

What an accomplishment for the most isolated city in the world, and such a contrast with the battling Swan River Colony, with its limited scope for entertainment.

In 1969, The Herald and Weekly Times took over W.A. Newspapers and of course 6IX with its country radio stations, known as WACN (The WA Country Network). Stations in this group were 6WB Katanning, 6MD Merredin and 6BY Bridgetown. But owing to Government media ownership laws, the 6IX Radio Network was then sold to TVW Limited in July 1970.

In 1970, the Town Cinema opened in Hay Street, not far from where the Existing Apple Shop is now sited.

Will Upson made big band music popular again in Perth during the 1970s. He became musical director of TVW Channel 7 in 1973 and formed the “Will Upson Big Band’ in October of that year, before moving to STW Channel 9 in 1978 as their musical director.

The Perth Concert Hall was opened in January 1973 to become a centre for musical performance, with the auditorium featuring a 3000-pipe organ surrounded by a 160-person choir gallery and an audience seating capacity of 1,729. The West Australian Symphony Orchestra performs most of its concerts at the Hall, which has played host to a wide range of internationally acclaimed performers including the London Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Israel Philharmonic and contemporary performers B.B. King, Sting, KD Lang, Harry Connick, Jr., Melissa Etheridge, Ray Charles, Rowan Atkinson and Billy Connolly. It has also hosted national and business conventions, school and university graduation ceremonies, exhibitions, award ceremonies and civic functions. All the activities that the 1870 opened Perth Town Hall is too small for.

An art deco cinema that opened in 1938, was sold in 1946 to the veteran picture showman Clarence (“Paddy”) Baker, an entrepreneur of the cinema, travelling through the wheat belt areas of the state with his projection equipment, showing movies in the community halls of rural towns. Paddy’s family have been associated with the site since the open air Coliseum Picture Gardens operated behind an elegant two-storey façade on the northwestern corner of Hay Street and Rokeby Road, where the Regal Theatre now stands. The Regal Cinema was converted into a live theatre in 1977 by lessees John Thornton and Stan Bird.

When Paddy died in 1986, he left his beloved theatre to the people of Western Australia. It was John Thornton and Stan Bird who instigated the Baker Theatre Trust, which now owns the Theatre on behalf of the Public of this state. In 1993, the theatre underwent a major redevelopment with a complete rebuilding of the stage. The Regal Theatre is now ideally suited to all forms of theatrical productions including stage shows, concerts, comedies, operas, film festivals and rock shows.

In 1980, 96FM gained the distinction of being Perth, Western Australia’s first commercial FM radio station, being launched on 8th August 1980 by Brian Treasure with the financial support of Kerry Stokes and Jack Bendat.

In 1983, Fremantle’s Deckchair Theatre was founded, and was housed at Fremantle’s historic Victoria Hall, at 179 High Street. Across its nearly 30 years, hundreds of Australia’s most talented writers, directors, designers and performers have been brought together in Fremantle to collaborate on the creation of original works. For our ever-evolving audience. Many have gone on to tour far and wide, garnering a swag of awards, including a highly coveted Edinburgh ‘Fringe First’ for Outstanding New Production and most recently a WA Equity Guild Award for Best Director. Its mission is celebrating new Australian writing and telling Western Australian stories.

Victoria Hall was built as a parish hall for St John’s Church in 1896 – its name was changed to celebrate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee in 1897. Over the years, the venue has been an assembly hall, happy hour club, scout hut, boxing venue, and more.

In 1988, NEW Channel 10 Perth opened in Perth. Former TVW co-founder Brian Treasure’s West Coast Telecasters, funded by Kerry Stokes and Jack Bendat, was the successful applicant, though the company was sold to Frank Lowy’s Northern Star Holdings before they went to air, as a result of a change in government policy. A number of key TVW management and staff were involved with the new channel. These included Bill McKenzie (Managing Director), Stuart Joynt (founding News Director), Marion Leyer (Director of Production) and Glenys Gill (Program Manager).

Television Station NEW10 Perth was launched at 6pm on Friday 20th May 1988. The station was the first new TV facility in a capital city in 14 years and was the culmination of a substantial legal wrangle that ended the court based TV licence selection system in Australia. Channels Nine (STW) and Seven (TVW) made a considerable windfall profit by delaying the commencement of a new TV station in “their” Perth market.

Before the launch fanfare the station licence owned by Kerry Stokes was sold in conjunction with CTCTV Canberra and ADS10 Adelaide to Network Ten, which subsequently went into liquidation. Network Ten was then picked up by Frank Lowy’s Northern Star Group.

Frank Lowy funded the NEW10 Perth startup in new studio facilities at Dianella, and a new transmitter facility at Carmel. NEW10 Perth commenced test pattern transmission from Carmel in February 1988.

Northern Star sold Network Ten back to the banks for a $300 million loss in about 1989 then Canadian company Canwest picked it up for a song. Australian Capital Equity in a complex deal with Ten, independently advanced NEW10, ADS10 & CTCTV fortunes until 1995 when Charles Curran returned NEW10 Perth (West Coast Telecasters Ltd) back to Network Ten Australia.

Ten news was very successful on NEW10 until the hosts were shifted to read news for Perth to Sydney studios in 1998. This Canwest initiative to save money backfired when discerning Perth viewers went elsewhere.

On 31 December 1990, 6PM was the first AM radio station in Perth to convert to the FM band. The new station was branded 6PMFM (call-sign 6PPM) on the frequency 92.9 MHz. Now known as 92.9FM.

In 1991, the Jack Bendat owned 6KY was the second AM radio station in Perth to go FM, initially being identified on-air as 94.5 KY FM, later to be known as Mix 94.5.

In August 1993, 94.5FM purchased PMFM (now 92.9) from Kerry Packer.

In 1993, the Triple M network in the eastern states, bought 96FM and renamed the station Triple M.

In 1994, the Triple M network, owned by Hoyts Media, was in financial difficulties and sold to Village Roadshow, who then sold the network to Austereo, in return for a controlling share of Austereo.

In 1997, Village Roadshow subsidiary Austereo purchased radio stations 92.9FM (former 6PM) and 94.5FM (former 6KY) from Jack Bendat, but Australian media ownership laws required the divestiture of Triple M (former 96FM), so Village Roadshow sold it to Southern Cross Broadcasting (a division of Fairfax Media from 2007), which also owned AM radio station 6PR. Southern Cross then returned the station back to its original ‘96FM’ branding.

Opened in August 2004, the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre can cater for functions of up to 5,000 delegates with six exhibition pavilions, a 2,500 seat Riverside Theatre, the BelleVue banquet/ballrooms and 23 specialist meeting rooms. The Perth Convention Centre regularly hosts events of all types. From live music and shows to corporate functions, events and exhibitions. An annual event is the the Channel Seven Perth Telethon, which is regarded as the most successful fundraising event per capita in the world.

Fifty six years of 56 years of Amplitude Modulated (AM) wireless was to exist before the more superior Frequency Modulated (FM) stereo broadcasting was introduced to Perth by 96FM. Then Digital Radio entered the scene when the new technology was celebrated by Australian commercial radio and the public service broadcasters on 6th August 2009, when more than 40 different radio stations held a simultaneous outside broadcast in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

All stations Digital Radio breakfast – Preview

WA TV History
On Thursday 6th August 2009, the PERTH venue was FORREST PLACE for the Digital Radio breakfast with participating stations and personalities…
Austereo Mix 94.5 The Bunch with Fred Botica, Lisa Shaw, Joss Dwyer, Paul Shepherd
Austereo 92.9 Em and Sam Mac now with Basil Zempilas – Emelia Rusciano, Sam McMillan & Basil Zempilas
DMG Nova 937 Nathan & Nat with Shaun McManus – Nathan Morris, Natalie Locke, Shaun McManus
Fairfax 6PR Breakfast with Millsy & Tony Mac – Tony McManus & Steve Mills
Fairfax 96fm The Crew with Gary, Fitzy & Aleysha – Gary Shannon, Brad “Fitzy” Fitzgerald & Aleysha Knowles
Capital 6iX Johnny Young’s Big Breakfast
and ABC 720 Breakfast with Eoin Cameron

Digital Radio Launch

WA TV History
In a world first, Australian commercial radio broadcasters and the public service broadcasters put competition aside on Thursday 6th August 2009 when more than 40 different radio stations held a simultaneous outside broadcast in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide to promote digital radio.

92.9FM (former 6PM) and sister station Mix 94.5 (former 6KY) was part of the Austereo Radio Network, then on 6 April 2011, Southern Cross Media purchased a majority of the Austereo Radio Network and they were merged to form Southern Cross Austereo in July 2011.

In 2011, Perth’s $91 million State Theatre Centre of Western Australia opened in Northbridge. The centre features the 575 -seat Heath Ledger Theatre and the 200-seat Studio Underground. It also includes The Courtyard, a multi-purpose outdoor events space, two rehearsal rooms and two flexible use private suites.

Since the National Theatre Company’s closure in 1984, The Playhouse was home to The Playhouse Theatre Company [1984–85], Western Australian Theatre Company [1985–1991] and Perth Theatre Company [1995 – present], now managed by AEG Ogden (Perth) Pty Ltd on behalf of the Perth Theatre Trust. As of 2010, the Black Swan State Theatre Company and the Perth Theatre Company are the resident companies of the State Theatre Centre, since it opened in January 2011, on the corner of William Street and Roe Street in Northbridge.

The wrecker’s ball has now removed the 54-year-old Playhouse from the Perth landscape.

In 2012, one of the features of the Perth Fringe World Festival involved the creation of seven different performance spaces throughout the old Treasury Building and the neighbouring Perth Town Hall. The performances, dubbed the Treasury Cabaret, ranged from burlesque and aerial acrobatics to cabaret, comedy, music and theatre productions. It was the first time in over 15 years, that the historic building was open to the public. The complex of government buildings contained Perth’s first General Post Office (1889) and original Western Australian Treasury Department (1874), Lands Department (1893) and Titles Office (1897).

In a few years the site will be permanently transformed as part of a redevelopment of the wider central city precinct.

Based in Perth, Western Australia, Sugar Blue Burlesque is both a performance troupe and burlesque academy. Reminiscent of the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s, Sugar Blue Burlesque describes itself as…

“…a unique blend of classic burlesque and elaborate vintage costumes, with authentic vintage dances, circus, comedy, music and crowd pleasing theatricality!

The talent behind Sugar Blue Burlesque includes some of Australia’s finest, award-winning swing dancers, respected dance instructors and dedicated historians of the period, Western Australia’s most spectacular lady circus performers, bright young comedians, actors, as well as Perth’s finest costumiers!”

Sugar Blue Burlesque Fringe Festival

Sugar Blue Burlesque at the Spiegel Tent for the Perth Fringe festival 2011.

The festival hosted more than 50 shows with a strong line up of local and national performers over the course of three and a half weeks. The state government contributing $387,000 from the Department of Culture and the Arts and $700,000 from Lotterywest. There were some free shows, whilst others ranged in price from $5 to $40. About 180,000 people attended the festival, buying almost 50,000 tickets for an outlay of nearly $1.1 million.

Training in the performing arts

Though our television is largely ignoring the renaissance that is taking place with the performing arts in Perth, it is alive and well in the academies where young artists are prepared for the available national and overseas opportunities. The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University is recognised nationally and internationally for the quality of its graduates, and provides a most comprehensive range of training. Students can choose from a number of internationally recognised courses. Theres world-class staff working in state-of-the-art performance and teaching facilities that provide rigorous and specialised training.

The WAAPA has an impressive range of production, rehearsal, teaching and performance facilities and services available to support students and there are eight public performance spaces constantly in use for performances and concerts. These include the 270-seat Geoff Gibbs Theatre, the 130-seat Roundhouse Theatre, the 165-seat outdoor Music Auditorium, the Enright Studio, Dance Studios and Jazz Studio all designed for more intimate performances.

Our state may be a dominant force economically, but that is not reflected in our television, which is a slave to the eastern states from where virtually all content is broadcast, other than the news. If we can on a per capita basis outperform most other states in producing talent and generating wealth, then one may wonder why our innovation runs out when it comes to originating TV, cinema and theatre content for the national and world stage, rather than Western Australia remain a quarry in more ways than one?

In 2001, the Museum of Performing Arts opened at His Majesty’s Theatre to celebrate Western Australia’s rich and colourful entertainment history, following events from the earliest days of the Swan River Colony, through the goldrush to the present, with constantly changing exhibitions of costumes and memorabilia.

Thanks to the generous donations every genre of the performing arts can be represented, from music and opera to stand-up comedy.

Throughout its colourful and exciting history, His Majesty’s Theatre has hosted a myriad of performance genres – from ballet to contemporary dance, opera to musical theatre, vaudeville to stand-up comedy, Shakespearean drama to pantomime and more.

Performers who have graced the stage at ‘The Maj’ include: Dame Nellie Melba, Anna Pavlova, Gladys Moncrieff, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Sir Robert Helpmann, as well as Academy Award winners Katharine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Sir John Gielgud, Claudette Colbert, Rex Harrison and Geoffrey Rush.

Richard Ashton provided much input and guidance in the compilation of this essay, Gordon McColl assisted in field trips and library research with Richard. Also appreciate the help provided by Dr Peter Harries, and Ian Stimson. Conversations with Coralie Condon, Audrey Long and Rick Hearder are highly valued, as they reminisced about the topic.

INDEX: Factors that moulded entertainment in Perth

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

    Between 2010 and 2013, Digital will replace Analogue PAL TV transmissions in Australia. There won’t be much choice as analogue is being switched off in stages across the nation. Analogue has served us well over the years, but like the typewriter, steam train and horse and cart, technology has progressed and old methods give way to the new.

    The first black and white analogue television transmission commenced in Western Australia when TVW Channel 7 opened on Friday 16th October, 1959. Within six months, Perth was to receive its second television station when ABW Channel 2 opened on Saturday 7th May, 1960. It was another five years before STW Channel 9 opened on Saturday 12 June, 1965. It would be another twenty three years before Perth got its third commercial TV station NEW Channel 10 on on Friday May 20, 1988.

54 Years of Analogue TV – the End of an Era

WA TV History
This video traces the establishing of TVW Channel 7, ABW Channel 2, STW Channel 9 and NEW Channel 10 in Perth, Western Australia. It also covers the 54 years of analogue broadcasting from the four stations, which has been compressed into highlights as a tribute to the programs and those who made it all happen.

    Analogue television provided a low definition television service until the introduction of digital TV in 2001, and would continue the operation in WA until its closure in 2013.

    A lot of pioneering content and historic events were transmitted during the analogue 625 line television era in Australia. A system that was then superior to the United Kingdom’s 405 line and the United States 525 line systems. The UK’s 405 line system was considered high-definition at the time and remained in operation until 1985. Though in 1964, the BBC launched its BBC2 service on UHF using a 625-line system, following which 625-line PAL colour was introduced in 1967, eight years before Australia.

    In the United States, the National Television System Committee came up with the ‘NTSC color standard’ in 1953, which some jokingly referred to as “Never The Same Color” twice. With the advent of digital television, US analogue broadcasts are also being phased out. Most US NTSC broadcasters were required by the The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to shut down their analogue transmitters in 2009. Interestingly, the US chose a different digital broadcasting standard to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, when it opted for the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) system, whilst we went with the Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DVB-T) method.

    Meanwhile back in the pioneering era, television was generating considerable competition and Cinemas fought back with not only Technicolor films but also CinemaScope widescreen, the high definition 70mm format, stereo sound, early attempts at 3D, and a multitude of other innovations, film processes and film gauges, all described by some registered commercial name, such as VistaVision, Cinerama, etc.

    Now television enjoys the benefits of these innovations with high-definition, widescreen, colour and even 3D, with the possibility of 4K and 8K resolution receivers coming on the market in the future.

    Before all this, Western Australian television operated in isolation during the early days. A coaxial cable link was built between Sydney and Melbourne in 1963, and marked the first step in the establishment of effective national networking for Australian TV stations. This only impacted on the east coast of Australia, as WA would not have a direct (though expensive) television link with the rest of the country until 1970. Otherwise, programs could only be exchanged by freighting in films and videotape content.

    The year after STW opened in 1965, there was the historic first live satellite transmission between Australia and the United Kingdom, which took place on Friday November 25th, 1966. During this, the ABC hooked up with the BBC and TVW Channel 7 hooked up with the UK commercial station ITN. This involved the world’s second commercial communication satellite, Intelsat II (nicknamed Early Bird 2), which inadvertently went into a non-synchronous orbit and gave the broadcasters a small window of opportunity to make this historic link-up.

    Regional Western Australia began experiencing the roll out of commercial television services when BTW3 Bunbury launched on the 10th March 1967, with the transmitter located at Mt Lennard (co-sited with the ABC). Then GSW9 Southern Agricultural (servicing Albany and Great Southern) launched on the 29th August 1968, with the transmitter located at Mt Barker (co-sited with the ABC). Meanwhile, the Australian Broadcasting Commission extended their national service to the country areas by conveying ABW2’s signal to an increasing number of regional TV transmitters across the State.

    The historic “Our World” broadcast, became the first live global satellite television television production on the 25th June 1967, in a hookup involving fourteen countries. Unfortunately, WA could not participate in this live event as there was no television link to the eastern states until 1970.

    In 1969, Perth was able to view the Apollo 11 Moon landing when ABC engineers in Perth devised a solution to enable WA to benefit from the broadcast.

    The signal from the Moon was received in Australia by the NASA Honey Suckle Creek Tracking Station, with the Parkes Observatory used to relay communication and telemetry signals to NASA, providing coverage for when the Moon was on the Australian side of the Earth.

    Earth stations receiving the signal from the Moon included the 64 metre Goldstone antenna in California in the USA, the 26 metre antenna at Honeysuckle Creek near Canberra in Australia, and the 64 metre dish at Parkes in New South Wales, Australia.

    NASA’s Honey Suckle Creek Tracking Station then sent the moon vision to the OTC Moree Earth Station in NSW, for uplink to the Intelsat III F4 satellite above the Pacific Ocean, which passed it on to not only the Jamesburg Earth Station in the US, but also the OTC Earth Station at Carnarvon in WA, which then sent it along the coaxial cable to Perth TV audiences.

    This enabled not only the ABC, but also commercial TV viewers to see the live TV of Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon.

    In the first few minutes of the broadcast, NASA alternated between the signals being received from its two stations at Goldstone and Honeysuckle Creek, searching for the best quality picture.

    A little under nine minutes into the broadcast, the TV was switched to the Parkes signal. The quality of the TV pictures from Parkes was so superior that NASA stayed with Parkes as the source of the TV for the remainder of the 2.5 hour broadcast.

    As the 1960s drew to a close and the 1970s began, more regional stations opened across the State. The installation of translator stations gave rural viewers over a much wider area access to television. Some stations serviced vast areas with only small populations.

    The cross nation telecommunications link was established before a sealed road when the East-West microwave broadband system was introduced in 1970.

    VEW8 Kalgoorlie, plus the VEW3 translator at Kambalda (Red Hill) started in November 1971.

    GSW10 Southern Agricultural (servicing an Albany blind spot) was launched in August 1974, with a translator on Mt Clarence in Albany (getting the signal via Mt Barker).

    In 1975, colour television was formally introduced into Australia.

TVW’s Colour Outside Broadcast Van

   The isolation of Perth was gradually being reduced by not only improved telecommunications links with the rest of the country, and flowing on from that the rest of the world through growing satellite traffic, but also the belated sealing of the Eyre Highway which crosses the continent, connecting the east to the west. It was finally completed in 1976.

    Though AMPEX developed the first mass produced professional videotape machine in 1956, it was not until 1976 that the first VHS domestic video cassette recorder was introduced. At first there were two formats, VHS and Betamax. Betamax was introduced a year earlier and even though it produced better quality, VHS won the marketing war to become the dominant home videotape format.

    GTW11 Geraldton was launched in 1977.

    In 1980, Multicultural Television began in Sydney and Melbourne on VHF channel 0 and UHF channel 28 and gradually spread across the country to become known as the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS).

    1986 saw the introduction of a new, domestic satellite called AUSSAT which enabled people in remote and rural Australia to receive TV, radio and reliable telephone services for the first time. TV and radio broadcasters were now able to share programming in real time and businesses would be able to create data links between distant premises. This paved the way for TV networking on a grand scale, which saw the beginning of the end for autonomous stations as ownership become more centralised.

    In March 1986, SBS Television used AUSSAT to bring its national programming into Perth for broadcast on UHF.

    NEW Channel 10 in Perth opened on Friday May 20th, 1988.

    Community television was introduced to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide in 1994, broadcasting on ‘Channel 31′. In 1999, Access 31 started broadcasting in Perth but it was wound up in 2008.

    In 1995, optical disc program storage came with the introduction of the standard definition Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) format, which resulted in the VHS tape format losing market share. It was versatile as the computer industry also adapted the format for data recording and storage.

    Digital terrestrial television in Australia homes commenced on the 1st of January 2001, in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Digital broadcasting has a number of enhancements, primarily higher-quality picture and sound, additional channels, datacasting (news, weather, traffic, stock market, and other information) but also video program guides and high definition.

    ABC1 became the first digital ABC TV channel, initially broadcasting in high definition. Then ABC2 was launched in 2005, as a standard definition digital-only channel that shows repeated programs from ABC1, as well as some original content including news programs, children’s shows, animation, and music shows. December 2009 saw the launch of the standard definition ABC3 digital-only children’s channel. In 2010, ABC News 24, Australia’s first free-to-air news dedicated channel, replaced the former ABC high definition simulcast of ABC1. Then ABC 4 Kids, a digital shared channel began on the 2nd of May 2011.

    Since 2001, the commercial stations also expanded their digital services.

    Seven’s prime station 7 and 7TWO remain standard definition, with 7Mate being the high definition offering.

    Prime7’s advertorial channel TV4ME is also standard definition.

   Nine’s prime station 9 and GO remain standard definition, with GEM being the high definition offering.

    TEN’s prime station 10 and ELEVEN remain standard definition, with ONE being the high definition offering.

    TVSN the Television Shopping Network began broadcasting on standard definition after they partnered with Network Ten to make the channel available to metropolitan viewers, and with affiliate Southern Cross Ten to regional viewers.

    SBS One, SBS Two are standard definition stations with SBS HD in high definition.

    NITV is the National Indigenous Television standard definition station.

    WTV or West TV is now the standard definition community station license holder in Perth.

    In 2010, West TV or WTV, the current free-to-air community television station in Perth began broadcasting in standard definition digital format on logical channel 44.

WTV Perth Promo Reel

WA TV History
West Television (WTV) is a new Western Australian free-to-air TV channel that is a community focused broadcaster aiming to reflect Australia’s multicultural diversity and provide an alternative local view platform.

    The high definition Blu-ray Disc player was officially released in 2006, with sales slower at first than DVD, until High Definition Television (HDTV) sets became common. But now Blu-ray faces competition from video on demand, with people downloading content over the internet.

    From a domestic program recording point of view, hard disk-based digital video recorder (DVR) systems now allow for many hours of recording, due to the ever increasing storage capacity of hard disks, with the cost to size ratio improving all the time.

    On the 16th of April 2013 over 722,000 households across Perth joined Australia’s digital TV viewing revolution when the analog TV signals were switched off. There are now more than 3.7 million households across Australia watching digital TV.

    Channel Nine analogue went off overnight, SBS was next off at 0859:12, followed by TEN at 0859:15, the ABC at 0859:24 and finally Seven at 0859:31 on the morning of April 16th.

    On the 25th of June 2013 analogue TV will be permanently switched off across areas of regional and remote WA and free-to-air TV will be broadcast in digital-only.

So what does the future hold?

    From a consumer point of view, the next big trend seems to be to watch TV when you please. For many of the younger generation that means on the move, on smart-phones and tablets, and ‘on-demand’ at a time that is convenient to the viewer.

    From a manufacturer point of view 4K (2160p) and 8K (4320p) Ultra high-definition is being pushed to encourage viewers to buy new receivers, though content first needs to be available for that to happen.

    Right now the US broadcast networks are carefully preparing their fall schedules, mulling over which show will perform best in what timeslot. But according to Media Life Magazine, such considerations are becoming passé for many TV viewers as an increasing number are setting their own TV schedules, according to a new study from the Harris Poll, conducted by Harris Interactive. It finds that 78 percent of Americans have watched TV shows via new technology such as Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), online streams, video on demand or buying full seasons of programs on DVD. An example is Netflix, where members watched more than four billion hours of video during the first three months of 2013, according to the company’s CEO Reed Hastings, who took to Facebook to publish the milestone.

    One form of program delivery is referred to as Over-The-Top Content (OTT) where consumers access programs through internet-connected devices such as PCs, laptops, tablets, smart-phones, set-top boxes, Smart TVs and gaming consoles such as the Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Its content that arrives from a third party and is delivered to an end user device, leaving the internet provider responsible only for transporting IP packets. In the US, the over-the-top video market grew 60% last year to pass $8 billion, driven by companies like Netflix, Hulu, Apple and Amazon, according to new figures by ABI Research, who predict that as mobile and other connected devices continue to spread, the market will pass $20 billion by 2015.

    YouTube is also looking a repositioning itself to take on broadcast TV, now that their audience has hit a billion viewers a month, according to YouTube’s global director of platform partnerships, Francisco Varela, whilst speaking at TV Connect (formerly known as IP&TV World Forum) in London. Its a venue where broadcasters, telcos, content providers and OTT players can meet over three days.

    YouTube Vice President Robert Kyncl says the company is also considering allowing content creators to charge a subscription fee. He points out that this could bring even more content to YouTube and provide their creators with another vehicle to generate revenue from their content, beyond the rental and ad-supported models YouTube currently offer.

    Interestingly, short YouTube videos of cute kittens in embarrassing situations, dogs on skateboards or babies biting their brother’s finger can attract more eye balls than the highest rating TV shows.

    Meanwhile, a new study from Temkin Group, a research and consulting firm based in Massachusetts, finds that people spend nearly as much time online as they do watching television. The advertising dollars are more spread these days, though the internet still has a long way to go before they match television advertising, but in terms of the time people spend with the Internet and television, they have almost caught up. The point is that the change in the advertising dollar is trending towards the internet, and Google in particular.

    One positive trend for TV is in an international study shows that a majority go to television first for breaking news. The internet is the second source of choice for most respondents. A further breakdown shows that laptops were the second highest “primary and first device” when it comes to breaking news, with 24 percent of respondents indicating this as their initial port of call. This is followed by smart-phones with 18 percent, tablet devices with 7 percent, radio with 5 percent and newspapers with 3 percent.

    A lot of this will relate to how fast a particular media can respond. Live television pictures coming from the Twin Towers, or Boston Marathon tragedies will place the viewer there as news is being made, whilst a web page needs to be written and formatted before it is available. But once a streaming feed is established, its much the same as live TV. Though the time taken to set up a broadcast or web page is minuscule compared to preparing, printing and distributing a newspaper.

    The popularity of smart-phones, tablets and other portable devices is on the increase among younger generations, the households can look forward to greater increases in picture quality as television developments move from HD to Ultra high-definition. This will make greater demands on the broadcasting system, transmitters and receivers, with the technology coming in 4K and even 8K resolutions. It will be such that the picture quality will soon be greater than most eyes can observe.

    Some youngsters don’t see the point, as they tend not to view their content on the lounge room big screen. With their better eye sight, a high resolution screen on a tablet will do the job, with stereo earphones giving them privacy. When they are mobile, their smart-phone fills the need.

    Internet bandwidth speed and cost will be a big factor here. The out and about generation will make more demands on the mobile networks, though downloading may take place in the home for storage and then sharing with their portable devices. There is also a big push for people to use the ‘cloud’, which really means storing their content at a big data centre that can be accessed from anywhere.

    All of these innovations are rule changers and put more pressure on the old business models and traditional media. New concepts are being dreamt up daily by smart young entrepreneurs, so its becoming increasingly difficult to guess what the next big thing will be. Amazon (1995), eBay (1995), Google (1998), Facebook (2004), YouTube (2005) and Twitter (2006) are all relatively new manifestations to take the world by storm.

Steve Worner has sadly advised the passing of Bryan Dunne.

Bryan was a much liked TVW News cameraman from 1969 to 1988, a period that experienced the transition from film cameras to electronic news gathering (ENG).

“Bryan – known as ‘BD’ around his colleagues – had served in both the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army prior to his working at TVW. 

He was the last survivor of that generation of TVW cameramen that included Digby Milner, Tom Hall, Lu Belci, Stan Jeffery, Matt Williams and Peter Makowski.”

Other noted cameramen included Bill Meacham, Peter Goodall, Don Hanran-Smith, Alex McPhee, Brad Pearce, Steve Thompson, Roger Dowling, Gordon McColl and Ian McLean.



Steve explains that,

“Bryan had a great memory for facts and names and when I had a yack with him at the TVW reunion back in 2009, his mind was still sharp as a tack, and he pointed out to me that he still carried a notebook and pen in his shirt pocket.”

“I’ve attached a picture of Bryan in his army days, in Vietnam – this pic is in the Australian War Memorial’s collection. As Bryan was an army photographer. The AWM has many photographs that he took, but very few that include him!”

“The other pic is of BD at the TVW reunion in 2009.”

Former TVW Head Cameraman Bill Meacham kindly reminded us that…

“One of Bryan Dunne’s great capabilities was if he had to cover a sound on film story and had no journalist with him he would set up his CP 16, place the ‘talking head’ in a position close to his camera, switch on and walk in and do the interview..great job done and a great fellow was our Bryan.”

David Hemingway remembers working with Bryan when Prince Charles came to town in 1979,

“The company had just bought the first ENG camera’s connected to a ‘portable’ BCN tape machine that weighed about 20kilos! I had to lug this machine behind Bryan on Cottesloe Beach (it was the time that Perth bikini model Jane Priest kissed Charlie).

I was only 19 then but it just about killed Bryan who, thanks to his beer belly, didn’t move too fast at the best of times!

He was an ‘old school’ film man and wasn’t too happy about using the new fangled ENG camera which was much heavier than the old Arri film cameras.”

The RCA TK76 was the first self-contained portable News video camera used by TVW. Manufactured in the USA in 1976

Prince Charlie’s famous kiss

WA TV History
The Prince Charles beach kiss was captured by Seven News cameraman Bryan Dunne using an RCA TK76 camera with David Hemingway recording the video signal on a ‘portable’ BCN videotape machine.

TVW’s first News Editor Darcy Farrell remembers Bryan capturing the beach kiss affair…

“It wasn’t all that impromptu. Leading Daily News journo Hugh Schmidt put Jane up to it and he made sure there was sufficient media on hand at Cott to get the pics.

Hugh was brilliant at organising news ‘stunts’. The pic went around the world and gave Jane a place in WA folklore.”

Janet Prance (Gill) kindly provided this added insight…

The event definitely happened at North Cottesloe. Jane was one of the models working for me on behalf of the Department of Industrial Development in Fashion Parades for Western Australian fashion manufactures and designers, at the Royal Show that year. She came in to the dressing room, with the story of how it all happened!

The latest I know of Jane, is she is doing very well as an artist in NSW. I think there was an article on her as an artist in the Women’s Weekly, back a couple of years or so.

Darcy Farrell also remembers Bryan Dunne as an outstanding human being working in a profession which was always demanding.

“Bryan never lost sight of the fact that he was, first, a responsible and caring member of the human race and a devout family man.”

“He had qualities to which we all aspire.”

Former TVW managing director Kevin Campbell said that,

“Bryan was a great guy who just got on with what he had to do & he delivered.

A great employee & team man that any company should welcome.”

Former TVW journalist Greg Milner fondly remembers,

“Good old Bryan, I worked closely with him for years and years. One of the world’s gentlemen.”

Jenny Alford of Seven News said that it is,

“So sad – I remember Bryan well, a lovely guy, one of the last of the original cameos.”

Bryan Rupert DUNNE (18/6/1928 – 3/4/2013)

Bryan Dunne passed away peacefully at Brightwater, Mandurah at 1.00pm on 3.4.2013.
Devoted husband of Ailsa (dec) 26.8.2010. Much adored father, grandfather and friend.
The Cremation Service was conducted on THURSDAY (11.4.2013) at FREMANTLE Cemetery.

Friday, 5 April 2013

DUNNE (Bryan):
Crossed the Bar 3.4.13 Long serving member NAA Mandurah. Sincere sympathy to all the family. President, Committee and Members NAA Mandurah.

DUNNE (Bryan):
Fond memories of Bryan now at peace with Ailsa. Deepest sympathy and love to his family.
Bob (dec) and Gwenda Taylor and family.
A gentleman.

Saturday, 6 April 2013

DUNNE (Bryan):
Fond memories of years slipped away.
Brian and Sue Burke.

DUNNE (Bryan):
It is with personal sadness that we extend our deepest sympathy to Bryan’s family. Our friend of many years whose company we always enjoyed. So many wonderful memories. Norma and Bob Manners.

DUNNE (Bryan Rupert):
Farewell to our much loved uncle. We have some wonderful memories and photos of special times past. Sincere sympathies to all the family. May he now rest in peace.
Roslyn, John and family.

Monday, 8 April 2013

DUNNE (Bryan ): My very special dad, there are so many wonderful memories of our lives together. I was lucky to have you as a father. Always in our hearts LuLu, JF, Luka and Tishan

DUNNE (Bryan):
The Ancient Mariners express their sincere condolence to Bryan’s family in the loss of their beloved father. RIP.

DUNNE (Bryan):
Treasured memories of my great mate Bryan. We shared 64 years of a wonderful friendship. We shared our last handshake on Tuesday. You will be forever missed. Heartfelt sympathy to all the family. Keith and Doris Farringdon

DUNNE (Bryan):
Crossed the bar 3.4.13. Foundation Member of F.A.A.A.WA. Sincere sympathy to Leanne and family. Members of the Fleet Air Arm Assoc. WA

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

DUNNE (Bryan):
A gentleman, a loving dad who lived an amazing life. The memories will live through your photos and films. Love always, Bev, Gary, Amy and Callan. xxx

DUNNE (Bryan ): Peace at last for our much loved Dad and Poppa. Always a wise word and a warm hug. Leanne, Amber, Jade and Stuart.

Condolences to Alison and her extended family. A sad loss of your loving dad & poppa. He obviously loved all you very much. I remember him sitting amongst you all at family gatherings soaking up the joy that brought him like an insatiable sponge! Leonie & Eva
~ Leonie Wight, Perth, Western Australia

Fondest Memories of Good Times Past, RIP Bryan. Sincerely Bill & Evelyn Weatherill & Family.
~ Evelyn Weatherill, Bunbury, Western Australia

Wednesday, 10 April 2013

DUNNE (Bryan ): Loving memories of a wonderful Uncle who valued family connections so greatly. Our deepest sympathy to all the family.
Love from Judy, John and family

Peter Dean’s funeral service at the Fremantle crematorium West Chapel on Thursday 21st March 2013 was attended by many, where his brother-in-law Bob Pride filled in the historical elements in a moving eulogy. Family members then gave those assembled a private glimpse of Peter at home with loved ones, always the entertainer amusing friends and those closest to him.

A good crowd had gathered outside the chapel waiting for the hearse with pallbearers to arrive, followed by a long line of folk paying their last respects.

More than 500 people attended the service, including his wife Delys and his four children Phillip, Cindy, Jonathan and Andy. His coffin was topped with flowers and a can of Emu Bitter.

Peter’s career spanned five decades on radio and television in Perth and will be remembered for the long running radio program ‘Can We Help You’ with John Fryer on 6IX, and TVW7‘s Saturday night variety show, ‘Anything Goes’ — a program that in 1973 won a TV Week Logie for Most Popular Program in Western Australia.

Peter Dean also worked for STW9 and 6PR.

Peter will be fondly remembered for the 1985 Telethon comedy item ‘Triplets’, with Max Kay and Jenny Seaton, where as babies in high chairs they threw porridge at each other. This was a musical number taken from the 1953 film ‘The Band Wagon’, which in turn was taken from the 1937 Broadway musical comedy, ‘Between the Devil’. Peter, Max and Jenny’s 1985 performance was played in full during the service, to the great amusement of all present.

The eulogy to Peter Dean was delivered by his brother-in-law and former ABC journalist, Bob Pride.

The celebrant was Reverend Jeremy James, with master of ceremony 6PR radio personality Harvey Deegan, reflections on a colleague and great mate provided by John Fryer, Jenny Seaton and Max Kay, a tribute to ‘Mr Telethon’ was given by Jamie Martinovich, reflections on an enduring love conveyed by daughter Cindy Dean Antulov with friend and colleague Trisha Bartoll, memories of a father from sons Phillip and Andrew Dean, followed by memories of their grandfather from Brooke Mwyer and Ellie Dean.

A detailed slideshow followed…

Hundreds of friends, colleagues and members of the family were present to pay their last respects, with many standing as the numbers swelled beyond the confines of the 250 seat chapel.

Coralie Condon, the grande dame of the theatre and first lady of television in WA, will celebrate her 98th birthday on May 16th, 2013.

Peter Harries and Pixi worked alongside Peter Dean during his time with STW9.

John Cranfield was a fellow announcer with Peter at 6IX.

Mementoes of a most successful radio partnership – Peter Dean and John Fryer.

A foundation in Peter’s name is soon to be established with the purpose of assisting Motor Neurone Disease support and education.

    The local broadcasting legend Peter Dean passed away in the early hours of 13th of March 2013 at St John of God Hospital Murdoch, aged almost 76, following a short and courageous battle with Motor Neuron Disease.

7News : Peter Dean dies

7NEWS
One of the great stars of West Australian television and radio has passed away. Peter Dean made people laugh and smile for more than five decades.

    Peter entertained Western Australian audiences from the late 1950s. First from 6VA Albany, followed by 6PR, where he was one of the ‘Good Guys’, to 6IX where for 17 year he coupled up with John Fryer to present ‘Can We Help You?’ in Perth. He was there in the first year when STW Channel 9 began broadcasting, and was later a veteran of TVW Channel 7, appearing on everything from variety shows such as “Anything Goes” with radio partner John Fryer, to the children’s session as Shortsighted Seymour, appearing on Earlybirds, filled the costume of Fat Cat’s Mom, one of the hosts of “Perth’s New Faces”, appeared briefly on ‘Stars of the Future’ and participated for many years in Channel Seven Telethons. Former TVW owner, Robert Holmes à Court referred to him as ‘Mr Telethon’, and in 1989, Peter was honoured by having a Pediatrics Fellowship named for him.

Behind the Scenes at TVW Channel 7 in the 1980’s

WA TV History
In 1982, Richard Ashton wrote an produced a 19 minute video tour of Channel Seven, which was presented by Peter Dean.

Peter worked a total of five decades in radio and television from the late 1950s to the early 1990s.

ABC, TEN and Channel Nine veteran John Barnett reports that his wife Joan and Peter Dean were good friends in their teens, as members of an amateur theatrical group called The Southern Review, which was in existence in the early to late 1950’s.

Joan began there when she was 17 in 1954 and Peter was there then. They put on concerts in the Victoria Park Town Hall (no longer in existence) with once a week rehearsals in the library hall in Vic Park.

No surprise, Peter did comic sketches and skits as well as singing in the chorus.

    Veteran TVW producer/director Richard Ashton advised that during the 1950s Monte-Bello Island A Bomb tests, Peter served as a National Service sailor on board the HMAS Royal Australian Navy Bathurst class corvette Junee, which at that time was engaged mainly on training duties in Western Australian waters until 1957.

    In the first National Service scheme between 1951 and 1959, all young men aged 18 were called up for training in the Navy, Army or Air Force. Richard points out that at this time the Menzies government was worried about the communist threat. The ongoing skirmish was The Malayan Emergency (1948-1960), a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). It was also the cold war period against Russia and China.

    Peter was called up for a term of six months of Navy training and participation between January and June of 1956, which also coincided with the last of three British A Bomb tests in Australian waters.

Former West Australian journalist and fellow Nasho Ken Casellas reports that Peter was the life and soul of the party at HMAS Leeuwin naval base and on the ship.

He was an extraordinarily popular fellow with his jovial and good natured disposition. He was everyone’s mate.

    Ken points out that HMAS Junee was anchored six and a half miles away from the blast with the ship’s crew standing on the deck to witness the event, turning away only for the duration of the initial detonation and flash of intense light.

Richard Ashton was also a naval Nasho and explains that when Peter was asked about his exposure during the A Bomb blast, he would say…

”Nothing the matter with me… burble burble burble”

Ken Casellas said that two or three Nasho reunions have been held since, with Peter always present.

Entertainer, television veteran and academic Dr. Peter Harries has kindly outlined early aspects of Peter Dean’s career:-

Peter Dean was a Junior Clerk in the Taxation Department aged fifteen in 1955. After five years of auditioning he was given a job on Radio 6VA Albany. He was hired by STW9 as a Booth Announcer and News-reader in late 1965.

STW9 ventured into the world of local ‘live’ studio production with a ‘Tonight’ styled variety program, The Jeff Newman Show. It was aired at 9.30 p.m. on Thursdays for about four months. It featured pianist/arranger Peter Piccini with a four piece band, ‘advertainment’ segments, local guest artists and studio audience participation. The show made great use of station personalities Veronica Overton, Lloyd Lawson and Peter Dean who appeared in situation sketches produced by Denzil Howson. Jeff Newman eventually resigned from STW9, after being replaced as host of his own show by Peter Dean.

In 1968 the STW production manager Denzil Howson decided on a dual News presentation by Lloyd Lawson and Peter Dean. One of Howson’s ideas was to build a News Desk Set which was the correct height for the presenters to stand to read the News. As an old actor, he reckoned that they would have better ‘diaphragm control’. Soon after, Howson was replaced as Production Manager and the practice lapsed.

Peter later joined TVW7 and remained with them till 1996.

Murray Jennings reminisced about Peter Dean getting him a job at 6IX:-

I first met Peter in November, 1960, when I joined 6PR as a raw, nervous announcer on six months probation. He was always full of beans, on and off air. We were never very close, what with shiftwork, etc, but I grew quite fond of him. How could you not?

I was sacked when 6PR changed hands in late 1962. I wasn’t ‘commercial enough’. I went east and got work in NSW commercial radio.

I worked with Peter again, at 6IX in Mounts Bay Road from 1967 to 1969. The same Peter, all that energy and good cheer in ‘Can We Help You?’. Lovely bloke.

I decided to get out of commercial radio, resigned and went back east, working for two years as a writer / editor, auditioning for the ABC a couple of times, but I was ‘too commercial’ for them.
You can’t bloody win!

Then, in early 1972, back in Perth, my wife very pregnant, I auditioned at the ABC and they said they’d let me know. Don’t hold your breath. So I phoned Peter at 6IX to ask if he knew of anything going. He did. A week later, I was back at my old station, albeit out at Tuart Hill in new studios. I enjoyed being back with some of the old gang, Peter included.

I’d almost forgotten the ABC audition, when three months later, I got a call from them. When can you start? I had to give 6IX plenty of notice and I had to apologise to Peter, who’d put me up for the job. But he understood. He even confided in me some time later, that he’d been envious when I got the job at the ABC.

And the last time I saw him was one afternoon, probably around 2000, when he interviewed me briefly at 6PR about the ‘good old days’ in Perth radio.

(Peter was the original ‘The Way We Were’ host on 6PR until Steve Gordon took it over.)

My memories of Peter will always be of a man with an abundance of energy, a great sense of fun, and a big heart.

Interestingly, Peter did work briefly for the ABC’s 6WF (720) before returning to 6PR.

Radio veteran and media historian John Cranfield remembers Peter at 6WF:-

Peter did do some fill in shifts on 6WF.

I remember because I was one of his guests once.

Peter, although briefly did a few “Spotlight” spots on 6NR (Curtin Radio) too, in the early nineties, as part of Memory Lane.

   John says that Peter told him recently, that when he worked at 6VA Albany, he used to share a flat with Jim Atkinson, who of course later worked at TVW Channel Seven.

    Listeners may remember that for 15 years the late Jim Atkinson broadcast on community radio station Curtin Radio 6NR with his nostalgia program “Memory Lane”.

Tribute to Peter Dean (1937-2013)

WA TV History
Radio veteran and media historian John Cranfield kindly provided the background and much of the memorabilia to make this tribute possible, as did Richard Ashton with the photographs courtesy of the Channel Seven photo archives. Terry Spence kindly supplied early footage courtesy of STW Channel 9, and Channel Seven also provided much valued early footage.

John Cranfield has kindly provided the following background and memorabilia to track Peter’s career over the decades:-

    PETER DEAN came to 6PR in 1959, after his first broadcasting job at 6VA in Albany.

    At 6PR Peter quickly rose to be one of Perth’s leading disc jockeys, taking on the popular “Teenager Tunes” from 4.30 to 6 each afternoon.

    Peter stamped his own modern style on the programme.

    It was a competitive time of day on WA radio. He competed for ratings, at various times with Buddy Clark (6KY), Colin Nichol (6PM and 6KY), Gary Carvolth (6PM), Alan Robertson (6PM) and the man who would be his long term radio partner.. Johnny Fryer (6IX). All very talented.

    Peter did well at 6PR broadcasting from 340 Hay Street, and management recognised his huge talent and superb voice.

    And it wasn’t only the teenagers who loved to listen to Peter Dean. His day time broadcasts by 1963 included “Singalong” and “Music-Go-Round” shows, both in the morning. At Midday Peter was back behind the 6PR microphone with “The Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music Show”.

    Sunday mornings 6PR had Peter broadcasting Top 40 Music from 7am till Noon.

    A busy announcer indeed!

    In fact, 6PR management in July 1962 called Peter Dean ‘King of the Teenagers’ in WA. In Fact, management stated Peter was in such demand, that many sessions were pre-recorded by him.

    1964 was an exciting year for Perth Radio, particularly 6PR. Ownership had changed and the new management decided to make the station a pop music 24 hour radio setup. This didn’t happen over night, but gradually. Of course Peter Dean was in the thick of it.

    6PR Announcers became the “Good Guys”. What a team they were. The original announcers were Johnny Lehman, Peter Hahn, Alan Robertson, Keith Taylor, John May, Wyburn Taylor, Bob O’Brien and of course Peter. Sadly, with Peter gone, there are now only two left; Keith and Bob.

    Meanwhile, 6IX had lost its top DJ star in 1963 to go to join the Sydney Good Guys at 2SM.

    That DJ of course was Johnny Fryer.

    6IX needed a star to replace John. So in August 1965, Stan Gervas, snapped up Peter Dean.

    Peter adapted to the 6IX sound very quickly. He worked on air from 1 till 6 every day except Saturdays. His show comprised of music from “The Golden Sound” with interesting items thrown in, competitions etc.

    It was in February 1966 that John Fryer returned to his old Perth station 6IX.

    The next big success in Peter’s professional life happened by chance really.

    Peter and John would chat to each other, making jokes and reminiscing when changing shifts.

    This entertaining unplanned talking was noticed by the 6IX innovative programmer Stan Gervas.

    So the great Peter Dean and John Fryer officially started in May 1966.

    Stan initially gave the two a one hour programme, later extended to two and called “Can We Help You” A staff of three and technical team given to them.

    The programme stayed on air till August 1977.

    With Ken Hill leaving 6IX for the horse racing world, Peter in early 1967 took over the Breakfast Session as well as Can We Help You.

    Peter only gave up the early mornings to join STW Channel 9.

    There was no way 6IX were going to lose Peter from Can We Help You to television.

    So Peter stayed part time at 6IX.

    The radio show was topping the ratings in a tough battle with Garry Meadows (6PR), John Luke (6PM) and Tony Doherty (6KY).

    Peter loved radio.

    So in June 1969, Peter returned full time to 6IX, in a programming and publicity role.

    Of course “Can We Help You” kept on going.

    1970 was rather a tumultuous time for 6IX. Change of ownership, change of general manager and change of location.

    Peter was head of programmes during these times, making sure 6IX kept its identity and not be swallowed up by television. A difficult task done well.

    With 6IX under the same roof as Channel 7, the TVW executives saw, and of course had Peter on their TV screens.

    But radio shows don’t last forever.

    So when the clever people from Sydney were employed by TVW to overhaul the radio side of their business, the Peter and John Show came to an end. All the years later, the logic in that decision is still hard to fathom.

    In a way, 6IX has never recovered dropping the magic of Peter and John.

    Peter stayed on air at 6IX for several years, and gradually moved down the long corridor at the Tuart Hill studios to the TV end. John Fryer moved to 6PR.

    But again, Peter returned successfully to radio.

    After his retirement from TVW, Peter went back to his old station 6PR. There he was entertaining us Saturday and Sunday nights 6 till midnight.

    The contribution Peter Dean made to radio in Western Australia is immeasurable. This contribution to what went over the airwaves of course, but no less to the people he worked with. He helped, encouraged and entertained his colleagues so much

    I can say without fear of contradiction radio could do with Peter Dean today.

    Sadly that is not possible.

    Peter you deserve a rest. Until we meet again, Farewell Peter.

Meanwhile kind words and tributes to Peter have been flowing in from every quarter…

Peter was a dedicated trouper who brought humour and happiness to so many people.
regards
Darcy Farrell

Thanx for the Peter Dean tribute.
He was/is a very good entertainer and real showman.
VALE PETER.
Gordon O’Byrne

Jocelyn Treasure
Sad news indeed Ken, my condolences to his family.
The memory of this entertaining, warm-hearted and generous-spirited man will leave the world a poorer place.

Luise Nelthorpe
I was very sad to hear about Peter Dean – he was just the nicest man, always friendly, helpful and so so funny!! ….and he never lost that wonderful sense of humour as he got older (not turning into a grumpy old man for Peter!) Thinking back on the fabulous days with him and John just makes you realise that radio personalities of today have never ever stepped up to the mark of those two. Losing Peter is a real sadness.

Richard Ashton
I think you’ll agree that Peter was a good bloke and great talent.
Many good things he has contributed to both Radio and TV over the years.

As we drove back from 7 today my mind flashed backed to the times we recording music and songs
for Christmas Pageant floats sound systems at Bob Purvis studio down at Myree.

Peter wrote and did the false voices and songs music played and recorded by Bob
for many children stories we needed on floats when I couldn’t find already recorded music tracks
that would suite. For example a song version of “The Old Women Who lived in a Shoe” “Gulliver Travels”
“We are the Pirates of the High Seas” etc etc.

Talented bloke…a sad loss…

Just heard the sad news about the passing of our old mate Peter Dean.
Attached pic was taken in 1985 on one of our many Exmouth fishing expeditions.
Peter loved these annual excursions, and loved fishing.
He was a wonderful man, well liked by all and will be sadly missed.

Regards,
Keith Spice

I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of Peter Dean, I had the pleasure of growing up with him on the radio and later working with him when I worked at TVW, also I remember Ken Mosedale with fondness when I worked with him in the fledgling BTW in Bunbury in the late 1960’s.
Thank you for keeping me in touch.
Cheers
Ernie Oxwell

To Andy Bales and family…
I am so sorry to hear this news. A very talented and nice man to work with and everyone loved him.
I wish you and your Family well and thinking of you at this sad time.

Be proud. He was a wonderful man.

Sincere regards
Keith Bales

Funeral Notice

The Funeral Cortege for Mr Peter Mark Evans Dean of Ballajura, formerly of Dianella, will arrive at the main entrance of FREMANTLE Cemetery, Carrington St, Palmyra at 2.00pm on THURSDAY (21.3.2013) for a Cremation Service.

No flowers by request, donations in lieu to the establishment of a new foundation in Peter’s name to be announced.

Death Notices in the West Australian Newspaper

DEAN (Peter): Peter Dean passed away in the early hours of March 13 at SJOG Hospital Murdoch after a short and courageous battle with Motor Neuron Disease. Peter will be fondly remembered by many thousands of West Australians whose lives he touched. He is survived by his loving wife Delys, children Phillip, Cindy, Jonathan and Andy, sister Judy and brother David, and adoring grand-children Brooke, Ellie, Lewis, Daniel, Jessica and Taj. The family wishes to sincerely thank the staff at ICU Murdoch for their unwavering care and support, particularly Drs. Ian Jenkins, Andrew Kelly, Peter Bremner, Bart, Tim, Lydia, Megan and nurses Mark, Fiona, Deidre, Jo, Angela, Kim, Pat, Leanne and Kat.

Thursday, 14 March 2013

DEAN (Peter):
A dear friend for many years. A wonderful trouper and a marvellous contributor. Great memories of early Civic Theatre days. Our heartfelt sympathy to Delys and family. Norma and Max Kay and family.

DEAN (Peter): So many wonderful and happy memories of one of life’s most wonderful people. Rest in peace Pete. Condolences to all the Dean family.
Kenny Walther

DEAN (Peter):
Dozens of years of fabulous entertainment for the families of WA. Always the pro, always on top of your game, never a dull moment. Deano, you were – are – a legend. Thanks for the memories, mate. We’ll miss you. Your friends and family at Channel Seven Perth.

Friday, 15 March 2013

DEAN (Peter):
Yes Pete, I’m told they do play golf upstairs…you can also get a coldie but most of all continue to keep everyone happy – don’t change a thing. Losing an old buddy with a heart as big as yours is hard to handle but thanks for all the success we shared over the years – you’re a legend. Delys, our love and thoughts will continue to be with you and your family. Goodbye Mate.
John and Morag Fryer.

DEAN (Peter):
A genuine lovable funny man. You will be sadly missed. My sincere sympathy to his family. Audrey Long (Barnaby).

DEAN (Peter ): Our sincere condolences to the Dean family. A dear friend and colleague. What a legend of the Perth media industry. From all staff at 6PR and 96fm.

DEAN (Peter):
Fond memories of our dear friend. We will miss you Peter. Doing our shows with the “Encore” Troupe, our fishing trips, games of snooker and lots of laughter. With love Helen McMillan Harvey and Ken Harvey.

DEAN (Peter):
Fond memories of a very special, talented and generous man, a star of radio and television and a Telethon legend.
Deepest sympathy to Delys and family.
Jamie Martinovich.

DEAN (Peter):
Rest in peace Mate. The entertainment world will miss you. Les Meade.

DEAN (Peter): A light went out here but heaven is floodlit and echoing with laughter. You’ll live on in our hearts. Missing you so much. Love you always. Condolences to Del and all the family.
Trisha and Frank

DEAN (Peter): Always a pleasure to work with.
David Farr.

DEAN (Peter ): Close friend of Judy, John and family. Wonderful memories of 40 years of family holidays together at Yanchep and Rottnest. Good times of fun and laughter. Deepest sympathy and love to Del and family. We’ll really miss you, Peter.

DEAN ( Peter):
What wonderful memories you have left us Peter of our fun days in radio in the 60’s especially at 6PR in the record library with you, Pearl and Dorothy. Such special time never to be forgotten.
Requiescat in pace Peter Our deepest sympathy to Del and family.
Barry and Cathy Michael, Melbourne

Saturday, 16 March 2013

DEAN (Peter):
We have known each other for a long time and I valued our friendship. You will always be special to all of us who worked with you at 7. Deepest sympathy to his family. Rest in Peace. Coralie Condon

DEAN (Peter):
A great bloke who will be sadly missed. Heartfelt condolences to Delys, Phil, Cindy, John and Andy. Love and thoughts, Warrick, Cathie, Georgia, Jacob and Rick Lewis.

DEAN (Peter):
Heartfelt sympathies to Delys, Cindy and families. Sadly missed Shirley Hunt

DEAN (Peter):
A joy to work with, good all rounder. Sadly missed. Heartfelt sympathy to Delis and family.
Sid Plummer.

DEAN (Peter ): Deepest sympathy to Andy, Heidi and family, thinking of you at this sad time. From all the staff at Cranetech and Monty’s.

DEAN (Peter):
Dear friend and ex neighbour of the Dartnall, Harris and Jones family. Love to Del and family. Many happy memories

DEAN (Peter):
Our deepest sympathy to the Dean family. An icon of television and radio in Perth, you will never be forgotten. Thanks for the memories. From everyone at 6IX.

DEAN (Peter):
Deepest sympathy to Delys and all the Dean family on the sad loss of Peter. One of the best radio broadcasters WA has ever produced but more than that, Peter was a wonderful man. He will be sadly mised by many for his professionalism, talent, fun, friendship and caring nature. It was a privilege to work and spend time with Peter. RIP.
John Cranfield

DEAN (Peter):
Prodigious source of sunshine. Loved brother- in-law of John and dear friend of Christine. Genuine, full of life and good cheer. Always ready to pitch in a hand and a smile. Always a Good Guy. Hope the fish are biting well up there, Pete.

DEAN (Peter): Pete, you’ve always been a star. Keep shining. Love from
Ken and Mandy Henning

DEAN (Peter):
A True Gentleman I will never forget your kindness and the special time I was your Producer at 6PR. Love and kisses, Kathy Kerekes.

DEAN (Peter ): My Darling Daddy. I was so proud to call you my Dad. In my childhood you always made sure I knew I was Loved. And in your final days, Although it was so hard for you to talk you still kept telling me how much you loved me. I will feel your hand in mine until my own last breath.
Cindy

DEAN (Peter): In hospital Pete, you asked me what day is it, I said Monday, you said I’m going home on Wednesday, and I said yes you are, and Pete you did, home to God. Pete, what a ball you will have in Heaven, meeting up with all your family and friends, especially Gaye our sister. Will miss you so much, you were my rock, I have so many memories that keep flooding back.
Love you so much, Judy and brother-in-law Ron – favourite uncle of Simon, Paul (dec), Marie and Monique.

DEAN (Peter):
A fondly remembered cousin. A light has left this world. Sympathy to the Dean family. Jenny, Helen, Wendy and Rod Dilkes.

DEAN (Peter ): You always introduced me as your favorite Son-in-law, albeit your only one.
Thank you for enriching my life and that of your Grandchildren, Brooke and Daniel. I hear that the fishing is pretty good in Heaven. We will miss mate
Mark Antulov

DEAN (Peter ): Deepest sympathy to Del, Phil, Cyndy, Jonathon, Andy and families. Many happy memories of our card nights! Love Ross and Dian Roberts and family.

DEAN (Peter):
Adored brother-in-law of Bob and Rhonda and much loved uncle of Tricia, Angela and Dan. Thank you Pete for the love and for all the fun and happy times in our family over the years. The show may be over but you will remain front stage and in our hearts forever.
Rest in peace dear mate

DEAN (Peter):
In loving memory of our dear brother-in-law and uncle Peter. We will miss you always. You brought so much fun and laughter to so many people.
The world will not be the same without you in it.
Rest peacefully, dearest Pete. Love Helen, Chris, Chelsea and Joanna.

Sunday, 17 March 2013

DEAN (Peter):
A legend who will be sorely missed
~ Steven Pitcher, Perth, Western Australia

Monday, 18 March 2013

DEAN (Peter):
Delys, our thoughts and prayers are with you and the family at this time. So many memories to keep forever in our hearts.
Margaret and Gerry.

DEAN (Peter ): Rest in peace Peter.
You have left us with wonderful memories which we will never forget. Our deepest sympathy to Delys and family.
Carol and Gordon McKee.

DEAN (Peter):
Dear Del, our hearts and love are with you at this very sad time. Many fun and happy memories of Pete, a very special person. Love to Phil, Cindy, Jonathon, Andy and their families.
Debbie and Jemma xx

DEAN (Peter):
Farewell Pete, a true Christian with a great sense of humour. Sympathy to our darling Del, Phil, Cindy, John and Andy. Norma and Kevin.

DEAN (Peter):
In memory of Peter Dean, who had a wonderful sense of humour, and he did so much for both radio and television (in particular Telethon). Deepest sympathy to those who knew and loved him so well and also his friends at Channel 7.

DEAN (Peter):
Still have fond memories of arriving in Australia 31 years ago from Scotland not knowing anyone and getting invited to the infamous Dianella table tennis nights. I still remember those fun filled nights with Peter holding court and having us all in stitches. I will always remember his kindness and fun. RIP Peter, the best TT doubles partner ever. John King & Family.
~ John King

Tuesday, 19 March 2013

DEAN (Peter): In memory of a great friend and workmate. Pete always had you laughing and we had a lot of fun. Including our sister’s number on Telethon. God bless you pal. Deepest sympathy to Delys and family.
From the Chadwick Family

DEAN (Peter):
To Cindy, Mark, Brooke and Daniel – a beautiful smile, a generous heart and soul, that is how we will remember your dad and pop. Peter and Sandra Antulov and families.

DEAN (Peter): Our deepest sympathy to Delys and all the family. To our wonderful friend and neighbour of many years in Ballajura, Skylark Retreat won’t be the same without you. Lots of laughs, lots of fun, lots of stories. Gone but never forgotten Boom Boom Eric, Marie, Chloe, Ben and Drew. Nando, Michelle, Aaron and Travis.

We greatly valued input from John Cranfield and other veterans has made this tribute possible, as did Richard Ashton with the photographs courtesy of the Channel Seven photo archives. Terry Spence kindly supplied early footage courtesy of STW Channel 9, and Channel Seven also provided much valued early footage.

Peter will be greatly missed by all who have known, watched or listened to him.

Further reading…

• The 6IX Story by John Cranfield
• Vale Stan Gervas
• David Farr (former General Manager of 6IX)
• Bob Page (former General Manager of 6IX)
• David Dallimore Tribute (1919-2011)

    On Saturday 19th January 2013, the Channel TEN Perth News helicopter was filming a truck rollover on Weir Road at Baskerville, in Perth’s Swan Valley, when it was forced to make an emergency landing.

TEN News Helicopter Crash – Sat 19th Jan 2013

WA TV History
On Saturday 19th January 2013, the Channel TEN Perth News helicopter was filming a truck rollover on Weir Road at Baskerville, in Perth’s Swan Valley, when it was forced to make an emergency landing.

    The TEN News cameraman and pilot escaped uninjured after the helicopter made a crash landing on a lightly timbered rural property, that was surrounded by dry grass and undulating terrain.

    The chopper came to a rest on its side, having lost its tail rotor in the accident.

    The dazed cameraman Adam Delmage jumped out the wreckage, followed a few minutes later by the pilot Paul Debenham, who has 40 years of helicopter experience and works for the aircraft company Heliwest.

    It was heartening to see the empathy shown by fellow News cameramen Luke Williams of Channel Seven and Jon Kerr of Channel Nine. The event was captured by the cameras of all major metropolitan stations: 7,2,9 and 10. Adam Delmage caught the crippled aircraft’s descent as it spiralled to the earth and Jon Kerr captured a clear shot of it hitting the ground. Seven also captured the event, though their vision of the crash was partly obscured by a fire truck.

    The Seven reporter went on to say that TEN had two previous helicopter incidents, prior to this one, in which no one was injured. Though this was the first such emergency for the current TEN helicopter company in 21 years, since it was formed in 1992.

Inaugural NEW Channel Ten news director, Stuart Joynt, kindly provided this additional insight…

“Just for the record, Channel Ten had two previous helicopter incidents (or three if you count two in one day at the station helipad).

The first one involved an ex-air force pilot who had been working with the UN peacekeeping force in various overseas locations. He simply ran out of fuel about 100 feet off the ground after ignoring pointed interjections from cameraman Jamie McNabb that the fuel warning light started to flash over Yanchep. The chopper flopped onto the station helipad and Jamie escaped with back injuries. He opted to retire from taking pictures soon after his near miss.

The second and third incidents happened on the same day taking off from the Channel Ten helipad. The chopper ran out of power on lift-off . Pilot Drew Gibson managed to land safely on adjacent Cottonwood crescent. Journalist Anthony Hasluck (grandson of Governor General Sir Paul Hasluck) got out and walked back to the station while cameraman Steve Briggs directed traffic around the landing site. He then joined Drew back in the cockpit and they attempted to take off again to return to the helipad. The same power problem occurred and Drew managed to land back in Cottonwood crescent again – this time chopping off the tail boom with the force of impact. Drew and Stephen escaped unhurt yet again and

Tim Boase sent around a dolly from Channel 7 to remove the chopper from the street. Like Jamie McNabb, Anthony Hasluck decided helicopter flying wasn’t for him and he left the news game shortly after.

The Channel Ten incidents obviously caused some concern to local residents and NEW10 joined with TVW7 to save the television zone helipads from forced closure.

Kevin Campbell, Tim Boase and I joined forces to assure the Stirling City Council that the helipads were safe.

Channel Ten agreed to limit chopper operations to between 7am and last light because we were the closest station to new housing estates while 7 and 9 operated some distance away. If memory serves me correctly, the stations all agreed as part of our plan to maintain the virgin bush (and its kangaroos) between 7 and 10 in perpetuity as a “gift” to the nation (I recall the land was owned by Channel 7 while Channel 9 was keen to sell its land for real estate development).

Wonder what will happen to it when and if the stations all follow their Eastern States cousins and move to smaller quarters in the city – a move made possible by advances in technology?”

    These much appreciated anecdotes soon brought back sad memories of other aircraft incidents that impacted on the lives of television staff.

The following lists a number of such unfortunate events in our local TV and News gathering history…

• Digby Milner TVW cine-cameraman (Monday 28-11-1960)
• Kay Aubrey STW News Secretary (Tuesday 31-12-1968)
• John Little STW pilot (Monday 9-12-1985)
• Neville Wynne TVW set designer, builder and staging (Sunday 3-3-1991)
• Ken Mosedale former TVW videotape operator (Monday 4-9-2000)

    We have devoted a tribute story to each of these valued staff members who lost their lives in this unfortunate manner.

    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, for them to inadvertently become part of the News story.

    Television was right at its infancy when the industry suffered its first blow with the loss of talented cine-cameraman Keith ‘Digby’ Milner in 1960, only two months after TVW’s and Dig’s remarkable coverage of the Rome Olympic Games. It didn’t matter that TVW was a new kid off the block, as their pioneering spirit knew no bounds. They would try things regardless of it being deemed too hard or impossible for the fledgling broadcaster. They pushed the limits as to what was possible or not.

    Dig Milner epitomised this spirit, taking on big tasks with professional aplomb even though it was only a short time between him being a valued still press photographer and adapting to the new genre of moving pictures with accompanying sound in the field of television.

    The inaugral TVW senior cameramen were Tom Hall and Dig, supported by cadets Peter Goodall and Lu Belci. Dig’s adventurous spirit was a big factor with him boarding a press chartered aircraft to venture above a stricken fishing boat to capture the event. No doubt pushing the envelope to gain the best camera angle regardless of personal peril.

1960 Air Crash claims the life of TVW cameraman Keith “Digby” Milner

WA TV History
Jocelyn Treasure and Darcy Farrell reminded us of the loss of TVW cine-cameraman Keith “Digby” Milner in 1960.

    Keith Raymond Milner, known as Digby, and West Australian newspapers photographer Richard Owen Williams were killed 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. The pilot Robert Ian Owens and journalist Alan McIntosh survived the accident.

    The pilot, who was flying a two-year old single-engine Cessna, also worked for the West Australian. He circled the wreck twice, then inadvertently hit the ocean and sank immediately in deep water. The pilot and journalist Alan McIntosh were flung from the aircraft on impact, and though shocked, managed to swim to safety.

    Digby had joined West Australian Newspapers in 1949, and served as a Press photographer until joining TVW in June 1959. He was married with three children.

    Channel Seven had been operational for little more than one year when this family man and much valued member of the staff was taken from them.

    Digby’s son Greg went on to be a journalist with TVW Channel Seven in Perth, to later work for STW Channel 9 and become the News Editor at the Golden West Network.

Peter Goodall provided the following information regarding the unfortunate crash…

“I can remember vividly being in the newsroom at 7 on the Monday when news came in saying that there had been a crash……First report said all were OK but there were some injuries….Then we heard that two had died…but didn’t know which !

Reports later from observers on the beach said that the circling aircraft was lower than the top of the mast of the wrecked boat….and that it had stalled into the water. Both Dig and Owen were on the same side of the aircraft getting their pix…..and were the ones who didn’t survive.

From memory I think the pilot was a “Comp” (compositor) from the West, who had a private licence …but didn’t have enough experience for low level flying and stall-turned it into the water.

This incident was to change for ever, throughout Australia, the way chartering of aircraft would always be piloted by an experienced commercial pilot.

Also TVW didn’t have insurance for crews flying on assignment like that and that situation very quickly changed throughout Australia.

When Dig died….he left a young wife and three children.

TVW7 set up a trust fund for the children’s education and made a large payout to Dig’s wife to help overcome the lack of insurance.

I remember one day in the film room Jim Healey and Keith Milner having a light hearted discussion concerning the use of “panning shots” in shooting news film, Keith was for and Jim against…..Keith won!!!

Nigel Felangue provided more details…

“Keith (Dig) Milner was killed whilst filming a job on 28/11/60 at Cervantes Island, north of Perth. Their single engined Cessna hit the water and sank immediately.”

Nigel still has the original copy of “The West Australian” of 29/11/60.

Nigel goes on to report the following…

“I joined TVW-7 before the studio was completed, the staff at the time occupied part of a floor at Newspaper House in St Georges Tce. We put together motor racing docos from various oil co’s, which were sent to the transmitter at Bickley for Trade Transmissions. Film cameramen Tom hall and Keith “Dig” Milner even shot a number of news stories which they processed by hand on a wooden rack, prior to the completion of the film processing facilities at the studio. A Dutchman named Jan Vermazen was later in charge of reversal B/W film processing, (on a Houston Fearless 16mm processor). My first task at the studio was to set up the film vault, and then work as a still photographer and slide maker. The senior photographer was Brian Hooper.”

It was the former TVW News Producer and STW Chief of Staff, the late Brian Coulter, who earlier reported that (Dig’s son) Greg Milner became a journalist at TVW.