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100 YEARS OF RADIO OVER 100 DAYS
Chapter 3
Youthquake - 1950s to 1980s
Radio's role in the invention of youth culture.
Teenagers, transistors and talkback
The radio becomes portable, and a kind of mania – Beatlemania – grips the nation as the popularity and powers of DJs and presenters grow, and audiences find a connection in the once-illegal talkback radio.
Read Youthquake: Teenagers, transistors and talkback
Image: Disc jockey Ward 'Pally' Austin pictured at 2GB studios surrounded by musicians and artists including The Atlantics, The Bee Gees and Little Pattie, c. 1964
Youthquake tech inspection
From luxury living-room centrepieces to pocket-sized personal devices, radio tech rapidly evolved throughout the Youthquake era.
HG Palmer three-in-one home entertainment unit
Luxury three-in-one showcase home entertainment unit featuring a 21-inch black-and-white television receiver, AM radio, record player, clock and a microphone. The television set was the main selling point here, the radio and turntable neatly tucked out of sight. Produced in Australia for HG Palmer, a large electrical retailer with over 150 stores nationwide in the early 1960s.
Kriesler ‘Playtime’ 41-32 portable radio
Australian-made six transistor ‘pocket’ radio, manufactured in Newtown, Sydney. Part of the Kriesler portable radio range that included the larger ‘Playfellow’ and smaller ‘Playboy’ models. Available for 27 guineas (over $900 today) in 1962.
5DN portable outside broadcast unit
Purpose-built broadcasting device produced by ABC engineers at Adelaide radio station 5DN, enabling station journalists to report directly ‘in the field’. Housed in a brown leather suitcase, this unit includes a Philips microphone and set of headphones.
Sanyo flip alarm clock radio
The clock radio emerged in the 1940s, taking off in popularity the following decade when 30,000 were being mass produced weekly in the USA. This example dates from the early 1970s and features only AM reception, as Australia would not issue the first FM broadcast licences until 1975.
Pye Blackbox all-transistor stereophone
Two-in-one, portable unit that combines an AM radio above with a four-speed turntable, revealed when the front cover underneath the tuner is lowered. Two speakers are attached on hinges, which swing forward when released. Powered by electricity, this unit cost 119 guineas in 1964 (nearly $4,000 today) and was built in Pye Australia’s factory in Marrickville, Sydney.
Zenith Royal portable transistor radio
American-made Zenith portable transistor radios were among the most popular of their era, their rise coinciding with the birth of rock’n’roll. The Royal 500D features a stylish design with a support bar for upright positioning, and is powered by four AA batteries.
Listen to the podcast episode: Wired for Sound
The 1950s witnessed a seismic collision between teenagers and the portable transistor, triggering a youthquake that forever reshaped radio. Armed with newfound influence, disc jockeys unleashed non-stop rock'n'roll to voracious music fans. The cultural landscape shook with the seismic impact of the 1964 Beatles tour. Change was relentless. Wired for Sound unravels the ascent of FM, the birth of triple j, and the dawn of community radio, each beat marking a step toward the future.
Compilation of celebrity radio station idents
Youthquake-era broadcasting saw the introduction of celebrity station ‘idents’ – short, punchy, often playful, promotional spots pre-recorded following interviews with visiting rock and pop stars and celebrity guests. This compilation features Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney and Kate Bush, among others, in a series of idents – some scripted and some improvised. Stations would play these promos on high rotation, leveraging the star power of their guests, in the hope that fans would correlate the feel-good celebrity endorsement with the station name.
Beatlemania grips the nation ... and we're never the same again.
In 1964, The Beatles descend on Australia, ushering in an era of Beatlemania that reshapes the Australian media landscape and leaves an indelible mark on youth culture. The impact is so profound that it marks a clear divide: Before Beatles (BB) and After Beatles (AB).
The transistor radio arrives just in time for rock’n’roll, taking pride of place on our pillows, passenger seats and beach towels.
The transistor radio emerges as a game changer in the 1960s musical revolution. Described as a 'personalised individual listening experience', it liberates listeners from the conformity of family gathered around a single device. Small, affordable and portable, the transistor radio becomes the blueprint for future portable music devices.
Listen to the podcast episode: I Just Called to Say I Love You
Talkback has something for everyone. Listeners relish hearing themselves (and people like them) on the radio. Politicians appreciate direct access to voters, while high-profile presenters bask in the attention. However, it wasn't always a radio staple; for years, it was illegal. In Episode 4 of Who Listens to the Radio?, radio legends Wendy Harmer and Dr Sally Cockburn (AKA Dr Feelgood) delve into talkback's fascinating role – a space for venting, advice, creating connections among friends, lovers, neighbours, and strangers alike – and a vital tool in shaping public discourse.
‘I've worked in newspapers, TV and stand-up comedy, but radio is the most dynamic of all. If you are in live radio in a big city like Sydney, you have all the adrenaline of a newspaper office. Radio can be as dynamic and exciting as you want, while also setting its own agenda.’
Wendy Harmer
Broadcaster, author, columnist and comedian
Essential moments from the Youthquake era
A record ban threatens the local music industry, Top 40 and talkback change Australian radio forever, and a young woman from Brisbane becomes the world's hottest music journo.
The 1970 Australian Record Ban
The Australian Record Ban of 1970 stands as a landmark moment for the national pop music scene. For almost half a year, the music industry and the commercial radio sector were at loggerheads, while listeners of commercial radio stations around Australia were unable to hear new releases by the Australian and overseas artists signed to the major music labels involved in the dispute.
Read A Musical Fable: The 1970 Record Ban
Image: 3UZ Melbourne's Stan Rofe, pictured handing a prize to a woman, at the 1965 Fanta Funfair. Courtesy 3UZ Pty Ltd.
How the introduction of the Top 40 pop chart helped to bring the golden days to a close and kickstart a new era in radio.
Music writer Lillian Roxon was one of the most influential rock journalists in the world from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.
Until 17 April 1967, talkback radio was illegal! It wasn't until then that listeners first enjoyed the possibility of discussing any topic live on air.
Disc jockeys don’t just play the hits – they become stars in their own right.
The 1960s witnesses the rise of disc jockeys who transition from merely spinning discs to becoming influential figures in the music industry. DJs like Stan ‘the Man’ Rofe in Melbourne and Ward ‘Pally’ Austin in Sydney wield enormous power, inventing catchphrases and even having their own fan clubs. They become instrumental in shaping the success of Australian music artists.
FM radio fires up frequencies for good times and great classic hits.
The popularity of FM radio rises in the 1980s, marked by crisper audio quality and a focus on music. Easy-listening and nostalgia-based stations, such as GoldFM and Smooth FM, become prominent, playing hit songs from the 1960s and 70s. The evolution of FM radio shapes the audio culture for the generation of transistor-carrying teens and beyond.
Youthquake radio posters
From the early 1960s and through to the '80s, radio posters took on a life of their own as era-defining works of art.
‘Livin’ In the 70s - 3XY Rocks Melbourne’ poster from 1979.
Once described by its number one personality Greg Evans as 'a leviathan of a station', 3XY dominated Melbourne airwaves for a decade, supplanting 3UZ as the top rock music radio station by 1974. With commercial FM radio not due to launch until the following year, this 1979 poster captures a moment in time when AM radio remained the dominant force for music consumption. Other significant 3XY broadcasting alumni during this time included Lee Simon, Barry Bissell, Jane Holmes, Peter Grace, Craig Huggins, Kevin Hillier and Richard Stubbs.
2UE ‘Sydney talks on open line’ poster, c. 1967.
Just after midnight on 17 April 1967, 2UE announcer Ormsby Wilkins created Australian radio history, reportedly being the first to receive callers live to air. Until then, talkback radio had been illegal in Australia, as broadcasting telephone conversations had been prohibited since 1905. Today talkback radio remains a key component for the success of many broadcast networks, with the mixture of views about news, sport, politics and other issues an immediate conveyor of its audience’s opinions.
2SM ‘Top one hundred of the decade’ poster, 1970.
Radio station 2SM – at the beginning of their ratings dominance of the Sydney pop music radio audience - celebrated a momentous decade in music with this poster, available gratis in local record stores in 1970. Of the Top 100 songs listed, 20 were by Australian artists, evidence of the growing confidence and success of the local industry. No artist though – Australian or international – came close to matching The Beatles’ 16 entries, including four in the top 10.
2JJ ‘Double Jay rock’ poster, 1978.
Launching in January 1975, the ABC’s 2JJ (later triple j) was the first genuine rival to commercial AM radio’s music listening stranglehold. Opening their debut broadcast with Skyhooks’ ‘You Just Like Me ‘Cos I’m Good in Bed’ – an album track banned on commercial radio – set the tone for the new public broadcaster as rebellious, youth-oriented and committed to homegrown music.
A collection of car bumper stickers produced over several decades, covering AM and FM radio stations situated in both metropolitan and regional areas. When created on vinyl, the strong adhesives ensured these ‘moving billboards’ – positioned on the metal bumper bars and back windows of vehicles – often endured far longer than the station’s logo designs and slogans that they helped to promote.
EON FM poster and calendar, 1985.
The commercial FM radio revolution began with a new decade, EON FM, 2DAY FM and FOX FM all launching within a month of each other in 1980. By the end of the year, the five mainland state capitals each had their own commercial FM station in place. The first to launch, EON FM in Melbourne (later Triple M), shifted its initial playlist focus from album tracks to the Top 40, with immediate success. AM radio’s hold on the music listener would end abruptly, many of their best-known presenters and production personnel switching to FM employment throughout the 1980s. The risqué imagery was typical for the time – but would fall out of high rotation as cultural norms evolved and radio became more representative of its audience.
Interview with Youthquake Curator Simon Smith
Radio 100 curator Simon Smith shares his unique insights into the innovations, cultural impact and societal shifts seen throughout the Youthquake era.
Simon highlights the beginning of the modern vinyl era, the importance of the 'Fab Four' touring Australia in 1964, invention of the portable radio, legalisation of talkback in 1967 and the cult of the personality DJ, as Australia looked to American radio for our influences.
Simon also reveals how he tracked down a rare recording of The Ampol Show featuring an interview with Little Richard and shares memories from his teenage years, listening to Barry Bissell's Take 40 Australia countdown.
‘Youthquake crosses so many landmark moments. The beginning of the modern vinyl record era. The birth of Top 40. Talkback radio in 1967. The cult of the personality DJ. And the early 1970s when music programming was on high rotation.’
Simon Smith, Radio 100 curator
The Youthquake Revolution
Music is on the move as the portable transistor gives rise to youth culture, and news, sport and entertainment are available anytime, anywhere.
In 1947, the transistor radio emerged, revolutionising culture. This pocket-sized wonder, released commercially in 1955, replaced bulky technology with affordability and portability. Its arrival coincided perfectly with the rise of rock'n'roll, making it an emblem of freedom for the generation newly dubbed teenagers. This ingenious device wasn't just tech; it was a conduit for their voice and a defining soundtrack.
Read The Invention of the Transistor Radio
Image: Kmart Solid State portable transistor radio, c. 1980
The Ampol Show was a popular variety program hosted by Jack Davey. In October 1957, three American rock‘n'roll stars - Gene Vincent, Little Richard and Eddie Cochran – appeared on the program while on tour in Australia. The visiting musicians are warmly greeted by the audience, each politely answering questions from the host. The interview most notably captures Little Richard speaking candidly to Davey about his recent decision to quit the music business for an evangelical life as a preacher.
The power of radio to bring live sport into the homes of millions is clearly evident here, in this sequence from the closing stages of Melbourne 3DB commentator Ron Casey's exciting radio call of Lionel Rose’s World Bantamweight Title Fight in Tokyo, Japan against Masahiko ‘Fighting’ Harada. This radio broadcast was inducted into the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia registry in 2009, acknowledging the nation’s most significant sound recordings.
In this excerpt from his 2010 NFSA oral history with interviewer Wendy Stapleton, Lee Simon recounts the initial programming strategies of EON-FM as Australia's first FM commercial radio station in July 1980 and, as its first program director, the significant decision he made the following year which helped reverse the flagging fortunes of the nascent FM broadcaster.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.