Australian Broadcasting Corporation Reunion Club ...abcreunionclub.org/reunion_club/nl/nl_2017_2.pdf · and concert tickets valued at $260 a double won by Carol Wilson, Robin Wischusen

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UR first event for 2017 was the Annual General

Meeting on February, held for the first time at the

Elsternwick Club. (Our previous venue at Caulfield race

course has been modernised and can no longer cater for

our numbers.) Total attendance was 88 members. (Four

others had dropped out at the last minute.)

As usual, we were greeted on arrival at 11.00 am with

champers and other drinks whilst copious platters of hot

and cold savouries were distributed. Much socialising

took place until the meeting was called at 12 noon.

Secretary Carol read out the apologies and our

Chairman Johnnie Walker welcomed everyone. Barbie

Mathiesen then read the financial report indicating that

the club’s funds were in a healthy state, the loss over the

year being only $183. She thanked David Rolfe for his

assistance. Warren Edwards was stepping down as

Auditor and was replaced by Tiffany Bryant.

Johnnie’s annual address was next and basically “off

the cuff”, but here is a résumé of the main content: While

some of our functions are subsidised he thought that we

should charge a little more for the cheaper ones (e.g. the tour

of the National Gallery at $8) in order to balance the books.

He announced that the date for the “Ripponlea

Closure Event” would be Friday 28 July and that former

Ripponlea staff would be invited to attend on that night.

He said it is hoped that the display will be open

sometime over the weekend to all others.

The main display in Studio 31 would be a fantastic

holographic presentation. It would be like being inside a

brain with special effects, and screens displaying clips

of various programs from over the decades.

Johnnie said we were lucky that, through fortuitous

contacts, we were able to obtain fully professional

services at a reasonable cost, but even so, we would have

to charge $20 a head for the event. Studio 32 would be

available for socialising, and food and drink would be

obtainable at reasonable prices. (See also Page 2.)

He then thanked the Reunion Club Committee for

their commitment, singling out some individuals for

special mention. Rick Hunter was thanked for providing

space on his web site for Club information and access to

the Newsletter. Carol then gave the Secretary’s report,

stating that there were now 337 members. Seventeen new

members had joined in 2016 while 11 had passed away.

Carol went on to list all of the functions that had been held

during 2016 and previewed proposed events for 2017.

In regards to the luncheon, the main course was Chicken

Breast and vegetables served alternatively with Fillet Steak.

Desserts were a choice of Apple Crumble or Pavlova with

berries.

Our raffle is always very popular and helps us subsidise

certain events. The prizes included cinema tickets courtesy

of Village and Palace Cinemas (thanks to Frank Westaway),

CDs courtesy of Bill Armstrong, dining vouchers from the

Elsternwick Club and from the Boundary Hotel, a bottle of

fine vintage port (courtesy of David Rolfe), and a hand

painted china plate from Barbie Mathiesen.

Winners of some of the major prizes included Peter

Wakeley who won a wine hamper from Johnnie Walker,

and concert tickets valued at $260 a double won by Carol

Wilson, Robin Wischusen and Dick Wood.

A special prize of a high tea with champagne for eight

people donated by Danny O’Connor was won by Jenny

Hobbs, and the first prize of One Night’s Accommodation

at the RACV plus a buffet breakfast was won by Dick and

Pat Rowlands.

The day finished with self-serve tea and coffee with

mints. We heard of no complaints and the venue suited us

admirably.

* * * *

TWENTY-SIX members attended lunch at the China Bar

restaurant on Thursday 16th March. There seemed to be

every sort of Asian dish that one could imagine, and plenty

of it, all nicely prepared and presented.

We arrived around 11.30 and we were able to eat, drink

and be merry until well after 2.00. Being buffet style,

everyone was able to choose each dish to suit one’s own taste

and there was a counter where one could have their own

blend of food personally cooked for them.

We had our own long table in a select position with a

picturesque outlook towards the Dandenongs. Wine and

other drinks were available via an efficient waiter service,

and the prices were not too expensive.

The vast assortment, and we do mean vast, of varied and

interesting (not to mention mouth-watering) dishes were laid

out in a huge area. Although we may have wished to, no-one

tried every dish (probably an impossibility).

Those who attended our previous trip to this venue were

able to sample many of the dishes that they just couldn’t

manage the first time. Altogether a great day of eating and

socialising.

O

Australian Broadcasting Corporation Reunion Club – Victoria – Inc.

APR / MAY / JUN 2017 Volume 40 No 2

PATRON: Stephen Murray Manager TV Operations

June Williams, Rick Hunter and Chris Lipari at the AGM

“… former Ripponlea staff to be invited …”

COMING EVENTS

TOUR OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY and LUNCH (NGV)

Thursday 18th May (If you’re coming to lunch add “L” to your booking info.)

WE have arranged for a special guided tour of selected sections of the National Gallery of Victoria. The tour will be most informative and will last approximately one hour. Afterwards we recommend that we all lunch at the nearby Le Camera Restaurant in Southbank. (Those who lunched there recently were all impressed. Relatively inexpensive meals are available.)

WE meet in the foyer of the NGV (Near the “fish and chips” water windows at the Art Centre in St Kilda Road) at 10.45 am.

COST: Members $8 Guests $10 HOW TO BOOK: See page 4.

TOUR OF THE TELSTRA MUSEUM and LUNCH (TML)

Thursday 17th August

WE have organised a tour of the Telstra Museum inside the Hawthorn Telephone exchange at 375 Burwood Road, Hawthorn (opposite the Hawthorn Town hall, Melways 45 - D10) where we meet at 10.15 am.

There is a huge variety of equipment and systems from Morse Code to new and old Telephones plus a fascinating display of glass insulators. We will see the original “Talking Clock” still working.

Lunch will be at the Glenferrie Hotel, just a three-minute walk away at 324 Burwood Road. You can travel by train to nearby Glenferrie station or by tram No.16 along Glenferrie Rd.

Parking is scarce and limited so check the signs and allow plenty of extra time.

COST: Members $7 Guests $10 HOW TO BOOK: See page 4.

LUNCH AT THE ALBERT PARK YACHTING & ANGLING CLUB

Thursday 12th October

Details of this 12.00 noon event, including parking availability and public transport information, will be in the next Newsletter but put the date in your diary.

Cost and booking info to be advised.

2

The “Dream Factory” Re-visited

THE ABC Reunion Club is honoured to

host, on behalf of the ABC, a very special

function on Friday, 28 July, 2017 to mark

the Closure of the ABV2 Studios at

Ripponlea.

For the past 60 years the “Dream

Factory” as it is affectionately known has

fostered some of the most incredible

talent across the full spectrum of the

creative Arts in Melbourne. Singers,

dancers, wonderful comedians, fine dram-

atic actors, superb children’s’ programs, the

list goes on and on. It is to those people

and their far-sighted management to

whom we owe a great debt of gratitude.

They were the true trail blazers.

The function will feature an elec-

tronic installation and light show in 31 to

centrepiece highlights from those

amazing years of television and will offer

the opportunity to meet and talk with old

friends from the various departments. It

will commence at 6.30 pm and wind up

around 11.00 pm.

Excess numbers are always going to

be a problem so an initial invitation will

be extended to those members who have

actually worked at Ripponlea in the past.

Partners who have not worked at ABV2

will regrettably not be eligible for a “first

pass” invitation but we will endeavour to

accommodate them.

A range of food from some of Mel-

bourne’s best food trucks will be on sale

in the scenic runway as well as wines,

beer and soft drinks in 32.

… Johnnie Walker

Details of the function will be sent by

email, SMS or telephone the first week in

May. There will be an entry fee of $20

(plus booking fee) to partly cover the cost

of the event for which the ABC is

contributing a considerable amount.

Bookings must be made on-line by credit

card to our special bank account site

which will be advised only to addressees.

The invitation Committee consists of

Rick Hunter, June Williams, Carol

Simpson-Bull and the Treasurer, Barbie

Mathiesen.

New Members

We’re always glad to welcome new members. Newly joined are: Ian

Anderson (formerly TV Operations) and wife Jeanette; John Parker

(and Helen Tully); Georgina Dridan (from Selwyn St.), and David

Battle (formerly T.V. Tech. Ops.).

Cyclone House and The ABC Dance Band

MANY will remember Alan Saunders who, apart from many

other talents, was the longest serving (33years) member of the

ABC Dance Band before Kevin Hocking took over as leader in

1969 and changed the name to the ABC Show Band. Alan, who

played saxophone and violin, had also ran a jazz program “The

Swing Show” on ABC radio for five or six years in the 1940s.

When he retired from the ABC in 1975 he was working as

music librarian in the Light Entertainment Department. His

wife Grace was editor of the Reunion Club Newsletter for

several years.

I recently happened to come across Alan’s hand-typed

autobiography in the archives of the Australian Jazz Museum

at Wantirna which documented some rather interesting

historical facts about the origins of the ABC Dance Band and

about studio 312 in Hardware Street, better known as Cyclone House.

Most surviving radio staff will remember Cyclone House

as the home of ABC Drama which Henry Cuthbertson ran for

many years, but Alan has brought to light some interesting facts

about this studio. First of all, its name. The building was

formerly occupied by the Cyclone Wire Fence company when

the ABC took occupancy way back in 1936.

But to return to the ABC Dance Band. In 1936 Alan was

playing at Melbourne’s Elite Dance venue “The Embassy”

along with performers such as Dick Bentley (of Take It from

Here), Art Chapman and Benny Featherstone when they had a visit

by Hal Hammett who wanted to form a new band for the ABC after

Jim Davidson had moved to Sydney. Suddenly Alan, along with

some of his Embassy colleagues, were under contract to the ABC.

To tutor the new band, prominent musicians Howard

Jacobs and Cecil Norman came from London who quickly

decided that the hall in Elizabeth Street which the band had

been given to practice in was hopelessly echoey, so they were

moved to Cyclone House which was being used (and

continued to be) by the Drama Department. The band had three

microphones (RCA 44s), one for the band, one for a soloist

and a spare for spotting. For public performances, the band

played on the top floor of the then ABC premises (actually

3LO) in Melbourne Place off Russel Street. “The [PMG]

technician was downstairs,” Alan said, “gazing at his VU meter

so it would not deviate from centre zero.” One day the main

microphone’s plug was dislodged from the wall in the studio

and it took the technician five minutes to walk upstairs to see

what the trouble might be. Soon the control room was sensibly

moved upstairs.

At Cyclone House the band played downstairs. The

upstairs offices were managed by Miss Wilga Armstrong and

Miss Amy Jones. Wilga, an original women’s Libber, saw the band

as a horde of invaders. “Tell that mob of hooligans,” Wilga said,

“there is to be no smoking!” By leaving the control room door

open the band managed to further annoy the two ladies with a

goodly amount of decibels permeating up the stairs and through the

ceiling.

During the late thirties and early forties the band travelled

on many country and interstate tours with personalities like

Gladys Moncrieff and Father Sidney McEwan. Eventually,

after Broadcast House was built in 1943, the band moved to

their permanent home in studio 320 which was actually the old

church hall, refurbished, on the land on which Broadcast House

was constructed. … Ken Simpson-Bull

JOHN BACKMAN has sent us an article which

should raise a laugh. Apparently, the following items

actually appeared in various Church bulletins:

Ladies, don’t forget our rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of

those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your

husbands.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, great entertainment

and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5 pm; prayer and medication to follow.

This evening at 7 pm there will be a hymn singing in the park across

from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Scouts are saving aluminium cans, bottles and other items to be

recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Don't let worry kill you off — let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang “I will not pass this way again” giving

obvious pleasure to the congregation.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They

may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the

church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

At tonight’s evening service the sermon topic will be “What Is

Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church’s new campaign

slogan last Sunday: “I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours”.

ALTHOUGH ABV2 officially opened on 19th November, 1956,

it wasn’t until 21st May, 1958 that the new studios at Ripponlea

were officially opened (as advertised above). Initially only studios

31 and 33, studio 32 opened three months later. The initial ABV2

opening in 1956 was from studio 320 at Broadcast House as an

Outside Broadcast.

OUR

YESTERDAYS

3

.

THE COMMITTEE Chairman: Johnnie Walker

mobile 0418 323 051

Vice Chairman: John Backman Secretary: Carol Simpson-Bull 9561 4124

or mobile 0403 393 746

Treasurer: Barbara Mathiesen mobile 0413 892 877

Newsletter Editor: Ken Simpson-Bull Auditor: Tiffany Bryant

General Committee: Syah Goldrich, Allan and Helen Hiscock, Lyn Innes-Irons, David Rolfe, Jo Maxian

Committee Meetings

THE Committee meets on the first

Friday of each month at Ripponlea.

Members are invited to join them for

lunch at 12.30 at the Caulfield Race

course Glass House Restaurant.

HOW TO BOOK FOR AN EVENT

For those members sending cheques or Money Orders by post, the procedure is this:

1. Make cheques payable to the ABC Reunion Club

2. On the back of your cheque (or on a slip of paper attached to your cheque) please write the following:

Your member number (or your name), the event code, and the number of people attending.

E.g. 153AGM2 means Member No 153, Annual General Meeting, 2 people attending.

If you are paying for two or more events, repeat the coded information for each event.

If you propose to bring a guest, please let us know their name for insurance purposes.

3. Post the cheque to PO Box 272, Glen Waverley, Vic. 3150 (Put your return address on the envelope)

Members making bank transfers must initially contact the Secretary for procedure details.

Reminder: In the Transaction Description: 999AGM2 means your Member Number, Event Code, 2 people attending.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Write, telephone the appropriate Committee Member, or email: [email protected]

Postal Address: ABC Reunion Club, PO Box 272, Glen Waverley, Vic. 3150 (Please put your return address on the back of any mail)

For Telephone numbers refer to “The Committee” listing.

4

IMPORTANT! Annual Subscription Overdue (Code SUB)

Have you paid your subs for 2017? There are still some members

who haven’t! We would appreciate payment ASAP. Fees are

$20 (single) or $25 (double). See below for method of payment. If you joined after 1st August 2016 you do not have to pay again for 2017.

Bereavement

WE sadly report the following deaths of former ABC staff:

In January: Former Head of Radio Australia Peter Homfray. Also

Lyn Fisher (wife of Ron). Lyn was regularly seen at Reunion Club

functions. And also TV Designer Kevin Bartlett.

In February: Peter MacArthur, former announcer/newsreader.

Peter was MLA for Ringwood 1976-82 and Mayor of Croydon in

1974-5. Also, former announcer June Barton.

Our sincere condolences to all family and friends.

Back to School

LATE last year, Reunion Club Member, Julie Peters, was

awarded a PhD in Health Promotion/Anthropology after seven

year’s part-time study. Julie hopes her dissertation will help

demythologise the trans-sexual experience and shed some light

on the normative operation of gender in society.

Deakin University makes its research available to the public,

so if you'd like to have a look at Julie's thesis, click on this link

http://dro.deakin.edu.au/view/DU:30086469 . If you'd like to

give Julie feedback on her work you can email her at

[email protected]

P&O Cruise 24–30 Jan. 2018

You will have been informed about our

6-day Cruise from Melbourne to

Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln,

Adelaide and return to Melbourne.

24 members now have confirmed

bookings. There is a possibility that

additional Cabins may be available.

Please contact the Secretary, Carol

Simpson-Bull for further details.