When you’ve been broadcasting internationally for more than 80 years, there’s a lot to celebrate. The newly released official history of Radio Australia, Australia Calling by Dr Phil Kafcaloudes, traces the remarkable story of one of the national broadcaster’s flagship services. Beginning as a wartime anti-propaganda service, RA has endured many ups and downs but continues to play an important role today in Australia’s commitment to regional democracy, especially in the Pacific. This review is by the Alumni’s Peter Marks.

One of the most memorable recollections in our recent story about pioneering radio technician Stan Bancroft was his role in organising and co-ordinating the live broadcast of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing in July 1969. Another staffer at the time was Elaine Cooke, who was typing ABC radio science program transcripts as a ‘relief typist’ and vividly recalls the momentous day in July 1969 when astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. It was the beginning of a 32-year career that led Elaine to the top of the organisation.

ABC Alumni is deeply saddened by the death of our esteemed colleague John Tulloh, on Saturday 20 August at the age of 82. John was a distinguished journalist and international news editor, revered by broadcasters across the world. As the much-loved leader of ABC’s foreign correspondents from 1985 until his retirement in 2004, he guided his team with wisdom, expertise and extraordinary care and compassion. Here, four of his closest friends and colleagues pay tribute to a man whose contribution to the ABC’s international coverage, and Australian audiences’ understanding of our world, is incalculable – and enduring.

The ABC’s history is usually dominated by tales of management and on-air personalities, but nothing would happen without the national broadcaster’s extraordinary technical staff. Legendary among them is Stan Bancroft, who was tinkering with radios as a young boy in the 1920s and went on to become a PMG technician, where he jumped at the chance to work on a new radio station established by the fledgling Australian Broadcasting Commission. Stan worked at the ABC for some four decades until his retirement in 1974. This story, compiled by his daughter Dawn Bancroft Coleman, is based on precious tape recordings of her father’s eye-witness recollections of his time as a wireless/radio technician and supervisor. It gives a fascinating insight into how the ABC pioneered the coverage of some of our nation’s most memorable historical milestones. 

Thirty years ago, long before HRH Prince Charles’s interest in organic gardening and farming became widely accepted, Sharon Carleton travelled to the UK for a profile about his brilliant (and eccentric) horticultural adviser, Miriam Rothschild (later Dame Miriam). In the process, she scored a rare interview with the Prince himself. Continuing our ABC 90th Anniversary series, Sharon recalls the program she made for Radio National’s internationally renowned The Science Show.

Working in volatile countries can be challenging, but with a network of contacts built up over many years, producer Vivien Altman achieved remarkable access to stories for which she has been recognised by many awards. Continuing our 90^th Anniversary series, and in the week celebrating 30 years of Foreign Correspondent, Vivien here gives an anatomy of a difficult and potentially dangerous assignment in the Latin American country of Colombia, which was a powder keg when she was there but will soon be ruled by a new and hopefully more democratic government, which takes up office in August 2022.

With conflicts across the globe, including in our own region, ABC’s flagship international program has never been more important. And the credit goes to reporters, producers, researchers, camera crews, editors and other skilled staff who have kept the program prominent, even in times when the ABC itself showed scant support. Former executive producer Greg Wilesmith has this tribute.

With profound sadness, ABC Alumni honours the life of our dear colleague Caroline Jones (1938-2022) – loved, respected and revered for her generosity, decency and humanity. Her deep sense of public duty, and media responsibility, has influenced generations of journalists.

Listen to ABC interview with Helen Grasswill about Caroline’s lasting legacy

Read ABC obituary by Megan Mackander

He’s been called ‘a cuddly koala’, ‘a supercilious clot’, and lots else besides. In this latest story in our series celebrating ABC’s 90^th Anniversary, veteran broadcaster Tim Bowden looks back on his years presenting ‘Backchat’, the popular twice-weekly program (1986-1994) where viewers sent their bouquets and brickbats to the national broadcaster. And in two new and timely ‘Chatback’ videos for ABC Alumni – Scotty and Lachlan – Tim shows he hasn’t lost his trademark wit – or that wry smile!

By Tim Bowden / 14 May 2022

Governments of all persuasions have never much liked the ABC, and cuts to its budget have occurred with monotonous regularity. With defunding since 2014 now severely affecting programming capacity, ABC Alumni is agitating for a return to proper funding and a commitment to protecting the ABC’s independence. The Alumni, of course, are former members of staff. But in the 1970s, the ABC’s serving staff engaged in almost three years of industrial action against the Fraser government’s budget cuts, which culminated in the longest strike in the history of the ABC.

By Gethin Creagh and Sue Spencer