AUSTRALIA’S “COOEE” HEARD IN BRITAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 232, 20 December 1927, Page 18

AUSTRALIA’S “COOEE” HEARD IN BRITAIN

RADIO MARVEL CONCERT BROADCAST All Britain one evening last month heard dawn breaking in Australia. This fantastic miracle was achieved by the remarkably successful relaying from 2LO London and SGB and SXX Daventry of a wireless programme broadcast from Sydney, New South Wales. Sitting by their firesides after tea with the lights burning and the curtains drawn, tens of thousands of people enjoying the tranquility of Sunday actually listened to Monday morning in Australia. They heard the great clock of the General Post Office in Sydney—more than 13,000 miles away—booming out the hour of four. As though it were some magic time machine, wireless had transported them 10 hours ahead. At a quarter past seven in the evening, when daylight had faded from the West only about an hour and three-quarters previously, they heard a voice saying: “It is a lovely warm morning here. Dawn has just broken and it is the beginning of a perfect summer day. it is now 13 minutes past five.” Listeners in Britain actually “heard” the breaking of dawn, for it coincided with a very bad period in the relaying and presumably affected the transmission. Dawn and twilight are supposed to interfere with wireless transmission.

The “Cooee” Greeting The relay, which is the most successful of the kind ever undertaken, started about 5.40 p.m., with the playing of “God Save the King,” followed by a musical item, after which the Australian national call of “Cooee” rang clearly from loud-speakers in homes throughout England. The Postmaster-General of Australia then sent a message to the PostmasterGeneral of Great Britain, in which he stated how happy he was to associate himself ■with the project of sending a wireless broadcasting programme to their kinsmen overseas. “Australia can be relied upon to do her part,” he said. With remarkable clarity and depth of tone the pianoforte playing of Grainger’s “Shepherd’s Hey” was heard—the quality of the relay at this time being at its best. This was followed by orchestral renderings of dances from Edward German’s “Henry VIII.” An announcer then said, “Hello, Dresden, we are going on with our programme until 5.30. May we know how you are getting us and how much of the programme you want?” Listeners in England then realised that other countries in Europe were hearing the voice from Australia, and a few minutes later they learnt that Canada and the United States, where it was then only about 1 p.m., on Sunday, were being carried by the wireless magic even farther ahead into time.

The impression that Australia was talking to the world was strengthened later still by the voice of a Mr. Raymond Ellis, who said: “Hello, everybody in England, in America, and in Canada! I have been asked on behalf of the artists of 2FC to extend greetings to the artists of 2LO and the radio artists of U.S.A. and Canada.” The programme continued till 7.40 p.m., London time, when Mr. Ellis said: “We will now adjourn for breakfast.” The 25 artists of 2FC sang the National Anthem and Australia and Monday morning faded away from England and Sunday night. It is interesting to recall, in view of recent success, that on June 15, 1920, Dame Nellie Melba, at the invitation of “The Daily Mail,” set the world by the ears in more senses than one and sang to the world by wireless from Chelmsford. Two years later—in July, 1922—“ The Daily Mail” was responsible for another step in broadcasting by arranging for the continuance of the regular service of wireless concert from The Hague, which it had been intended to discontinue owing to lack of funds.