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Radio Station History:
Koalas, Kangaroos & Kiwis – The Australian Radio Listener Clubs
by David Ricquish
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'Cecily'
[Cecily Spicer]
2PK Sunshine Club
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A social phenomenon of the early days of radio was the listeners club that many stations established. As a means to build a loyal audience they were highly successful, and usually developed around women listeners, and children.
In Parkes, local listeners to 2PK joined the Koala Club, in South Australia, 5AD and its country network had the famous Kangaroo Club, and in Far North Queensland, 4TO had its Kiwi Club.
![image of Uncle Richard [Dick Moore], 5AD](./Images/5AD_DMoore_100.jpg "Uncle Richard [Dick Moore], 5AD")
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5AD's Uncle Richard
[Dick Moore]
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Announcers used on air names such as 'Uncle Richard', 'Auntie Peggy' and many more like them, as the children's clubs took on a family like tone to their activities. Most clubs were local in nature, just in the city or town where a local commercial radio station broadcast. Nationally, there was the famous Argonauts Club of the ABC which merits its own history, with many famous people today still able to tell you which boat crew they were assigned to on joining.
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Alison Black, 2NZ Country Service Club
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More social clubs than listeners clubs, their activities were mind-boggling. As well as the usual run of dances, social events, charity fund raising and so on, some clubs funded entire rest homes and school rooms. They held talent quests, beauty pageants, went on grand tours by car and train across the country and fulfilled an important social role in many country areas.
The children's clubs were full of sports and cultural events, short story and poem writing, recitals in the radio station studio, art exhibitions, days out to the zoo, boat rides, and other activities to keep the children entertained, educated and occupied.
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Doreen Sarah
3MA 'Sunshiner's Gang'
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During WWII, these listener clubs often led local fund raising activities for clothing, food supplies, fully outfitted ambulances and mobile canteens, as well as money for guns, munitions and war bonds.
Through the 1950's and into the mid-1960's, these clubs continued to prosper and many not so old listeners will still remember listening to their favorite 'Uncle' or 'Aunt' on the radio, wearing their club badge with much pride, and the friendships they formed whilst attending club activities.
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5AD Kangaroo Club logo
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As the social cohesiveness of the 1925-65 period melted away under the onslaught of TV, large scale immigration changes, the protest movements and the baby boomers teenage years, the radio listener clubs also began to disappear.
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7LA Boys' Club |
Looking back, it's heard to appreciate that during the 1930's and early 1940's, one station alone could enroll over 65,000 members in its Kangaroo Club [as 5AD Adelaide achieved] and today there are hundreds of thousands of Australians who still have memories, old photos and the occasional club badge still hiding in a bottom drawer.
We've found over 100 of those old radio listener clubs, and here they are back in the light of day. If you have memories, memorabilia, photos, badges or other items about them you'd like to share with others and make sure they get safely kept for future generations to enjoy, contact us today. We'd love to hear from you. Especially, if you were a radio 'Uncle' or 'Aunt'!
| Club Name |
Station |
| A1 | 5KA Adelaide |
| Amazons Club | 3MA Mildura |
| Area Sunbeamers | 2RG Griffith |
| Auburn Club | 4MB Maryborough |
| Australian Women’s League | 2CH Sydney |
| Birthday League | 3AK Melbourne |
| Blue Birds Club | 3BA Ballarat |
| Bobby Bear Club | 3UZ Melbourne |
| Boy’s Club | 2CA Canberra |
| Boy’s Club | 3YB Warrnambool |
| Boy’s Club | 7LA Launceston |
| Breakfast Club | 3AW Melbourne |
| Breakfast Club | 3UL Warragul |
| Breakfast Club | 3YB Warrnambool |
| Bridge Club | 4BH Brisbane |
| Busy Bees Club | 2AD Armidale |
| Call to Youth Club | 2UE Sydney |
| Chatterbox Corner Chums | 3AW Melbourne |
| Cheerio Club | 2KO Newcastle |
| Cheerio Club | 2QN Deniliquin |
| Cheerio Club | 3UL Warragul |
| Cheerio Club | 6GE Geraldton |
| Children’s Glee Club | 2WG Wagga Wagga |
| Children’s Smile Club | 2GF Grafton |
| Children’s Smile Club | 4WK Warwick |
| Commander Singing Club | 4TO Townsville |
| Country Service Club | 2GZ Orange |
| Country service Club | 2NZ Inverell |
| Fisherman’s Club | 3XY Melbourne |
| Friendly Circle | 3UL Warragul |
| Friendship Circle | 3BA Ballarat |
| Friendship Circle | 3KZ Melbourne |
| Friendship Club | 2WL Wollongong |
| Gardening League | 7EX Launceston |
| Good Companion’s Club | 2LM Lismore |
| Good companions’ Women’s Club | 3XY Melbourne |
| Grub Club | 3UZ Melbourne |
| Gumnut Club | 2KM Kempsey |
| Happiness Club | 2GB Sydney |
| Happiness Club | 3KZ Melbourne |
| Happy Companions Club | 2CH Sydney |
| Happy Hour Club | 6AM Northam/6PM Perth |
| Home Circle Club | 5PI Crystal Brook |
| Homecraft Club | 5SE Mt Gambier |
| Home Makers Club | 2CH Sydney |
| Joy Club | 2HD Newcastle |
| Joy Club | 6GE Geraldton |
| Joyster Club | 2HD Newcastle |
| Junior Country Service Club | 2GZ Orange/2NZ Inverell |
| Kangaroo Club | 5AD Adelaide / 5PI Crystal Brook / 5MU Murray Bridge / 5SE Mt Gambier |
| Kipling Boys’ Club | 5KA Adelaide/5RM Renmark |
| Kiwi Club | 4TO Townsville |
| Kiwi Club | 7HT Hobart |
| Koala Club | 2BE Bega |
| Koala Club | 2PK Parkes |
| Koala Club | 3TR Sale |
| Koala Club | 7UV Ulverstone |
| Kookaburra Club | 2BS Bathurst |
| Kookaburra Club | 4BH Brisbane |
| League of Young Airmen | 7EX Launceston |
| Listener’s League | 2BE Bega |
| Listener’s League | 3AK Melbourne |
| Look Up and Laugh Club | 3UZ Melbourne |
| Lone Ranger Club | 4BH Brisbane |
| Merrymakers’ Club | 3SH Swan Hill |
| Merrymakers’ Club | 5KA Adelaide |
| Merrymakers’ Club | 7LA Launceston |
| Night Owls’ Club | 2CA Canberra |
| Old King Cole’s Court | 3GL Geelong |
| Pals’ Children’s Club | 3XY Melbourne |
| Pals’ Club | 4BC Brisbane |
| Pals’ Club | 7HO Hobart |
| Possum Club | 2TM Tamworth |
| Pyjama Parade Club | 2MO Gunnedah |
| Radio Club | 2HR Hunter River |
| Radio Correspondence Club | 2KO Newcastle |
| Radio Reporters’ Club | 2GB Sydney |
| Radio Service Club | 2KA Katoomba |
| Radio Social Club | 2MG Mudgee |
| Radio Youth Club | 2GB Sydney |
| Smile Club | 2CH Sydney |
| Smile Club | 2MW Murwillumbah |
| Smile Club | 3BO Bendigo |
| Smile Club | 4TO Townsville |
| Smilers’ Club | 2BH Broken Hill |
| Smilers’ Club | 2MO Gunnedah |
| Smiles Club | 4IP Ipswich |
| Smile-away Club | 3DB Melbourne |
| Stamp Club | 4BK Brisbane/4AK Oakey |
| Sunpolishers’ Club | 7BU Burnie |
| Sunpolishers’ Club | 7DY Derby |
| Sunraysia Club | 3MA Mildura |
| Sunshine Club | 2RG Griffith |
| Sunshine Club | 3HA Hamilton |
| Sunshiners’ Club | 7HT Hobart |
| Tailwaggers’ Club | 2WL Wollongong |
| Tailwaggers’ Club | 6PR Perth |
| Waggon Wheels Club | 2DU Dubbo |
| Women’s Association | 3AW Melbourne |
| Women’s Association | 7EX Launceston |
| Women’s Association | 7HT Hobart |
| Women’s Association | 7LA Launceston |
| Women’s Club | 2QN Deniliquin |
| Women’s Club | 2WG Wagga Wagga |
| Women’s Club | 3CV Charlton |
| Women’s Club | 3HA Hamilton |
| Women’s Club | 3SH Swan Hill |
| Women’s Club | 3TR Sale |
| Women’s Club | 4TO Townsville |
| Women’s Correspondence Club | 2AD Armidale |
| Women’s Home Forum Club | 3BO Bendigo |
| Women’s League | 2CH Sydney |
| Women’s Radio Club | 2TM Tamworth |
| Women’s Theatre Circle | 7HO Hobart |
| Young Crusaders’ Club | 3CV Charlton |
| Younger Set Club | 2CA Canberra |
| 7EX Army | 7EX Launceston |
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Supported by the Australian High Commission, Wellington
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All images are © Broadcast Yearbook & Radio Listeners Annual of Australia, C C
Faulkner,
Ray Crawford Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation.
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 "Doreen Sarah")
 "7LA Boys' Club")
