TV Tests in Australia 1948

Added: Aug 21, 2008

From: aussiebeachut

Duration: 1:5

Australian TV in 1948.. Yes these were some of the first documented Test demonstrations of Television in Australia that the Newsreels for the Cinema screened. This segment featured in the 1978 Australian Movie "Newsfront". While most Australians believe Bruce Gyngell was the first Australian on TV in Sydney in September 1956.. this is not true. TV tests had been conducted in Australia back to 1928 albeit in lower definition. In 1934, TV broadcasts from the Tower Mill in Brisbane began what would become Australia's first regular high definition service (180 lines) that would end with the outbreak of World War 2. After the War, Britain, the USA and parts of Europe either began or restarted TV Broadcasting so interest spread to Australia where Tests and demonstrations resumed. This particular demonstration in 1948 at Sydney's "Hotel Australia" featured the 1940s radio Comediennes "Ada and Elsie". Their humour considered quite risque at the time but definately on the ball.. but for whatever reason the girls didn't make the transition from Radio to TV when it officially arrived in 1956. This is a record of what might have been Australia's FIRST "Kath and Kim".. "Ada and Elsie". It's hard to tell whether the TV standard being tested was the British 405 line or the new (at the time) European 625 line definition. As the commentator (Veteran Australian Broadcaster, John Dease) says .. the equipment used was British so it's likely it was 405 line. Incidentally.. the 1948 PYE TV Cameras look like the TOP of the range for the time. Australia ultimately adopted the 625 line standard when regular commercial and ABC TV Broadcasts commenced in 1956. PLEASE NOTE: The Audience in the Cinema scenes were shot in 1977 for the Movie "Newsfront" but the Newsreel footage screened of the TV Tests is authentic from 1948. The Voice-Over comes from veteran Australian Broadcaster the late John Dease. I am sure the full 1948 TV Newsreel report is held somewhere by the Australian Film Archive.

Channel: Film

Tags: 1948  1956  1977  1978  405  625  ada  astor  australia  black  brisbane  britain  broadcast  camera  cinema  cinesound  comedy  dease  demonstration  el  electronic  elsie  england  english  fernsehen  history  hotel  john  kath  kim  line  melbourne  menzies  monochrome  movietone  newsfront  newsreel  photicon  pye  radio  sydney  television  test  theater  theatre  toro  tv  vintage  white 

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