November 16, 2021 • 28 mins
Flashback: The First Special from Vision Australia Radio celebrating 80 years of Carols By Candlelight.
A beloved Australian tradition, Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight has a remarkable history of supporting children who are blind or have low vision and this year marked the 80th anniversary for the iconic Christmas celebration. Eighty years ago, the vision of one man, Norman Banks MBE, created what has become Australia’s most iconic Christmas event. A veteran of radio, Banks was walking home on Christmas Eve in 1937, when he noticed an elderly woman sitting up in bed by her window, her face lit only by a candle. She had a radio beside her and was singing along to the Christmas carol, ‘Away in a Manger’. It was at this moment that Banks was inspired to create a gathering of people to sing Carols by Candlelight. Thanks to the gracious personal interest of the Lord Mayor at the time, Cr. A.W. Coles, Norman Banks gained the approval of the City Council and set to work organising the whole program. And so, in 1938, ten thousand people gathered at midnight in the Alexandra Gardens to sing carols with a 30-strong choir, two soloists and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Band. The unusual candlelight setting, and the beauty of the carols, instantly won the affection of the large assembly. A new Christmas tradition was born.
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Episode Transcript
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S1 (00:14):
Welcome to a look back at Vision Australia's carols by candlelight.
I'm Michael Harris with the 80th anniversary just around the corner.
We take a look at Carol's past and present with
our journey starting with three cases carols choir invitation for
the public to have their voices heard at this great event.
S2 (00:39):
This is an invitation to join this year's three Kazan's
Carols by Candlelight Choir. Let your voice ring around the world.
The first rehearsal will be held in the reception room
of the Assembly Hall, Collins Street, Melbourne, tonight at 8pm.
Remember the Reception Room Assembly Hall, Collins Street tonight? Join
(01:01):
this great choir!
S1 (01:03):
Norman Banks was the creator of this event all the
way back in 1937, with a very interesting story on
how he came up with the idea which sparked this
Christmas tradition.
S2 (01:13):
Norman going back thirty nine years. You were a very
successful radio announcer in Melbourne. Yes, I was. Uh, we
are brash. We are brash. Yes, very. But you must
have had a lot of emotion because you wouldn't have
got to where you have if you didn't. I had
a spiritual background. I've been a theological student and of course,
I've always been interested in things that are non-material. Well,
(01:37):
let me get back to the little old lady. Just
explain how that happened. Well, I was walking home a
little bit heavily burdened by the spirit of the occasion
and Christmas Eve and the weight of parcels I had.
And no one was a toy train for my son,
which I enjoyed much more than he did. And it
(01:59):
was all the Christmas celebration we were getting. My wife
and I and we had two little children and it
was a lovely Christmas Eve. And I thought as I
walked past that deer also singing away at a manger
with a candlestick on her radio set and I can
see her boudoir cap and all woollen well, not all
well and was a very smart actor in a woollen
shawl over its look like Queen Victoria. And I thought
(02:20):
if we could get them to sing carols by candlelight,
as I'd seen one old woman singing on some Kilda Road,
and if we could have 20000 people creating the magnificent
influence over the entire community that this one woman had
over me as I walked past her bedroom, then we'd
be doing something worthwhile for the community. So why don't
you do? Then you went home and you thought about this? Yes,
(02:42):
and I talked it over with my wife and then
forgot all about it, to all intents and purposes. But
I didn't get it in my heart, and I developed
the idea right through the whole of the year. And eventually,
the managing director of KZN said Morgan was taken into
my confidence, and he thought it was a great idea
to the only people who were against it at that
time were the city fathers of Melbourne, who thought it
(03:02):
was ridiculous to have people out of bed after midnight
on Christmas Eve, as though anyone would do such a
thing holding candles to read the words of him all
and destroying and desecrating the gardens he you easily put
down in those days any and you hold out hope
in that way. Well, not where truth is concerned. And
that was logic and truth, in my estimation. So you
what do you broadcast the you've got the idea and
(03:24):
you advertised it over your radio stations throughout it? Yes,
we had very little support from the press in those
days until it became so big that the press of
the world took over and Radio Australia broadcast it, as
you know, around the world right now. I wonder what
you thought about an hour before it was all due
to start happening on that first occasion. I'll never forget it.
(03:47):
The platform was one foot above the ground. It was
about 20 feet by 10. There are about 400 people
who wanted to be on it, including all the choristers,
of course, and so funny because those who go to
the front were promptly pushed off by those at the back.
And it went on, and it was it was really
comedies that Keystone stop until the Lord Mayor of the day,
(04:08):
a wonderful person, Arthur Coles, arrived and it's a great singer.
And he had with him Stella Wilson, who was one
of Australia's greatest sopranos and it and we officially opened
carols by candlelight. And from that moment, it never looked back.
S1 (04:23):
Norman Banks also created a special Christmas carol for the
event he created. Here it is, being performed by Mary
Miller and the Carols by Candlelight Choir at the 1943 concert.
UU (05:22):
I mean. I forgive. Oh. You. No. On.
S3 (07:33):
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Now we come to an
important traditional feature of carols by candlelight, Christmas greetings from
the Lord Mayor of Melbourne. I cannot say just how
much we owe to cancel the Metropole and his deputy
councillor Coleman, who has chaired our committee meetings without the
Lord Mayor's enthusiastic support and encouragement close by candlelight would
have been a very poor show indeed. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen,
(07:54):
candles or no candles in your hand. I want you
to give the Lord Mayor, Councillor Nettlefold and the Lady Mayoress,
Mrs Campbell, who is on the platform here tonight. A
really terrific welcome.
UU (08:08):
Ladies and gentlemen,
S3 (08:09):
the Lord mayor of Melbourne. Your Excellency, Lady Dugan, My
Lady Warriors and ladies and gentlemen, allow this festival of
carols by candlelight has been established for six years. There's
only 12 months ago tonight after my assumption of the
(08:32):
Office of Lord Mayor of Melbourne, that I had the
opportunity of facing the great gathering of citizens who showed
their readiness that this historical time of the year to
receive a Christmas message. Mindful also of the needs of charity.
This thought is exemplified most aptly in the words of St.
(08:53):
Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians. Though I have
all faith so that I could remove mountains and have
no charity, I am nothing. On this occasion last year,
I found the sea of faces before me in the
semi darkness. One of the most inspiring sights that I
(09:14):
have ever witnessed and one that can never pass from
my memory. It is distinctly a privilege, as Lord Mayor,
to be able to convey a message to such a
huge throng. There is somewhat of an international aspect at
tonight's gathering in that we have had in that beautiful
pageant earlier in the evening, representative of all the United Nations.
(09:39):
We have also received greetings and messages from the governor
of Malta. Lord got the right honourable, the Lord Mayor
of London, the mayor of New York, Mr Lagardere, the
mayor of Ottawa, Canada, the mayor of Cape Town South Africa.
The Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, the mayor of Carnarvon, Wales.
(10:03):
And Lieutenant Lieutenant General Patrick, Chief of Staff of the
New Zealand Military Forces Wellington, New Zealand. And the presence
of representatives of nations alongside me tonight is further proof
that anybody needed the goodwill existing amongst the United Nations today.
(10:24):
Their presence not only indicates the festive season of the year,
it reminds us also of the solidarity of the United
Nations and the terrific struggle for freedom in which we
are now engaged towards the close of last year. Mr
Winston Churchill, at whose recovery from a recent illness. All
(10:46):
of us are extremely gratified. In a speech at the
Mansion House, London said This is not the end. It
was not even the beginning of the end, but it
is perhaps the end of the beginning. I think I
may say now it was such an eventful year just
(11:06):
behind us. We are witnessing the beginning of the end.
There is no question of our effort being a united one,
and there can be no thought of our effort not
being victorious. But just as we are gathered here tonight
in harmony with one another. So last week, cast aside compassionate,
(11:27):
thought and realised. But while we are united against a
common foe, there are many dark days to face and
many sacrifices to be made before our ultimate victory becomes
a reality. Therefore, you must fight the good fight with
all my might. Christ is my strength and Christ due
(11:49):
to die, right? I want to express my appreciation of
your splendid support of this wonderful and inspiring function tonight.
Inspiring it must be to all who are privileged to
join in beauty, dignity and grace. We pray God that
he will guide our every thought and action in the
struggle ahead and teach us to bear the yoke with
(12:13):
steadfastness and careful to act in our time. His grace
may give the truth whereby the nations live. Keep right
on to the end of the road. Keep right on
the end now as to the objects of this great festival.
The procedures are given to the Red Cross Australian Comfort
(12:37):
Fund and the Austin Hospital, and I would urge that
the appeal, which is being made all day tomorrow by
Station three, said Mr Norman Banks and his staff might
be solidly supported by the huge crowd presence tonight and
the thousands of listeners in. I thank you all very sincerely.
S1 (13:04):
Although the times were very different in the 1940s, the
people of Australia were still very generous in their donations
to carols by candlelight, which is evident in this recording
from three K Z, where the names and amounts are
read out to the listeners.
S4 (13:17):
Thank you very much indeed. In three years at charity
time tonight I would like to just wish you all
the very best of good luck with your collections. Tonight
is the last night of Africa. As a charity time,
we've been able to speak to quite a lot of
the hotels, the people concerned with them. Some of the
business houses and the offices, the factories, all the people
(13:38):
in their homes who have been helping us for long
time in some cases and for rather a short time
and others. But we've been able to contact them in
some small measure and assist them in some ways in
regard to their collections for this very worthy cause. The
little kid is sick and afflicted in the Austin Hospital
and the blind babies at the Royal Victorian Institute for
(14:00):
the Blind. We're hoping that on Christmas Day, we'll start
off very well indeed and that that for very long
will have a figure which will be ahead of last
year's figure at that particular time. Right throughout the day,
we hope to keep ahead of last year's figure and
at the end of it all, at 12 o'clock on
Christmas night, we hope to announce that we have a
(14:22):
figure far in excess of the thirty one thousand pounds
which we raised last year in the three ed Christmas
Day appeal. We feel very confident here in three Z.
That will be so simply because we've had such a
wonderful lot of assistance from all of you. And it
augurs well for a record breaking year, particularly. We can
(14:45):
say that in regard to Penny Serenade, the penny writers
have been absolutely marvellous. Last year, of course, we thought
they'd done so splendidly. They did, too, in raising eight
thousand and sixty pounds for the year, and we really, frankly,
we didn't expect to get quite as much this year.
Instead of that, we have already and there's still tomorrow
(15:06):
to go on. We could easily get another four or
five hundred pounds in tomorrow. That often happens in the
last day of the month for pennies serenade. We wind
up tomorrow at three o'clock and today the figure was
ten thousand four hundred pounds, so it's quite possible we
could get eleven thousand pounds for pennies serenade. But already
(15:28):
you see, it's a record breaking figure never before in
the history of Penny Serenade since the year 1947, when
it began in such a small way. Never before have
we raised that much money in a year and there
was one particular month. It was really tremendous, and amount
of two thousand six hundred fifty four pounds came in
(15:48):
in one single month. And of course, that stepped up
the yearly total considerably. But we think that is something
to be proud of, and we're very grateful to penny
serenades for your wonderful contributions right throughout the year. Well,
now all you people who will be contributing to our
Christmas Day appeal well in advance where you can say
(16:08):
thank you very much indeed because we know you'll be
at it again, sending in your phone, calls, your promises
and bringing us in the money. Sometimes for us to
count on Christmas Day, we'll have plenty of helpers here,
so you can rest assured that you won't have to
wait long. We'll soon have your money counted and your
receipt given to you, and the amount of knowledge over
the air to the business. Houses were always very good
(16:32):
to us. We would like to thank them to the
people in the homes who always send in and so
marvelously we'd like to thank them too. To the factories
and to the hotels, the hotels. Of course, some of
them have a special competition going on, which they're out
to win their trophies and to have Tommy to come
(16:55):
down to them and actually present their trophies in their hotels. Well,
we'd like to say to all the hotels. Good luck
and even rape of the lock against your rivals with
your collections. It's only a friendly competition. I'm sure those
hotels that do miss out on the cup or the
visit from Tommy Trindle won't mind much because after all
the whole work, the whole contribution is for a most
(17:18):
worthy cause. If you only got to think of that,
those little kid is sick and afflicted in the Austin
Hospital and the blind babies at the Royal Victorian Institute
for the Blind. When you're working for a worthy cause
like that, well, then you don't look for trophies and
that sort of thing, but it does stimulate it a
little bit and it's good fun. The hotel people own
good spots and their patrons, too, and we feel that
(17:40):
they'll enjoy it tomorrow when we actually announce the winners
and the various amounts. It's all very interesting and it
makes up a pretty big figure for the kiddies. Well,
out one particular man who has worked very hard as
Mr Bill divers and I'd like to acknowledge these amounts
from his shop steward who have sent in. These moneys
(18:03):
to him, first of all, J. Lovekin of Collect, one pound,
five e.g. old and Myrtleford, one pound five seats scraggy
of Hampden, four pounds, five of them C more one
pound six. Gillian Mansfield four pounds six. Richardson Vitek one pound,
eight G Usher Messy maintenance one pound 11. C Proust's
MK C Cleaning A Western District. Four pounds 10 G
(18:26):
Arcelor Tambo two pound, seven H Hill, APRA five pound
7.6 +6 C Cornford You Merkur one pound two W
Morton of Bairnsdale six Guineas Graham of Broadmeadows three pounds
four J.R Beaton of Brighton six pounds five. S.R. Cox
of Gisborne one pound 14 E Plant, Newham Wood End
(18:47):
two pounds G Burns Horsham two pounds 10. J.W. Deas,
Rutherglen five shillings, T Clark, MTC East Side cleansing nine pounds,
seventeen and six C.J. Glaring NCC Underground Electric Supply £4
six E Losson, Heidelberg 11 pounds 18 at McLennan of
(19:09):
Rodney five shillings obviating of Seymour 10 shillings. F Clarke
of Warrnambool three is Les for Benalla, £1 18 and
Harold Clerk of Beechworth, two pounds six shillings. Thank you
very much. Well, you people for all those generous donations
and to bill himself, our grateful thanks for all the
sterling work that he's put in. We'll be acknowledging his
(19:32):
total donation, of course, on Christmas Day. Well, now I
think we'll close appropriately by wishing the fate out there,
the children's entertainment all good fortune for tomorrow. They've had
to find days for their faith and children's entertainment at
Doncaster Road North Balwyn, the Village Traders Shopping Centre. I
think everything's been organised to such a grand extent out
(19:55):
there that it's sure to be a wonderful success. I
haven't heard yet, but I think with the weather fine,
the organisation is so good they can't help but raise
a tremendous amount of money and that the social aspect
of it Father Christmas and the giving away of toys
and all the good things that happened around Christmas time
for kiddies will be a success too. To the motorcyclists
(20:17):
who have been so good to us in charity and
in other respects. Oh, good luck to you for Friday
and Saturday, December the 26th and 27th, the occasion of
the 1952 Australian 80 races that will be held at
Little River Road Circuit Friday and Saturday, December 26 and 27.
That's on Boxing Day on the Saturday after the Friday
(20:39):
and Saturday. Well, they have representatives from every state in Australia,
so I think as the Harley Club are organising it
and with all those entries, I think it's assured of success.
The only thing is the weather and they say the
weather's going to be good too. So I think everything,
everything will be alright then. Well, as this is the
final broadcast of three cars at charity time, I'd just
(21:01):
like to say to you all in case we do
miss some of you on Christmas Day, well, I sincerely
wish you a very happy Christmas and all prosperity for
the new year. We'll close with our slogan, which was
sent in the winning slogan by Mrs F G Edwards
of nine Denman Avenue, Glen Iris. What worthy cause exists?
(21:21):
We say then, is that appeal on Christmas Day is
crippled and babies blind. A find a purpose you could
not find. Goodnight, everyone.
S1 (21:33):
Now we move to 1954 with a rendition of O
Come All Ye Faithful and Where You Walk, sung by
the CBC Choir and patrons in the Alexandra Gardens of Melbourne.
S3 (21:44):
And now, ladies and gentlemen, what the festival is underway.
We invite you to dine with the Salvation Army, Staff
Band and our crowd of 300 Vipers in singing the
first film, which was printed on Page 17 of your
official program. They have been, rather than listening at the moment,
bye bye to accept our invitation to join us here
in the Alexandra Gardens and smell the mighty tide, which
is already here as we sing together.
S5 (22:06):
O come all ye faithful.
UU (23:59):
Well. Turns out. What is the world? Oh, all
S5 (24:16):
day. Oh, prodded us. Girls.
UU (24:48):
Three. Oh, auditing.
S5 (25:09):
Oh. In. Oh. Oh, gosh, we have lost
UU (25:44):
oh, oh, oh, oh
S5 (25:51):
oh, and. Storage. Yeah. Oh, yeah. On your last
UU (26:05):
were. Oh. You pulled out far more.
S5 (26:30):
The way you say out loud in
UU (26:40):
the word spirit
S5 (26:43):
shall crowd in. Are. Oh, cool. Oh, fun.
UU (27:03):
I've learned through this world.
S5 (27:10):
Oh, crawled into. Who? Hmm. Oh oh. Oh, in. Oh.
S1 (27:59):
That brings us to the end of our look back
at the early years of carols by candlelight. I'm Michael Harris.
Join me at the same time next week as we
relive the performances and interviews from the 90s and 2000s.
In the lead up to the 80th anniversary celebration of
this iconic event on December 24, and don't forget to
be listening to our special audio describe broadcast of carols
(28:22):
by candlelight on Christmas Eve only on Vision Australia radio
via digital and online via radio dot org.
Welcome to a look back at Vision Australia's carols by candlelight.
I'm Michael Harris with the 80th anniversary just around the corner.
We take a look at Carol's past and present with
our journey starting with three cases carols choir invitation for
the public to have their voices heard at this great event.
S2 (00:39):
This is an invitation to join this year's three Kazan's
Carols by Candlelight Choir. Let your voice ring around the world.
The first rehearsal will be held in the reception room
of the Assembly Hall, Collins Street, Melbourne, tonight at 8pm.
Remember the Reception Room Assembly Hall, Collins Street tonight? Join
(01:01):
this great choir!
S1 (01:03):
Norman Banks was the creator of this event all the
way back in 1937, with a very interesting story on
how he came up with the idea which sparked this
Christmas tradition.
S2 (01:13):
Norman going back thirty nine years. You were a very
successful radio announcer in Melbourne. Yes, I was. Uh, we
are brash. We are brash. Yes, very. But you must
have had a lot of emotion because you wouldn't have
got to where you have if you didn't. I had
a spiritual background. I've been a theological student and of course,
I've always been interested in things that are non-material. Well,
(01:37):
let me get back to the little old lady. Just
explain how that happened. Well, I was walking home a
little bit heavily burdened by the spirit of the occasion
and Christmas Eve and the weight of parcels I had.
And no one was a toy train for my son,
which I enjoyed much more than he did. And it
(01:59):
was all the Christmas celebration we were getting. My wife
and I and we had two little children and it
was a lovely Christmas Eve. And I thought as I
walked past that deer also singing away at a manger
with a candlestick on her radio set and I can
see her boudoir cap and all woollen well, not all
well and was a very smart actor in a woollen
shawl over its look like Queen Victoria. And I thought
(02:20):
if we could get them to sing carols by candlelight,
as I'd seen one old woman singing on some Kilda Road,
and if we could have 20000 people creating the magnificent
influence over the entire community that this one woman had
over me as I walked past her bedroom, then we'd
be doing something worthwhile for the community. So why don't
you do? Then you went home and you thought about this? Yes,
(02:42):
and I talked it over with my wife and then
forgot all about it, to all intents and purposes. But
I didn't get it in my heart, and I developed
the idea right through the whole of the year. And eventually,
the managing director of KZN said Morgan was taken into
my confidence, and he thought it was a great idea
to the only people who were against it at that
time were the city fathers of Melbourne, who thought it
(03:02):
was ridiculous to have people out of bed after midnight
on Christmas Eve, as though anyone would do such a
thing holding candles to read the words of him all
and destroying and desecrating the gardens he you easily put
down in those days any and you hold out hope
in that way. Well, not where truth is concerned. And
that was logic and truth, in my estimation. So you
what do you broadcast the you've got the idea and
(03:24):
you advertised it over your radio stations throughout it? Yes,
we had very little support from the press in those
days until it became so big that the press of
the world took over and Radio Australia broadcast it, as
you know, around the world right now. I wonder what
you thought about an hour before it was all due
to start happening on that first occasion. I'll never forget it.
(03:47):
The platform was one foot above the ground. It was
about 20 feet by 10. There are about 400 people
who wanted to be on it, including all the choristers,
of course, and so funny because those who go to
the front were promptly pushed off by those at the back.
And it went on, and it was it was really
comedies that Keystone stop until the Lord Mayor of the day,
(04:08):
a wonderful person, Arthur Coles, arrived and it's a great singer.
And he had with him Stella Wilson, who was one
of Australia's greatest sopranos and it and we officially opened
carols by candlelight. And from that moment, it never looked back.
S1 (04:23):
Norman Banks also created a special Christmas carol for the
event he created. Here it is, being performed by Mary
Miller and the Carols by Candlelight Choir at the 1943 concert.
UU (05:22):
I mean. I forgive. Oh. You. No. On.
S3 (07:33):
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Now we come to an
important traditional feature of carols by candlelight, Christmas greetings from
the Lord Mayor of Melbourne. I cannot say just how
much we owe to cancel the Metropole and his deputy
councillor Coleman, who has chaired our committee meetings without the
Lord Mayor's enthusiastic support and encouragement close by candlelight would
have been a very poor show indeed. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen,
(07:54):
candles or no candles in your hand. I want you
to give the Lord Mayor, Councillor Nettlefold and the Lady Mayoress,
Mrs Campbell, who is on the platform here tonight. A
really terrific welcome.
UU (08:08):
Ladies and gentlemen,
S3 (08:09):
the Lord mayor of Melbourne. Your Excellency, Lady Dugan, My
Lady Warriors and ladies and gentlemen, allow this festival of
carols by candlelight has been established for six years. There's
only 12 months ago tonight after my assumption of the
(08:32):
Office of Lord Mayor of Melbourne, that I had the
opportunity of facing the great gathering of citizens who showed
their readiness that this historical time of the year to
receive a Christmas message. Mindful also of the needs of charity.
This thought is exemplified most aptly in the words of St.
(08:53):
Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians. Though I have
all faith so that I could remove mountains and have
no charity, I am nothing. On this occasion last year,
I found the sea of faces before me in the
semi darkness. One of the most inspiring sights that I
(09:14):
have ever witnessed and one that can never pass from
my memory. It is distinctly a privilege, as Lord Mayor,
to be able to convey a message to such a
huge throng. There is somewhat of an international aspect at
tonight's gathering in that we have had in that beautiful
pageant earlier in the evening, representative of all the United Nations.
(09:39):
We have also received greetings and messages from the governor
of Malta. Lord got the right honourable, the Lord Mayor
of London, the mayor of New York, Mr Lagardere, the
mayor of Ottawa, Canada, the mayor of Cape Town South Africa.
The Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, the mayor of Carnarvon, Wales.
(10:03):
And Lieutenant Lieutenant General Patrick, Chief of Staff of the
New Zealand Military Forces Wellington, New Zealand. And the presence
of representatives of nations alongside me tonight is further proof
that anybody needed the goodwill existing amongst the United Nations today.
(10:24):
Their presence not only indicates the festive season of the year,
it reminds us also of the solidarity of the United
Nations and the terrific struggle for freedom in which we
are now engaged towards the close of last year. Mr
Winston Churchill, at whose recovery from a recent illness. All
(10:46):
of us are extremely gratified. In a speech at the
Mansion House, London said This is not the end. It
was not even the beginning of the end, but it
is perhaps the end of the beginning. I think I
may say now it was such an eventful year just
(11:06):
behind us. We are witnessing the beginning of the end.
There is no question of our effort being a united one,
and there can be no thought of our effort not
being victorious. But just as we are gathered here tonight
in harmony with one another. So last week, cast aside compassionate,
(11:27):
thought and realised. But while we are united against a
common foe, there are many dark days to face and
many sacrifices to be made before our ultimate victory becomes
a reality. Therefore, you must fight the good fight with
all my might. Christ is my strength and Christ due
(11:49):
to die, right? I want to express my appreciation of
your splendid support of this wonderful and inspiring function tonight.
Inspiring it must be to all who are privileged to
join in beauty, dignity and grace. We pray God that
he will guide our every thought and action in the
struggle ahead and teach us to bear the yoke with
(12:13):
steadfastness and careful to act in our time. His grace
may give the truth whereby the nations live. Keep right
on to the end of the road. Keep right on
the end now as to the objects of this great festival.
The procedures are given to the Red Cross Australian Comfort
(12:37):
Fund and the Austin Hospital, and I would urge that
the appeal, which is being made all day tomorrow by
Station three, said Mr Norman Banks and his staff might
be solidly supported by the huge crowd presence tonight and
the thousands of listeners in. I thank you all very sincerely.
S1 (13:04):
Although the times were very different in the 1940s, the
people of Australia were still very generous in their donations
to carols by candlelight, which is evident in this recording
from three K Z, where the names and amounts are
read out to the listeners.
S4 (13:17):
Thank you very much indeed. In three years at charity
time tonight I would like to just wish you all
the very best of good luck with your collections. Tonight
is the last night of Africa. As a charity time,
we've been able to speak to quite a lot of
the hotels, the people concerned with them. Some of the
business houses and the offices, the factories, all the people
(13:38):
in their homes who have been helping us for long
time in some cases and for rather a short time
and others. But we've been able to contact them in
some small measure and assist them in some ways in
regard to their collections for this very worthy cause. The
little kid is sick and afflicted in the Austin Hospital
and the blind babies at the Royal Victorian Institute for
(14:00):
the Blind. We're hoping that on Christmas Day, we'll start
off very well indeed and that that for very long
will have a figure which will be ahead of last
year's figure at that particular time. Right throughout the day,
we hope to keep ahead of last year's figure and
at the end of it all, at 12 o'clock on
Christmas night, we hope to announce that we have a
(14:22):
figure far in excess of the thirty one thousand pounds
which we raised last year in the three ed Christmas
Day appeal. We feel very confident here in three Z.
That will be so simply because we've had such a
wonderful lot of assistance from all of you. And it
augurs well for a record breaking year, particularly. We can
(14:45):
say that in regard to Penny Serenade, the penny writers
have been absolutely marvellous. Last year, of course, we thought
they'd done so splendidly. They did, too, in raising eight
thousand and sixty pounds for the year, and we really, frankly,
we didn't expect to get quite as much this year.
Instead of that, we have already and there's still tomorrow
(15:06):
to go on. We could easily get another four or
five hundred pounds in tomorrow. That often happens in the
last day of the month for pennies serenade. We wind
up tomorrow at three o'clock and today the figure was
ten thousand four hundred pounds, so it's quite possible we
could get eleven thousand pounds for pennies serenade. But already
(15:28):
you see, it's a record breaking figure never before in
the history of Penny Serenade since the year 1947, when
it began in such a small way. Never before have
we raised that much money in a year and there
was one particular month. It was really tremendous, and amount
of two thousand six hundred fifty four pounds came in
(15:48):
in one single month. And of course, that stepped up
the yearly total considerably. But we think that is something
to be proud of, and we're very grateful to penny
serenades for your wonderful contributions right throughout the year. Well,
now all you people who will be contributing to our
Christmas Day appeal well in advance where you can say
(16:08):
thank you very much indeed because we know you'll be
at it again, sending in your phone, calls, your promises
and bringing us in the money. Sometimes for us to
count on Christmas Day, we'll have plenty of helpers here,
so you can rest assured that you won't have to
wait long. We'll soon have your money counted and your
receipt given to you, and the amount of knowledge over
the air to the business. Houses were always very good
(16:32):
to us. We would like to thank them to the
people in the homes who always send in and so
marvelously we'd like to thank them too. To the factories
and to the hotels, the hotels. Of course, some of
them have a special competition going on, which they're out
to win their trophies and to have Tommy to come
(16:55):
down to them and actually present their trophies in their hotels. Well,
we'd like to say to all the hotels. Good luck
and even rape of the lock against your rivals with
your collections. It's only a friendly competition. I'm sure those
hotels that do miss out on the cup or the
visit from Tommy Trindle won't mind much because after all
the whole work, the whole contribution is for a most
(17:18):
worthy cause. If you only got to think of that,
those little kid is sick and afflicted in the Austin
Hospital and the blind babies at the Royal Victorian Institute
for the Blind. When you're working for a worthy cause
like that, well, then you don't look for trophies and
that sort of thing, but it does stimulate it a
little bit and it's good fun. The hotel people own
good spots and their patrons, too, and we feel that
(17:40):
they'll enjoy it tomorrow when we actually announce the winners
and the various amounts. It's all very interesting and it
makes up a pretty big figure for the kiddies. Well,
out one particular man who has worked very hard as
Mr Bill divers and I'd like to acknowledge these amounts
from his shop steward who have sent in. These moneys
(18:03):
to him, first of all, J. Lovekin of Collect, one pound,
five e.g. old and Myrtleford, one pound five seats scraggy
of Hampden, four pounds, five of them C more one
pound six. Gillian Mansfield four pounds six. Richardson Vitek one pound,
eight G Usher Messy maintenance one pound 11. C Proust's
MK C Cleaning A Western District. Four pounds 10 G
(18:26):
Arcelor Tambo two pound, seven H Hill, APRA five pound
7.6 +6 C Cornford You Merkur one pound two W
Morton of Bairnsdale six Guineas Graham of Broadmeadows three pounds
four J.R Beaton of Brighton six pounds five. S.R. Cox
of Gisborne one pound 14 E Plant, Newham Wood End
(18:47):
two pounds G Burns Horsham two pounds 10. J.W. Deas,
Rutherglen five shillings, T Clark, MTC East Side cleansing nine pounds,
seventeen and six C.J. Glaring NCC Underground Electric Supply £4
six E Losson, Heidelberg 11 pounds 18 at McLennan of
(19:09):
Rodney five shillings obviating of Seymour 10 shillings. F Clarke
of Warrnambool three is Les for Benalla, £1 18 and
Harold Clerk of Beechworth, two pounds six shillings. Thank you
very much. Well, you people for all those generous donations
and to bill himself, our grateful thanks for all the
sterling work that he's put in. We'll be acknowledging his
(19:32):
total donation, of course, on Christmas Day. Well, now I
think we'll close appropriately by wishing the fate out there,
the children's entertainment all good fortune for tomorrow. They've had
to find days for their faith and children's entertainment at
Doncaster Road North Balwyn, the Village Traders Shopping Centre. I
think everything's been organised to such a grand extent out
(19:55):
there that it's sure to be a wonderful success. I
haven't heard yet, but I think with the weather fine,
the organisation is so good they can't help but raise
a tremendous amount of money and that the social aspect
of it Father Christmas and the giving away of toys
and all the good things that happened around Christmas time
for kiddies will be a success too. To the motorcyclists
(20:17):
who have been so good to us in charity and
in other respects. Oh, good luck to you for Friday
and Saturday, December the 26th and 27th, the occasion of
the 1952 Australian 80 races that will be held at
Little River Road Circuit Friday and Saturday, December 26 and 27.
That's on Boxing Day on the Saturday after the Friday
(20:39):
and Saturday. Well, they have representatives from every state in Australia,
so I think as the Harley Club are organising it
and with all those entries, I think it's assured of success.
The only thing is the weather and they say the
weather's going to be good too. So I think everything,
everything will be alright then. Well, as this is the
final broadcast of three cars at charity time, I'd just
(21:01):
like to say to you all in case we do
miss some of you on Christmas Day, well, I sincerely
wish you a very happy Christmas and all prosperity for
the new year. We'll close with our slogan, which was
sent in the winning slogan by Mrs F G Edwards
of nine Denman Avenue, Glen Iris. What worthy cause exists?
(21:21):
We say then, is that appeal on Christmas Day is
crippled and babies blind. A find a purpose you could
not find. Goodnight, everyone.
S1 (21:33):
Now we move to 1954 with a rendition of O
Come All Ye Faithful and Where You Walk, sung by
the CBC Choir and patrons in the Alexandra Gardens of Melbourne.
S3 (21:44):
And now, ladies and gentlemen, what the festival is underway.
We invite you to dine with the Salvation Army, Staff
Band and our crowd of 300 Vipers in singing the
first film, which was printed on Page 17 of your
official program. They have been, rather than listening at the moment,
bye bye to accept our invitation to join us here
in the Alexandra Gardens and smell the mighty tide, which
is already here as we sing together.
S5 (22:06):
O come all ye faithful.
UU (23:59):
Well. Turns out. What is the world? Oh, all
S5 (24:16):
day. Oh, prodded us. Girls.
UU (24:48):
Three. Oh, auditing.
S5 (25:09):
Oh. In. Oh. Oh, gosh, we have lost
UU (25:44):
oh, oh, oh, oh
S5 (25:51):
oh, and. Storage. Yeah. Oh, yeah. On your last
UU (26:05):
were. Oh. You pulled out far more.
S5 (26:30):
The way you say out loud in
UU (26:40):
the word spirit
S5 (26:43):
shall crowd in. Are. Oh, cool. Oh, fun.
UU (27:03):
I've learned through this world.
S5 (27:10):
Oh, crawled into. Who? Hmm. Oh oh. Oh, in. Oh.
S1 (27:59):
That brings us to the end of our look back
at the early years of carols by candlelight. I'm Michael Harris.
Join me at the same time next week as we
relive the performances and interviews from the 90s and 2000s.
In the lead up to the 80th anniversary celebration of
this iconic event on December 24, and don't forget to
be listening to our special audio describe broadcast of carols
(28:22):
by candlelight on Christmas Eve only on Vision Australia radio
via digital and online via radio dot org.
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