On Air: Kath Errington (Friendship Club) and Frank Ruler promoting Williams the Shoeman on 3SR in the mid-1940s. Source: Great Company 3SR book
The Goulburn Valley’s 95.3 Triple M originated in Wangaratta as 3WR in 1924. It was Australia’s first non-capital city radio station. In 1935 3WR moved its studios, transmitter and offices from Wangaratta to Shepparton in the Fairley’s building on the corner of Maude and Fraser Sts. The name changed to 3SR in January 1936, and continued until it was bought by Southern Cross Austereo and rebranded as Triple M in 2016.
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Of all the announcers who fronted the 3SR microphone, none was better known and respected than Ken Austin. Known as Uncle Ken to thousands of children, and Pappy to his workmates, Mr Austin became the best known and liked radio personality the station had on its staff in the post-war period.
One of 3SR’s early and continuing successful ventures was the formation of the Friendship Club in 1937. Under the direction of Mrs E.A. Miller, who adopted the pseudonym of Mary Ann, the club quickly grew to include thousands of listeners. Each day from 11am to 12.15pm it was time for Friendship Club news and the reading of members’ letters. Interestingly club members were encouraged to use nom de plumes when writing and some of the more bizarre names were Goofy, Fishy, Golden Bubbles, Dora Dahlia and Silly Sal.
In a profile of the club for the Argus Women’s Magazine in 1946, then-leader Elizabeth Burchill described how the club had offered ‘practical friendship’ to women in the region since its inception:
Broadcasting: 3SR on Maude St, Shepparton, in 1953. Source: Lost Shepparton
“Help for those who have lost their home, help for those who are sick, help in the house, practical help — those are things that spring from the spirit which is the driving force of the Friendship Club.”
The club’s objectives were to “foster the spirit of friendship, to organise social gatherings, and to develop a spirit of community service”. The club’s motto was “We Span the Distance”, which succinctly encapsulated the role of the club as a means of connecting women living across the region. In 1947, the 3SR Friendship Club had approximately 10,000 members, who raised money for hospitals, blind appeals, bushfire victims and the Food for Britain appeal. The daily radio sessions featured “ideas, thoughts [and] amusing incidents”. (From the article Sound Citizens — Australian Women Broadcasters Claim Their Voice, 1923-1956 by Catherine Fisher.)
Community spirit: 3SR radio hospital appeal 1987. Source: Shepparton News
Much more of the 3SR story can be found in the book Great Company (the Story of 1260 3SR, 1931-1986), by Bill Morvell. Such as:
“How the station came to receive its present call sign has an interesting twist to it ... The ‘father’ of the station, Sid Kemp, suggested to the board that it be called 3SK; however, the chairman of the board, Staniforth Ricketson, asserted his authority and decided it would be called 3SR, using his initials. Over the years many people have believed the letters S.R. were derived from the name Shepparton, as in B.O. for Bendigo or S.H. for Swan Hill but this was certainly not the case.”
Loved listening to Mike Walsh, I think his signature tune was Brazil each morning. There was also an occasion when he was handing out tea towels outside Dickens in Wyndham St that quite a crowd gathered to see him.
Katrina Zanelli Evans
My mum always put our birthday calls on and then they drew one person out to win a birthday cake. I won it one year! I also recall when my pa’s funeral announcement was on.
Mark McQuade
Talking about things on 3SR now. I remember in Kevin Tyler’s Brekkie Show he played the comedy skit of Dad ’n’ Dave. I used to love listening to that.
Ruth Tully
I was telling the kids about the funeral notices on 1260 3SR on the way to school. “It is with regret that we announce the deaths of the following people...” They were horrified, hehe.
Luke Waples
They also did birthday calls (I guess they do not do these now?).
Wendy Graham
My mum, Aileen, was known as Neelia (Friendship Club name)!
Craig-Lee Smith
Yes, I remember Radio Market on 3SR on Saturday mornings before the turf talk and sports programmes in the ’70s and ’80s, as well as the funeral announcements that went on until the late ’80s that used to air before the 9am news each morning. Also, I remember 3SR closing down for the night at 1am and reopening at 5am with hillbilly and country music for the first hour, the birthday calls at 7.45am, Dad ’n’ Dave, phone-in competitions, racing broadcasts on Saturdays, the children’s session on Sunday mornings and the religious programmes on Sunday nights. In the ’80s, Reg Poole also hosted a country music session on 3SR on Sunday nights.
Mara Sortino
Yep! I remember Tony Jerome and Keith Smith at 3SR! I worked in the copy room and compiled the announcers’ blogs! Was in and out of the studios, too! Mike Walsh had scribbled his name on a wooden desk, I wonder what happened to it?
