Mister Brisbane: Moving out
New horizons and old memories
Not for the first time, I’m preparing to move out of my parents’ house. As they have both passed away, the house will have to be sold, so when it happens this will be the final farewell. I’m a mess of emotions about that.
On the practical side of things, part of this process is going to the supermarket and doing the shop that we all do when we move into a new place. I have already started the process of buying many, many things including at least one item that will remain in the cupboard until I move out and then throw away. I’ve been down this track before. When I left the UAE, it was a can of halal luncheon meat. The funny thing is that I knew almost immediately after buying it that I would never use it.
So far I’ve started buying herbs, spices and sauces, which have long shelf lives, along with cleaning products. I’ve also bought new sheets and pillows. Oh, and a bed, a sofa, a lounge chair, a vacuum cleaner and an espresso machine. By the time I actually move, I’ll probably have a new TV and other assorted furniture.
P.S. I mentioned on social media that I was rather nervous about this move because, for the first time in my life, I would be living south of the Brisbane River. The then custodian of the rotating We Are Brisbane Twitter account, Fiona, responded: “Come on over. When the zombies attack and they blow the bridges, you’ll be glad to be south of the river.”
Tune in to the Mister Brisbane radio show on Reading Radio at 1296AM and on DAB+ in Brisbane at 6.30pm on Tuesday nights. It’s also available as a podcast. Just search for “Mister Brisbane” on your favourite player or follow this link.
GOLDEN MEMORIES
These turned up recently at my parents’ house — membership pins for the Golden Valley Australian Football Club, which used to play at Fenwick Park in Mitchelton. I played very briefly for the Under 9s, but my family was heavily involved with the club at one stage. My brother played a few seasons, before switching to rugby league, and my sisters used to type up and use a Gestetner machine to run-off copies of the club newsletters. They also created the banner that the teams ran through at grand finals.
GOOD VIBRATIONS
Continuing my series on the history of Brisbane radio stations, the dial turns to 4IP. Well it would if the station still existed. It’s now known as 4TAB (despite being on the AM band it has a three-letter callsign) and it exists to broadcast the races. But back in its hey-day, 4IP was home to the “Good Guys” and for a decade or so it was the highest-rating top 40 station in Brisbane.
The station began life to serve the city of Ipswich, but in the 1970s, much to the chagrin of the locals, 4IP moved to Brisbane and hit on a winning formula. Broadcasting alumni included many of the big names of Brisbane radio, among them Billy J Smith, Alan McGirvan, Grant Goldman, Wayne Roberts, David Kidd, Jimmy White, David Greenwood, Gray Clark, Kevin Hillier, Paul J Turner, Geoff Mullins, Graham Roberts, David Jull, Gary Hardgrave, Warren Tapp, Pete Rudder and John McCoy. (They had a reunion in 2004, and the story about that is here.)
When FM emerged on the scene, rock music on AM was all but dead. A callsign switch to 4I0 and name changes first to Radio 10 and then Stereo 10 (broadcasting in AM stereo, which almost no radio could receive) couldn’t save it.
TROLLEY TEST 2
As well as in the last Mister Brisbane newsletter, I mentioned the “shopping trolley test” in my Brett’s Brisbane segment on Radio 4BC, then later posted a picture on social media of my car in the shopping centre car park. In the caption, I noted that, on Weekends host Spencer Howson’s advice, I had parked near the trolley bay “so it was easier to be virtuous”. In response, Kristy noted: “Good for convenience but worry about some one putting a trolley into the side of your car. A bit too close for my liking.” Patrick says I made a “rookie mistake... now you’re a target for errant trollies that miss the bay”. Martin added that “no one ever wheels the trolleys to the return bay”, to which Patrick replied: “and if they do, they give it a good push in the hope it will slide between the galvanised iron pipe rails... it inevitably misses and ... slams into the car parked beside the trolley”. Looks like I had a lucky escape.
FEEDBACK
On the subject of cruising, which I write and talk about a lot, Mick says, “Only cruise I ever took was aboard a Royal Australian Navy submarine”, while Bernice says: “who knows Brett, you can be on the open waters on your way back and have to go into isolation for two weeks! But then again, we all have to start living at some time or another. As for me, not ready for cruising as yet, not ready for flying as yet, not ready for leaving Qld as yet!”
On the subject of mega modern houses on increasingly smaller blocks of land, Aaron says: “It’s terrible. No yards for kids to play is wrong.” Tess adds: “Like you said, the new places have no character. They all look the same, and are more often than not cheaply built.” Susan says: “The houses are so close. Fitted in like sardines for maximum profits for the developers!” Robert says: “The more of these sardine houses, the more rates for Council.”
And a big thank you to Evan, who unravelled the mystery why the K in 4KQ stood for the original owners the Labor Party. His research shows that 4KQ was a sister-station to Sydney’s 2KY. According to the Radio Heritage website, 2KY was originally supposed to be 2LC (for Labor Council), but a misreading of the application form meant it was allocated 2IC. This was then changed to 2TH (for Trades Hall) and eventually 2KY on the grounds that it would “carry better” on air. Evan’s presumption is that the K in 4KQ was adopted to underscore its connection to the Sydney station.