Page 10 - RD_2023-12

ABC Radio Turns 100

At PM on Thursday, November 23, 1923, public radio station 2SB (the SB standing for
Sydney Broadcasters Limited) pushed a button for the first time and commenced with
some music. Miss Dorothy Deering was facing the primitive 2SB microphone, and
possibly playing her own accompaniment, she began to sing. Of the quality of her
rendition, or the state of her nerves, there is no record. What we do know is that for
eternity she would carry the crown of first performer on an official broadcast in Australia.
A few years later, the station became 2BL, it was re-branded to 702 in 2000 and then
ABC Radio Sydney in 2017.

[ I can almost hear you saying - what as this got to do with our
area of interest - read on…]
The founding engineer at 2BL was a 25 year old radio
engineer by the name of Ray Allsop, a name to become
well know with the introduction of sound films to the
Australian Cinema industry.

It was Ray who designed and developed the
Raycophone sound head for 35mm sound on film
reproduction. His Australian designed and built sound
heads were frequently fitted to another Australian
designed and manufactured product – the Cummings
and Wilson (C&W) projection heads
Ray Allsop at age 25
It has been confirmed that in excess of 375
Raycophone sound heads were installed in
cinemas across Australia and New Zealand.

Credits: Radio Waves the magazine of the Historical Radio Society of Australia and ABC News
10 REEL DEALS December 2023