1989 50th Anniversary of Radio Australia

Now known as ABC Radio Australia, the broadcaster was originally known as ‘Radio Calling’. It was established in 1939 during the early days of World War II to give Australia an independent voice. It was a vital source of news and information for Australian service personnel and people throughout Asia and the Pacific. It changed it’s named to ‘Radio Australia’ in 1945 to prepare for post war broadcasting.

ABC Radio Australia aims to foster international understanding of Australia and seeks to reflect the nations’ perspective on the world. Its programmes include news, current affairs, entertainment, and sports coverage.

While it has a strong presence in Australia its largest audience are from the Asia-Pacific region with programming broadcasted in multiple languages, namely English, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, French, Burmese, and Tok Pisin (a creole language spoken in Papua New Guinea). Their English lesson are particularly popular.

The stamp features brightly coloured bands that emanate from the southeast corner of the globe.

Technical Details

Stamp design: Brian Sadgrove

Issue date: 1 November 1989