1959 in Australian television

none July 2015 July 2015 May 2022 1959 in Australian television was the fourth year of television broadcasts in Australia. Events Television Broadcasts in Western Australia were aired for the first time on 15 October 1959, TVW was opened by the Governor of Western Australia, Sir Charles Gairdner. Television broadcasts in the state of Queensland (Brisbane) were aired for the very first time, starting with the Nine Network's QTQ on 16 August, followed soon after by the Seven Network's BTQ on 1 November, and the ABC's ABQ on the next day. The first television station in Adelaide, South Australia (NWS-9) began broadcasting on 5 September. On 1 July, Australian children's TV series Mr. Squiggle and Friends debuts on ABC starting off as a temporary fill in. Years later the show has been so popular it continues to air on the ABC until 9 July 1999. Melbourne and Sydney are linked by microwave for the first time on 9 January, enabling television programs to be screened, simultaneously in both cities. Notable debuts and endings Notable Australian series that debuted during 1959 included variety and/or music series Adelaide Tonight, The Bobby Limb Show, Six O'Clock Rock and Make Ours Music, game show Wheel of Fortune, discussion series The Critics, and short-lived drama series Emergency. Additionally, ATN-7 and GTV-9 experimented with local drama with the Shell Presents productions of plays. Notable series which ended in 1959 included variety and/or music series Astor Showcase, Hit Parade and Sydney Tonight (which had been re-titled and re-formatted as Tonight), drama series Autumn Affair and Emergency, and comedy series Take That. New programming Domestic 16 February – Emergency (Nine Network - Melbourne) 9 April – Balance Your Budget (Nine Network) 13 May – Eric Baume's Viewpoint (Nine Network) 1 July – Mr. Squiggle and Friends (ABC TV) 9 July – Rooftop Rendezvous (ABC TV) 26 July – Don't Argue (Seven Network - Melbourne) 29 July – What's On (Seven Network) 29 July – Let's Make Clothes (Seven Network) 31 July – About Your Garden (Seven Network - Melbourne) 1 November – Canberra Report (Seven Network - Sydney) 6 December – On the Spot (Nine Network - Melbourne) 29 December – New Look at New Guinea (ABC TV) International 2 January – USA The Donna Reed Show (ABC TV) 30 January/8 June – USA Rescue 8 (30 January: Seven Network - Sydney, 8 June: Nine Network - Melbourne) 2 February – USA Frontier Doctor (Seven Network) 5 February – USA Naked City (Nine Network) 13 April – USA Wanted Dead or Alive (Nine Network) 24 May – UK The Adventures of William Tell (Seven Network) 7 August/4 September – USA Adventures of Pow Wow (7 August: Seven Network - Sydney, 4 September: Nine Network - Melbourne) 22 August – USA Bronco (Nine Network - Sydney, Seven Network - Melbourne) 31 August – UK The Invisible Man (1958) (Seven Network) 12 October – UK Sword of Freedom (ABC TV) USA Huckleberry Hound (Nine Network - Sydney, Seven Network - Melbourne) USA Spunky and Tadpole (Nine Network) USA Quick Draw McGraw (Nine Network - Sydney, Seven Network - Melbourne) UK/CAN Cannonball (Nine Network) USA Tom Terrific (Nine Network - Sydney, Seven Network - Melbourne) USA 77 Sunset Strip (Seven Network) USA Union Pacific (Seven Network) USA Peter Gunn (Nine Network) USA Mackenzie's Raiders (Seven Network) Television shows 1950s Australian Unlimited (1956 – 1961) The Late Show (1957 – 1959) Swallow's Juniors (1957 – 1970) The Price is Right (1957 – 1959) The Happy Go Lucky Show (1957 – 1959) Binnie Time (1958 – 1959) My Fair Lady (1958 – 1962) That's My Desire (1958 – 1960) Room for Two (1958 – 1959) The Toppanos (1958 – 1959) Binnie Time (1958 – 1959) The Annette Klooger Show (1959 – 1961) Bandwagon (1959 – 1960) Sweet and Low (1959) Mr. Squiggle and Friends (1959 – 1999) Serenade (1959 – 1960) Ending this year Date Show Channel Debut 14 January Keeping Company Nine Network 27 August 1958 6 May Personal Column Seven Network 27 August 1958 10 May Face the Nation Nine Network 20 July 1958 12 May Personal Album Nine Network 18 November 1958 18 May Seeing Stars ABC TV 1957 1 June Emergency Nine Network 16 February 1959 24 July Movie Guide Seven Network 29 August 1958 24 July Green Fingers Seven Network 22 March 1957 12 October Strictly for Mothers Seven Network 27 July 1959 14 October Like You to Meet Seven Network 29 July 1959 14 October Let's Make Clothes Seven Network 29 July 1959 14 October What's On Seven Network 14 July 1959 4 November The Happy Go Lucky Show Nine Network 30 October 1957 13 December Don't Argue Seven Network 26 July 1959 References See also NWS-9 1959