The early use of radio for political communication in Australia and Canada: John Henry Austral, Mr Sage and the Man from Mars

Abstract

The comparative study of electioneering is an emerging field. One of its driving concerns has been to chart the “Americanisation” or convergence of campaigning methods employed in very different settings. Sometimes the assumption is made that this convergence began with the recognition ‐ first in the USA ‐ that winning elections demands the skilful use of television. A comparison of the early use of radio in election campaigns in Australia and Canada demonstrates that the “Americanisation” of campaigning pre‐dates the advent of television. There are clearly gaps in what is known about the early use of the wireless for political broadcasting in Australia. However in 1923‐24 E.R. Voigt visited the US and, on his return, urged the NSW Trades Hall to establish 2KY for propaganda purposes. In the 1930s the NSW Labor leader Jack Lang was quick to adopt the “fire‐side chat” formula devised for Franklin Roosevelt. In the 1940s R.G. Menzies, the founder of the Liberal Party, also came to see radio as a powerful weapon after observing its political use in USA. Not surprisingly the 1949 Liberal campaign which returned Menzies to power made extensive use of radio. It is often remembered for its “John Henry Austral” radio ads which are claimed as a breakthrough, but which appear to imitate earlier US and Canadian election campaigns ‐ notably the Canadian Tories “Mr Sage” broadcasts of 1935.