New Feature: Opening up the Audio Collection

March 19, 2023

Five-a-Day

My audio archive contains broadcasts relating to current events, politics and elections. It includes speeches, interviews, press conferences, election night broadcasts and myriad radio programs dating back to 1972.

As of today, my finalised audio collection consists of 1.23 terabytes of 64,476 separate items. These are all labelled and sorted into 3,150 yearly, monthly and topic folders.

Another 2.67 terabytes of digitised material exists in 5,521 files which have yet to be edited into standalone items.

Over the years I have endeavoured to digitise the earlier material from the 1980s and 1970s. Some of this exists in master files in WAV format that have not yet been edited into standalone items.

A massive collection exists from the turn of the century. The arrival of the digital age meant that bulky tapes could be dispensed with. From around 2000, the collection exploded. Now, everything I gather is stored on hard drives and secured in the cloud. I still marvel at the thought that I can listen from anywhere on a mobile phone to any recording from my collection.

Whilst much of the collection has been digitised, several hundred audio-cassette tapes remain to be converted. These include much political material and election coverage from the 1990s. The picture below shows two bedroom cupboard compartments currently housing the undigitised tapes.

1982 Video Flashback: Fraser Challenged by Peacock; Cain Labor Government Takes Office in Victoria

September 9, 2020

This video is a recording of the ABC News in Melbourne on Thursday, April 8, 1982.

On that day, Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, in office for 6 years and 5 months, beat off a challenge from his former Foreign Minister, Andrew Peacock. Fraser defeated Peacock by 54 votes to 27 in the Liberal partyroom. Treasurer John Howard was chosen as deputy leader, replacing Phillip Lynch.

The challenge to Fraser had been brewing for some time but was brought to a head by the defeat of the 27-year-old Liberal government in Victoria on April 3. On this day, the John Cain ministry was sworn into office, the first Labor government since John Cain snr in 1955.

Watch the news item (8m):

John Howard Attacks History Curriculum In Warrane Lecture

May 7, 2014

The former Prime Minister, John Howard, has again criticised the teaching of history during a lecture at the University of New South Wales.

Howard

He repeatedly returned to the question of history teaching during his lecture. At one point he lamented the teaching of Kylie Minogue and ACDC in preference to economic globalisation. He also claimed the rise and fall of Soviet communism was not catered for in the Australian curriculum.

Howard said the curriculum did not require students to study Australia history from the late 18th century until 1914. He said the achievement of Federation was overlooked and that important reforms, such as the granting women the right to vote, were understated. History devolved too much into issues rather than focussing on what actually occurred.

Abbott Announces Panel To Examine Democratisation Of NSW Liberals

November 23, 2013

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced the formation of an Expert Panel to consider reform of the NSW Liberal Party.

The announcement came during Abbott’s address to the NSW Liberal Party State Council in Sydney today.

“I love this party,” Abbott told the gathering. He said the Expert Panel would examine preselection reform and democratisation of the party.

The reform process will be led by former prime minister John Howard. He will be assisted by one of his former ministers, David Kemp, the former president of the NSW division, Chris McDiven, and the longtime member for Berowra, Philip Ruddock.

Concern over the preselection process and factionalism within the NSW division has grown in recent years. The party’s failure to win more seats in NSW cost it government in 2010. The candidacy of Jaymes Diaz cost the party the seat of Greenway at this year’s election.

Transcript of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Address to the NSW Liberal Party State Council in Sydney.

Well, what a fantastic day to be together as part of our extended Liberal family. It is an extraordinary honour to be with you this morning. It is an extraordinary honour to be with you this morning as your Prime Minister.

I am under no illusions, I know that the only reason that we have a new Government in Canberra, the only reason that I am Prime Minister is because I am the product of this great Party.

John Howard Climate Change Speech: One Religion Is Enough

November 5, 2013

Former Prime Minister John Howard has delivered a speech on climate change in which he calls for a “sense of proportion” in the global warming debate and says that “first principles tell us never to accept that all of the science is in on any proposition”.

Howard Howard said: “In the past five years, the dynamic of the global warming debate has shifted away from exaggerated acceptance of the worst possible implications of what a majority of climate scientists tell us, towards a more balanced and questioning approach.” He warned against use of “offensive language” such as the term “denier”.

Howard said it is “highly unlikely” there will ever be a worldwide agreement on global warming. He said he had “always been something of an agnostic on global warming” and suggested his support for an emissions trading scheme in 2007 was purely political and occurred at a time when it was expedient to be seen to be “doing something”.

Nuclear energy must be part of any long term response to global warming, Howard said.

Watch SBS report (2m)

Transcript of John Howard’s speech to the Global Warming Policy Foundation in London.

One religion is Enough

I thank Nigel Lawson and his colleagues for their invitation to be here tonight. When he asked me to deliver this lecture Lord Lawson said that I could talk about what I chose. I think that was not meant quite as literally as it might seem. I am sure he had in mind that I might share with you my views on the contemporary state of the debate on global warming, especially from an Australian perspective. That has special relevance; Australia has a new PM, and integral to his successful campaign was sustained opposition to a carbon tax.

Posts tagged as “John Howard”