For more than half a century, Nicholson’s was one of the important names in Western Australia’s musical and commercial life.
More than simply a retailer of musical instruments, Nicholson’s occupied a significant place in Perth’s developing musical culture, supplying instruments, printed music and musical services to professional musicians, teachers, students and households throughout the State.
Established in Perth in the 1894, Nicholson’s grew alongside the expansion of the city’s commercial centre and the increasing popularity of domestic music-making. Its history reflects a period when the piano was central to family entertainment, music education and social life, and when specialist music retailers played an important role in connecting Western Australian musicians with the wider musical world. The business became associated with 90 Barrack Street, in the heart of the city’s commercial district.
The relationship between the music warehouse and 6PR is an important part of Perth’s broadcasting history. The premises brought together instrument retailing, electrical technology and radio entertainment under one roof.
NICHOLSON’S RADIO STATION
Schedule of Transmission
Nicholsons Ltd, will early in October open their “B” class broadcast station. The studio will be at Nicholson’s music warehouse, Barrack-street, and the transmitter will be established at the Applecross radio centre of Amalgamated Wireless of Australasia.
The station, which will be known as 6PR, will transmit on 880 KC (341 metres) with a power of 200 watts. The schedule of transmissions will be as follow: — Week-day Schedule: — Women’s Session, 10.30-11.30, matters of general interest, interspersed with music. Midday session, 12.30-1.30: Local and interstate news, music. Afternoon session, 4.30-5.30: Vogue radio hour. Evening session, 6.30-7: Children’s session; 7 o’clock: Cable news and dinner music; 8 o’clock: Musical programme; 10.30: Close. Fri-day night, 9-11 o’clock: Special dance programme. Week-end Schedule: — Saturday: As usual, 7 o’clock: Australasian sporting results. Sunday, 10-11: Music; special farmers’ session; 12.30-1.45: Dinner music; 6.30-7: Children’s session; 7 o’clock: Musical programme; 8-10: Nicholson’s Sunday recital.
Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1955), Thursday 24 September 1931, page 12
BROADCAST STATION 6PR – Announcer Appointed – H. SIBARY INTERVIEWED
The appointment is announced by Nicholson’s Ltd. of Mr. H. S. Sibary as announcer of broadcast station 6PR, which it is expected will come on the air on the evening of Wednesday, October 7 on a wavelength of 341 metres. An Englishman by birth, Mr. Sibary for some time was a member of the 34th Sikhs Regiment in India. Coming to Australia in 1922 with a number of brother-officers he visited Melbourne and took up work there. In 1929 he was appointed by Amalgamated Wireless of Australasia as announcer to the Australian Exhibition held in the Melbourne Exhibition Building. Without any domestic ties, Mr. Sibary has seen much of Australia during the nine years he has been here, and has absorbed much of our national outlook and aspirations. Discussing the programmes of the new station, he said that the policy of 6PR would be to live up to the goodwill and reputation which Nicholsons have built up in the musical world. A big feature of the programmes will be ‘Nicholsons Sunday recital,’ which will maintain the high standard of the firm’s past recitals. In addition the sponsored programmes will be cultivated along the lines found so popular in other parts of the world. Arrangements are now in hand for the opening ceremony, one feature of which will be a relayed address from Sydney by Mr. S. T. Fisk, or Amalgamated Wireless of Australia.
Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1955), Friday 25 September 1931, page 10
TESTING OF 6PR – Yesterday’s Trials
Nicholson’s broadcast station was on the air for test yesterday afternoon, and was tuned in by a number of listeners. Although only, a small proportion of the power permitted the station was used, reports indicate that the tran-mission was good and sharp, and the reproduction satisfactory. Further tests will be carried out prior to the official opening, which will be held shortly. No other stations were on the air during the period on which the reports of listeners were made.
Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1955), Wednesday 7 October 1931, page 7
OPENING OF 6PR
Nicholson’s Broadcast Station WEDNESDAY’S CEREMONY
Nicholson’s broadcast station 6PR will officially commence its service on Wednesday next at 8 p.m., using a wave-length of 341 metres.
Tests on almost full power will be conducted from now until Wednesday to ensure that everything is in working order for the opening. There will be an official opening speech, to be followed by a programme of music, prominent among which will be items by the Perth Philharmonic Light Orchestra.
Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1955), Friday 9 October 1931, page 6
THE BROADCASTER
Opening of 6PR SHIFTING OF “A” STATION (By VK6FG.)
Wednesday evening at 8 o’clock is set down for the official opening of Nicholson’s broadcast station 6PR, which will operate on 341 metres. During the past few days, intensive tests have been carried out with the station in order to achieve that degree of sharpness of tuning and depth of modulation so necessary in a high-class station. While the initial tests were naturally a little ragged, as was to be expected with new gear, those over the week-end improved immeasurably, and the station should quickly prove its popularity. The amplifier unit was only received at Applecross radio station, from where the transmissions take place, during the past week and was quickly put into commission. A few minor disabilities, such as a reduction of volume on speech as compared with electric pickup, and excessive line hum, received attention, and doubtless by Wednesday evening will be completely satisfactory to Mr. Trimm, constructional engineer for A.W.A., and the other engineers associated with the task. One desirable feature of the transmission is the depth of musical “colour” which is infused into the broadcast. Not only is there good depth, but both the high and low audio frequencies are not suppressed. That means that the piccolo at one end of the musical scale and the bass drum and bass viol at the other will not be lost upon the ear of the listener, but will come out in all their roundness. The great interest of the writer has been to ascertain what degree of interference was received between the stations. Operating a set in his experimental shack at Nedlands Park, he was agreeably surprised to find that there was practically no interference from either 6WF or 6ML. The set is a selective one, but it was noticed on several occasions that a slight background came in from the “A” class station. What this amounts to in the city is not known, but reports from those operating all-electric sets within a mile or two of the Town Hall would be appreciated. It would appear, too, from the volume of signals that the power of 6WF had been reduced slightly. The only city reports which the writer has received indicate that there is some over-lap from 6WF. It is to be hoped that 6WF can tune their transmitter just a shade or two more sharply, or other wise there may be a number of com-plaints from set-owners which are not completely selective.
SHIFTING 6WF. The question of shifting the “A” class station 6WF has again been agitating the minds of the Radio Traders’ Association, who last week announced that they were preparing for a meeting of those interested to protest against the lack of decision on the part of those concerned. Committee meetings have been held, and no doubt an early announcement will be made concerning the proposals of the association.
PROGRAMME POINTS. 6WF advise that Professor Bernard Heinze, director-general for the A.B.C., will conduct on Sunday, October 18, the Perth Symphony Orchestra. On Thursday, October 22, he will give a violin.and pianoforte recital in conjunction with Henri Penn, ‘pianist. The Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra’s concert at the Town Hall on October 27 will be conducted by Professor Heinze. New comers to 6WF include Phyllis Bicknell, entertainer, and Georgina Aiken, mezzo soprano. Forthcoming productions by Anita Fitzgerald include ‘On Approval.’ ‘Candida,’ and ‘The Squirrel’s Cage.’
6PR will commence its transmissions officially on Wednesday night, when a special concert will be given. A feature of the programmes from this station will be the high quality of the Sunday night programmes.
6ML relayed last Tuesday an excellent talk on cricketing by “Billy” Woodfull, the Australian Test cricket captain. Further talks will be given at 7.50 p.m. on October 13, 20, arid 27. The talk is being relayed through no less than nine stations throughout the Commonwealth.
AMATEUR ACTIVITIES. A meeting of all transmitters in the metropolitan area was held on Friday night to consider matters of great importance to amateurs throughout the State. An executive was appointed to go into matters and draft certain reports in anticipation of early action. The monthly general meeting of the Wireless Institute will be held on Thursday evening at the Y.A.L. building, Murray-street, when a number of important matters will be dealt with. The B.B.C. is shortly to begin experimental broadcasting on a wave length of seven metres. If it proves successful it is possible that a seven-metre broadcasting system may be used as an auxiliary to the regional scheme. As the range of the ray is limited to a few miles, comparatively small power is re quired, but the transmitter has to be placed at as high a point as possible. The waves are then ‘sprayed’ over the surrounding district. The fact that the waves completely disappear and are not reflected back to earth, as is the case with longer waves, makes it possible to use any number of stations without any chance of their interfering with each other. The experimental plant will have a power of one kilowatt.
BROADCAST LICENCES. During the month of September broadcast licences in Western Australia showed a net increase of 255.
Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1955), Monday 12 October 1931, page 3
6PR.
The superiority of Nicholson’s 6PR programmes and the excellent transmission to all parts of the State and beyond, indicate the arrival of another powerful advertising medium in this State. Wireless advertising based on
“results,” is in the “boom” all over the world. When advertising “television” emerges perfect, the scope for broadcasting of emporium sales, etc., will be immense. Meantime, talks and “sponsored programmes” are the vogue.
Groper (Perth, WA : 1930 – 1937), Sunday 1 November 1931, page 18
6PR
Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 – 1955), Sunday 22 November 1931, page 6
STORMING THE PORT OF DEPRESSION.
Hoisting the Flag of Prosperity Upon Its Shattered Ramparts.
NICHOLSON’S 6PR BROADCAST SERVICE PLUMBS PUBLIC WISDOM.
It was a happy inspiration that caused Nicholson’s 6PR Broadcast Service to offer the handsome prize of a Vogue Radio Set as first prize in a 400-word Essay Competition on “Reasons why we should support Australian Industries,”
as a feature of the Back to Prosperity Campaign. The “pull” of the station was early revealed in the piles of competitive essays received, which revealed, in a curious and interesting way, the old truth that while we all have some of the truth, none of us have all the truth, and that in the co-operative intelligence of the people is to be found all the wisdom we need. The success of good democratic government lies in the correct interpretation of the will of the people, and if politicians would only take a leaf out of Nicholson’s book, and intelligently seek the wisdom of the people in competitive efforts of this kind, instead of relying upon blood-and-thunder party election campaigns, out of which emerge little calmness, wisdom or truth, Australia would be a richer and happier nation. The essayists show a remarkable unanimity of opinion, and much collective wisdom, that, if harnessed to the nation’s cause, would soon rid Australia of her troubles. The essays are, of course, much too numerous to handle in print, but a few excerpts, taken from a number, reveal more or less the spirit of the whole. (Essays published…)
Groper (Perth, WA : 1930 – 1937), Tuesday 1 December 1931, page 5
SPEECH BROADCAST
Through Messrs. Nicholson’s Limited broadcast station 6PR, Mr. Brace’s speech was broadcast from the Savoy Hotel, and this afternoon Nicholson’s reported that they had received telegraphic messages from Northampton and Gnowangerup, and a telephonic communication from Albany, stating that reception had been particularly clear, and that the broadcast had been a complete success.
Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1955), Tuesday 5 January 1932, page 1
NICHOLSON’S LUNCH-HOUR RECITALS
To give music-lovers an opportunity of hearing the latest record releases Nicholson’s are commencing a series of lunch-hour recitals. The first of these recitals will be held in their concert hall tomorrow from 12.30 to 2pm. During this period those interested are invited to call in and listen for such time as they desire.
Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1955), Thursday 16 June 1932, page 4
Nicholson’s opened its own sound recording studios at Barrack Street. This was an important development at a time when commercial recording opportunities for local performers were limited. The studio enabled Western Australian musicians to make recordings of their performances, preserving a valuable record of the State’s musical culture. Surviving recordings provide evidence of the breadth of activity undertaken there.
1933
Sunday, February 19.
8.6 to 10.0 Nicholson’s Sunday recital, with a Gilbert and Sullivan session
6PR.
Nicholsons Sunday recital, including ‘Devon, O Devon’ (Peter Dawson), ami ‘The Vesper Hymn’ (Florence Auktral).
8.15. — Woods’s Great Peppermint Cure present a special musical programme.
8.45. — Sunday recital (continued), including ‘Prelude a l’Apres ‘Midi d’un Faune,’ ‘Chanson Indoue.’ ‘Lohengrin’ selection, selection from ‘Bitter Sweet’ and ‘Cortege des Nobles.’
West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), Saturday 21 April 1934, page 19
1939
On Sunday May 7th 1939 Jack Harrison was guest artist in a “Radiola Rhythm” broadcast by Radio 6PR relayed to 6AM and 6WB. Roy Kent was the manager of Nicholsons Music at this time.