Prior to the welcome appearance on the scene of Limelight, there was, many years ago, a magazine called ABC Radio Weekly. It listed all the programmes in the coming week on Radios 2FC and 2BL.

Every week there were live broadcasts. Indeed, my first experience of an orchestral concert was the Sydney Symphony in 1955, in an all Beethoven programme, conducted by Eugene Goosens from the then New South Wales State Conservatorium. It was through live broadcasts I managed to hear every Australian symphony orchestra.

For children, there were two educational programmes: Kindergarten of the Air, and The Argonauts. If you became an Argonaut you were not known by your real name. You were given the name of an ancient Greek boat – for example Delias 32 – which became your unique code. If you contributed to the programmes your work would be introduced by your boat name.

The Argonauts had a section called The Music Man. In my day, it was the Australian pianist and composer, Lindley Evans. An example of a letter to him might have been: “Last week I heard a symphony by Mozart. I am wondering how many symphonies Mozart wrote and for whom.” Evans would acknowledge the...