Argonauts Club facts for kids

The Argonauts Club was a super popular Australian radio show for kids! It first started way back in 1933 on ABC Radio Melbourne. The idea for the show came from Nina Murdoch, who was known as "Pat" on the radio. The show stopped for a bit in 1934 but came back strong on January 7, 1941, as part of the ABC's Children's Session. It was broadcast all over Australia, except in Western Australia where they had their own local version because of the time difference.

From September 6, 1954, the show was called the Children's Hour and ran from 5 to 6 pm. It became one of the ABC's most loved programs, on six days a week for 28 years! It finally stopped in 1972.

The Children's Session: A National Show

The Children's Session became a national radio program in 1939. This happened because Charles Moses, who was the ABC's General Manager, wanted it to be. Frank Clewlow, who was in charge of productions, helped set it up.

The first presenter was Ida Elizabeth Osbourne, known as "Elizabeth." She was a big part of the show. Later, when she left, Margaret Dalton, known as "Nan," took over.

From 1940, Atholl Fleming, known as "Mac" or "Tavish McTavish," co-hosted the show. Other important co-hosts included the painter Albert Collins ("Joe") and later the actor John Ewart ("Jimmy"). There was always a female co-host too, who also had a fun radio name.

Catchy Theme Music

The Children's Session always began with a lively theme song. It was written by Elizabeth Osbourne with music by Wally Portingale. The song invited all the kids to listen in:

Come, Old Mother Hubbard and Jack and Jill

And Tom the Piper's son
Leave your cupboard forget your spill
We're going to have some fun
The wireless says to hurry and run
To leave your games and toys;
The wireless says the time has come
For all the girls and boys.
So come with a hop, a skip and a run,

It's time for the Session, it's time for the fun."

After the song, the team would introduce themselves with funny chats. Then, they would play different types of entertainment, usually starting with things for younger kids.

The Muddle-Headed Wombat's Adventures

One of the most popular parts of the show was a radio play series. It was written by Ruth Park. It started as The Wideawake Bunyip with Albert Collins ("Joe") playing the main character.

When Albert Collins passed away, Ruth Park changed the show's name to The Muddle-Headed Wombat. Leonard Teale was the first to play the Wombat. Later, John Ewart ("Jimmy") played the Wombat for 20 years! The character of "Mouse," the Wombat's friend, was always played by the female co-host. This series was so popular that Ruth Park wrote a series of Muddle-Headed Wombat books in the 1960s.

Fun Entertainment for Everyone

The rest of the Children's Session was filled with different kinds of fun, depending on the day:

• Singalongs: Sometimes called "singos," these were fun songs for everyone to sing along to.
• Stories and Skits: The radio team would perform their own stories or funny skits. These were often written by Atholl Fleming or G K Saunders.
• Opera and Ballads: On Tuesdays, Harold Williams, known as "Orpheus," would sing. He sang parts of operas, old folk songs like The Golden Vanity, or funny songs. He sang very clearly, so kids could easily understand the words.
• Book Dramas: The show often ended with a story from a book acted out in parts. These were usually by Australian authors like Ivan Southall. One popular series was about "Simon Black," an adventurer. Another early success was Budge (later Budge's Gang), which was also turned into a series of books.

The program always ended with a special closing song, also composed by Elizabeth Osbourne and Wally Portingale:

A jolly good night to you and you and you and you and you

The time has come to finish and the session now is through

The thought is old, is old, is old but the wish tonight is new –

A jolly good night to every one

A jolly good night to every one

A jolly good night to all especially you :And you and you and you ... and you.

Learning from Experts

On different days, experts would come on the show to talk about their special interests. They often talked about things related to the Argonauts' contributions:

• Nature and Wildlife: On Mondays, Alan Colefax ("Tom the Naturalist") would talk about animals and plants.
• Art and Painting: On Tuesdays, Albert Collins and later Jeffrey Smart ("Phidias") would discuss art.
• Writing and Literature: On Wednesdays, writers like A. D. Hope ("Antony Inkwell") or John Gunn ("Icarus") would talk about books and writing.
• Music: On Thursdays, Lindley Evans ("Mr Melody Man") would play music and talk about how it's made. Famous musicians like Joan Hammond and Richard Bonynge sometimes appeared on his segment.
• Members' Contributions: Fridays were for The Argosy. This segment showed off the best writing, art, and music sent in by club members.
• Charades: Saturdays featured Argonaut Charades, where club members would come up with word puzzles for professional actors to perform.

The Argonauts Club: Join the Adventure!

The Argonauts Club was for Australian boys and girls aged 7 to 17. It was incredibly popular! By 1950, there were over 50,000 members, and 10,000 new kids joined every year in the 1950s.

To join, kids would send in an application by mail. New members received a cool badge and a membership certificate with a special promise, called the Pledge:

Argonauts' membership badge

Before the sun and night and the blue sea, I vow

To stand faithfully by all that is brave and beautiful;

To seek adventure and having discovered aught of wonder, or delight, of merriment or loveliness,

To share it freely with my comrades, the Band of Happy Rowers.

Each new member also got a secret radio name, like "Ship name and number." This meant no one on the show knew how old you were or if you were a boy or girl. This made it fair for everyone.

The Club encouraged kids to send in their own writing, music, poetry, and art. Good work earned "Blue Certificates" (1 point) or "Purple Certificates" (3 points). When a member reached 6 points, they could get a book prize! Even higher achievements earned special titles: The Order of the Dragon's Tooth for 150 points, and The Order of the Golden Fleece for 400 points. There was even a "Golden Fleece and Bar" for 600 points for super talented Argonauts.

During the Argonauts Club part of the show, the radio team always used their special Club names. For example, Atholl Fleming was "Jason," and Elizabeth Osbourne was "Argo 1."

The segment started and ended with another special song, written by Elizabeth Osbourne and Cecil Fraser. Harold Williams and other singers performed it:

Fifty mighty Argonauts, bending to the oars,

Today will go adventuring to yet uncharted shores.

Fifty young adventurers today set forth and so

We cry with Jason "Man the boats, and Row! Row! Row!"

Row! Row! Merry oarsmen, Row!

That dangers lie ahead we know, we know.

But bend with all your might

As you sail into the night

And wrong will bow to right "Jason" cry,

Adventure know,

Argonauts Row! Row! Row!

There was also a special message for sick members called "The Ship of Limping Men." If an Argonaut was very ill in hospital, Atholl Fleming would sometimes visit them.

From December 1944, the ABC Weekly magazine had a special "Argonauts' Page." It featured selected contributions from members and news. A famous contributor was "Ithome 32," who later became the well-known actor and writer Barry Humphries.

The Children's Session and Argonauts Club also had live shows at the Royal Shows in each State from 1947. They even had special ABC studios built at the showgrounds!

Some Presenters and Staff

Many people worked on the show, bringing it to life for kids across Australia. Here are a few:

• John E. C. Appleton "John" - an actor and producer.
• Albert Collins "Joe" - a painter who ran 'Joe's Art Gallery' for the Club.
• Atholl Fleming "Mac" or "Jason" - a main host for many years.
• John Ewart "Jimmy" - another popular co-host.
• Ida Elizabeth Osbourne "Elizabeth" - the first presenter and a writer of the theme songs.
• Harold Williams "Orpheus" - the singer.
• Lindley Evans "Mr Melody Man" - a pianist who talked about music.
• Wally Hanley "Walter the sound effects man" - who made all the cool sounds for the show.

Some Famous Argonauts

Many kids who were members of the Argonauts Club grew up to be famous! Here are just a few:

• Thea Astley (writer)
• John Bannon (Premier of South Australia)
• Richard Bonynge (conductor)
• Mike Carlton (broadcaster)
• Ken Done (designer and painter)
• Tim Fischer (politician)
• Barry Humphries (actor, writer, and creator of "Edna Everage")
• Christopher Koch (writer)
• Coral Lansbury (writer and academic)
• Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor)
• Peter Sculthorpe (composer)
• Dame Joan Sutherland (soprano singer)
• Margaret Throsby (broadcaster)
• Mike Walsh (TV personality)
• Malcolm Williamson (composer)