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- With the boys overseas: Radio listening during World War II
With the boys overseas: Radio listening during World War II
Part of Public History Talk — 2022 series
In the 1940s, radio played a central role in the life of the New Zealand household as a source of news and entertainment. In this talk, sound historian Sarah Johnston discusses the role of our first radio war correspondents who travelled with the New Zealand forces in North Africa, the Middle East, Italy and in the Pacific as mobile broadcasting units.
Radio listening during World War II and New Zealand’s first broadcast war correspondents
In this online talk, sound historian Sarah Johnston will talk about the sound recordings made during World War II by the New Zealand National Broadcasting Service Mobile Units. She will discuss details she has uncovered in her research, including the way demand from listeners back home shaped the work of the broadcasting units.
The talk will include archived radio recordings from the era, courtesy of Radio New Zealand and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.
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This event will be delivered using Zoom. You do not need to install the software in order to attend, you can opt to run zoom from your browser.
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Public history talks
These free Public History Talks are a collaboration between the Alexander Turnbull Library and Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. They are usually held on the first Wednesday of the month, March to November.
The talks are recorded and you can find them at the Apple store, Spotify and Podbean #newzealandhistory.
Listen to previous public history talks
About the speaker
Sarah Johnston is a former radio journalist, broadcaster and sound archivist who is passionate about sharing the sounds of our past. In 2021 she was the recipient of a grant from Whiria Te Mahara New Zealand History Grants and the Judith Binney Trust to research and write about New Zealand radio during World War II. You can read about Sarah's current work on her blog.
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Broadcaster E.V. Spencer (left) recording radio messages from New Zealand troops in the Pacific, 1943. Image courtesy of the Spencer family.