GTV 9 Melbourne colour television test program

Six years before C-Day, GTV 9 Melbourne (Nine Network) gave lucky audiences a sneak peek at the future. In a special test film screened at the 1968 Royal Melbourne Show, some of Australia’s biggest TV personalities – including Bert Newton, Hal Todd, and Mike Walsh – stepped into colour for the very first time. The transition may have been gradual for viewers at home, but for those on screen, it was immediate. Newton summed it up best: for the first time, he wasn’t in black-and-white.

Seen in order of appearance: Hal Todd, Frank Rich as Safeway Supermarketman, Jack Little, Honnie Van Bosch, Joff Ellen, Rosie Sturgess, Pete Smith, Rosemary Margan, Patti Newton (nee McGrath), Bert Newton, and Mike Walsh.