The exciting opening of a Queensland radio station in 1935 was a success not just thanks to a champion elocutionist, mouth organist, and step dancer, but also to a transported convict. I told a version of this story on radio station 4WK (Tuesdays after 7.30am).

It was eighty-nine years ago that the station 4WK was opened in Warwick on the 28th of June 1935, and what an amazing event that was.

The official proceedings happened in front of an appreciative audience in the Warwick Town Hall followed by an unforgettable concert and dance the next street over in the Glennie Hall. The dance floor there was said to be second to none.

The master of ceremonies for the evening was the Warwick bookseller Hugh Millar. He went on to become the president of the Queensland Ambulance Transport Board and so it was no surprise that 4WK kindly donated the proceeds of the night to the local ambulance.

A speech was given by the Warwick mayor, Jack Allman. He would serve over 10 years as mayor, his father had also been mayor, and his brother played rugby for Queensland. But the most memorable thing about Jack was his career as a colourful racehorse owner.

He was once disqualified from racing for twelve months after his horse Prince Flaneur was found to have raced in Toowoomba at less than his best. The jockey that day was the flashy John Mooney who earlier had a diamond collar stud and pair of gold sleave links stolen from him. Just weeks after the Toowoomba suspension, and after a highly controversial clearance by the Queensland Turf Club, the mayor’s horse Prince Flaneur enjoyed an incredible total form reversal. He won the rich Albion Park Cup in Warwick worth £1,000 pounds. That’s almost $700,000 in today’s money and was a nice windfall for the Warwick mayor.

As well as being opened with a speech by the intriguing mayor, the 4WK concert that followed was also amazingly memorable.

Entertainers included Cecil Druery better known as “Syd” who was a two-time Queensland elocutionist champion. He performed a monologue called “Stuttering Sailor”, which would have gone down well over radio.

Then there was Bruce Hawtin who was a champion mouth organist and leader of the Warwick Harmonica Band. The massed harmonicas would have been quite a sight when taking their place in street parades. Bruce played his mouth organ and did impersonations for the big 4WK event.

And best of all was the fourteen-year-old Mavis Mutch. Mavis was an award-winning step dancer. That may have been a kind of country tap dancing performed wearing clogs, the sound of which would have reverberated across the district on the new radio station.

Even with all these highlights of 4WK’s opening, the most significant part was when 4WK was declared officially on-air by Sir Littleton Groom. Sir Littleton was the federal member of parliament for the Darling Downs. He had twice been federal attorney general, and for four years was the speaker of the House of Representatives.

But more interesting than Sir Littleton was his father William Groom. Groom Senior was the inaugural mayor of Toowoomba, was elected to the Queensland parliament and became speaker of the house, and elected at the inaugural Australian federal election in 1901. He therefore became first and only transported convict to ever sit as a member of the Australian parliament.

You see, William Groom at just thirteen-years-of-age had been convicted of embezzlement and transported from England to Australia for seven years. Here on the Darling Downs, he became one of the leading members of society, despite whispers about his chequered past.

Shortly after being admitted to federal parliament, Groom Senior died, and therefore added yet another first to his resume – he was the first serving member of the Australian parliament to die in office. He was succeeded as the member for Darling Downs by his son Littleton who won the seat in Australia’s first federal by-election, and of course went on to open 4WK. 

The opening of 4WK in 1935 was a success not just thanks to a champion elocutionist, mouth organist, and step dancer, but also to a transported convict.

Today there’s an impressive sandstone memorial (photo top of page) in Toowoomba to Sir Littleton, in a place of honour at the top of the range just before you drive downhill to Ipswich and Brisbane. It’s one of Australia’s rare public memorials to the son of a convict.

CLICK HERE TO CATCH-UP ON THIS STORY TOLD ON RADIO 4WK.

Photo credits:
Sir Littleton Ernest Groom memorial Toowoomba, 2024 – Harold Peacock.
Oddfellows Hall now Glennie Hall in Warwick – State Library of Queensland.
Jack Allman – Queenslander, Brisbane, 23rd April 1936, page 12.
Portrait of Littleton Ernest Groom – National Library of Australia.
William Henry Groom – State Library of Queensland.