Authors Collection The Sunpolisher's Club stands out from the other Radio Listener Clubs because it was shared across three Northern Tasmanian towns, Burnie, Derby & Scottsdale. In the Memoirs of one long term resident Mr T.D. (Peter) Carins, he believed that almost every child up to 14 years of age in the whole North-East (of Tasmania) became a member of The Sunpolisher's Club.
Radio Station 7BU Burnie commenced 19th October 1935 and the Sunpolisher's Club commenced at 7BU Burnie in November 1935.
The first newspaper mention of the club that I have found, was in the Burnie Advocate 21st January, 1936 program guide, showing that The Sunpolisher's Club with Cliff, Alan & Marie was broadcasting 5.30pm until 6.00pm. Later that year it extended from 5.00pm to 6.30pm In the Burnie Advocate it was listed as The Sunpolisher's Club, then in the 1940's The Sunpolisher's Session, then late 1944, The Sunpolisher's Hour 5.00pm to 6.00pm
The Burnie Museum supplied me with a transcript of a Burnie Historical Society talk given by long term 7BU staffer, Jan Blizzard in 2001. Jan remembers as a 16 year old, around 1951, running the Sunpolishers Club session. She also remembers the 7BU Station Manager Pop Towner, insisting that every evening at the end of the session, a Hymm had to be played from 78rpm records kept for the purpose.
(Please note that throughout this article, the spelling of Cliff or Cliffe will change on the documentation like Membership Certificates and Newspaper articles. At this stage I don't know which is correct. Obviously I am not alone in that.)
Radio Station 7BU Burnie commenced 19th October 1935 and the Sunpolisher's Club commenced at 7BU Burnie in November 1935.
The first newspaper mention of the club that I have found, was in the Burnie Advocate 21st January, 1936 program guide, showing that The Sunpolisher's Club with Cliff, Alan & Marie was broadcasting 5.30pm until 6.00pm. Later that year it extended from 5.00pm to 6.30pm In the Burnie Advocate it was listed as The Sunpolisher's Club, then in the 1940's The Sunpolisher's Session, then late 1944, The Sunpolisher's Hour 5.00pm to 6.00pm
The Burnie Museum supplied me with a transcript of a Burnie Historical Society talk given by long term 7BU staffer, Jan Blizzard in 2001. Jan remembers as a 16 year old, around 1951, running the Sunpolishers Club session. She also remembers the 7BU Station Manager Pop Towner, insisting that every evening at the end of the session, a Hymm had to be played from 78rpm records kept for the purpose.
(Please note that throughout this article, the spelling of Cliff or Cliffe will change on the documentation like Membership Certificates and Newspaper articles. At this stage I don't know which is correct. Obviously I am not alone in that.)
Collection of John Tzala On the 26th February, 1938 Radio Station 7DY Derby was opened. The 7DY Sunpolisher's Club commenced. According to an article in the Burnie Advocate, Cliffe Parish late of 7BU for two years, was to commence at 7DY. The article also mentioned that Cliffe as Uncle Cliffe, was the Founder of the 7BU Sunpolisher's Club and that he would continue to run the Sunpolisher's Club from 7DY. Thus became the 7BU - 7DY Sunpolisher's Club. The article also mentioned that at the time of 7DY commencing, the numbers of Sunpolisher members was over 5,000 The name remained constant as The Sunpolisher's Club.
I believe however, that there was an inbetween badge similar to the below certificate for 7BU-7DY Sunpolisher's Club.
At this stage I believe there were separate membership numbers for each station, which were then combined, but I am struggling to understand the numbers on the various Membership Certificates and the years they represented. All the Certificates I have in my collection, or that I have collected from the internet or photographed in museums, appear to be after the 7BU/7DY networking. They also appear in the earlier ones, to include staff from both stations.
Here are some examples of the Membership Certificates and questions they raise.
I believe however, that there was an inbetween badge similar to the below certificate for 7BU-7DY Sunpolisher's Club.
At this stage I believe there were separate membership numbers for each station, which were then combined, but I am struggling to understand the numbers on the various Membership Certificates and the years they represented. All the Certificates I have in my collection, or that I have collected from the internet or photographed in museums, appear to be after the 7BU/7DY networking. They also appear in the earlier ones, to include staff from both stations.
Here are some examples of the Membership Certificates and questions they raise.
Membership number 753 AFTER 7BU-7DY combined, at which time there were in excess of 5,000 members.
This would appear to indicate it is member 753 of 7DY Sunpolishers Club.
This would appear to indicate it is member 753 of 7DY Sunpolishers Club.
Uncle Cliff was Cliff Parish
Aunty Pam was Pam Findlay (borrowed from 7LA)
Sunny Jim was Jim Trethewie
Aunt Betty was Betty Burr (Mrs Taylor)
Uncle Bob was ??
The Motto of the Sunpolisher's Club is "To brighten the lives of others"
Then the Certificate concludes with a quote from Hazel MacKaye's 'Good Will, The Magician: When Children's friendships are worldwide; new ages will be glorified
Several items however appear to have remained fixtures. The Theme Song for the Club, which was 'Who's Been Polishing the Sun?' and Birthday Cheerios at the end of the session.
Aunty Pam was Pam Findlay (borrowed from 7LA)
Sunny Jim was Jim Trethewie
Aunt Betty was Betty Burr (Mrs Taylor)
Uncle Bob was ??
The Motto of the Sunpolisher's Club is "To brighten the lives of others"
Then the Certificate concludes with a quote from Hazel MacKaye's 'Good Will, The Magician: When Children's friendships are worldwide; new ages will be glorified
Several items however appear to have remained fixtures. The Theme Song for the Club, which was 'Who's Been Polishing the Sun?' and Birthday Cheerios at the end of the session.
What did the Sunpolisher's Club actually do?
Talking to members of the club, their main memories are of attending the Studios, both 7BU & 7DY and participating over the air. There seemed no prior arrangement most of the time, the children simply turned up and recited poems, told riddles or sang. Sometimes there were discussions on pet names for dogs or cats.
The main thing that they did, was raise money or goods for Charitable causes.
Talking to members of the club, their main memories are of attending the Studios, both 7BU & 7DY and participating over the air. There seemed no prior arrangement most of the time, the children simply turned up and recited poems, told riddles or sang. Sometimes there were discussions on pet names for dogs or cats.
The main thing that they did, was raise money or goods for Charitable causes.
7DY ceased broadcasting in November 1951 after a storm demolished their aerial.
The Sunpolisher's then became the 7BU - 7SD Sunpolisher's Club. Whilst 7SD continued the club with members dropping into the Studio to sing, play music, recite poems, they didn't continue the badge. At this stage the Membership Certificates at 7BU and 7SD changed to the Blue Certificate and I have examples from 1956 and 1960.
The Sunpolisher's then became the 7BU - 7SD Sunpolisher's Club. Whilst 7SD continued the club with members dropping into the Studio to sing, play music, recite poems, they didn't continue the badge. At this stage the Membership Certificates at 7BU and 7SD changed to the Blue Certificate and I have examples from 1956 and 1960.
Radio Heritage - With Permission That membership number of 6,090 in 1956 I am guessing is for 7SD. Unfortunately I have been unable to find any membership records from 7BU/7DY/7SD to tell me how the membership numbers were worked out between them. I am guessing that each was responsible for their own.
That is a large jump in membership numbers in 4 years.
Researching this club has taken me a while. Before COVID I had conducted a lot of research both online and on the ground in Tasmania. I started this Blog article during COVID and whilst I am publishing the blog finally, I do know I have a long way to go. It will form the basis of what goes into my book on the Radio Listener Clubs where I will flesh out the charitable works, the people involved in the clubs. I already have most of that information. But I need to put something up online to keep faith with people who are helping me to track information on the club.
If you have any badges, Membership Certificates etc that you can part with, please let me know. If you have family who want them after you, great, a good photo of the certificate or badge instead, would assist me greatly.
If you have information, personal anecdotes of the Club, please send them to me via the contact section on this site.
We can tell the story of the Sunpolisher's Club together.
Ian Grieve
If you have any badges, Membership Certificates etc that you can part with, please let me know. If you have family who want them after you, great, a good photo of the certificate or badge instead, would assist me greatly.
If you have information, personal anecdotes of the Club, please send them to me via the contact section on this site.
We can tell the story of the Sunpolisher's Club together.
Ian Grieve
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