Aussies Making Headlines In The 1960s Quiz

Answer: Johnny O'Keefe

Johnny O'Keefe was also known as JOK and he hosted Six O'clock Rock which was first broadcast in 1959 on the ABC. He had many hit singles in the 1960s including 'She's My Baby', 'She Wears my Ring' and 'I'm Counting on You'. In 1960 he was involved in a serious car accident near Kempsey NSW. He died of barbiturate poisoning in 1978.

Answer: Ronald Ryan

Ronald Ryan escaped from Pentridge Gaol in Melbourne with fellow inmate Peter Walker, using a Salvation Army officer as a shield. They had a wild time as free men for a few days, but then things went wrong. An informant notified police of their whereabouts and during the attempted arrest an unarmed prison officer was killed. Ryan confessed that he shot to wing not to kill, but the jury convicted him anyway.

Answer: Donald Campbell

He broke the land speed record in Bluebird CN7 at Lake Eyre on July 17, 1964 and later that year, on December 31st, he broke the water speed record at Dumbleyung Lake in Western Australia. He died on 4th January 1967 attempting a new water speed record, when his boat, Bluebird K7 flipped and disintegrated at approx. 300 miles per hour.

Answer: Normie Rowe

They cut off his long hair and the tresses were sent to his fan club. Fans wept, but Normie had sworn that he would do his duty if his number came up so he went to Vietnam as a recruit, not an entertainer.

Answer: The Mavis Bramston Show

Mavis Bramston, the lady with the big black hat with the extra long cigarette holder, had a very small role in the show. Mostly she just batted those false eyelashes and said: 'Daaarling'.

Answer: Graeme Thorne

Two weeks before their son was kidnapped, Graeme Thorne's parents had won $100,000 in the Opera House lottery. Steven Bradley was the culprit, who had asked for $25,000 in ransom. It was never paid. Young Graeme's body was found under a rock ledge. Steven Bradley served a life sentence for his crime and names and addresses of lottery winners were no longer published in the media.

Answer: Barry Jones

Bob and Dolly Dyer's Pick-a-Box was sponsored by BP. Barry Jones was a school-teacher in his thirties when he first appeared on the show and became an unbeatable champion. He attributed his success to his ability to speed read with almost perfect recall. Later he joined the Australian Labor Party and became a Member of Parliament.

Answer: Sir Robert Menzies period as Prime Minister of Australia

Sir Robert Menzies was Australia's longest serving Prime Minister - a reign that started in 1949 and ended in 1966. He was also known as Pig Iron Bob. Note that Mezies is often pronounced 'minggies'.

Answer: Rain Lover

Rain Lover, trained by Mick Robins and ridden by J. Johnson. Think Big also won the Melbourne Cup twice, but in 1974 and 1975.

Answer: Ward 'Pally' Austin

Another favourite expression was 'too much for the human unit'. He was often in trouble with the law and the media loved reporting his antics. He made racist remarks to Sammy Davis Jnr when he visited Australia. At age 31 he fell in love with a 14 year old school girl and they married three years later.