By Yousuf Shameel

ABC Pilbara

Topic: Broadcasting

Saturday, 18 July 2026, at 10:04 am

Families took part in the first live TV show with former ABC presenter Kim Corcoran.

In short:

A small town in Western Australia helped make TV history in 1966 with a live show from London.

Alan Gilham was part of this event, and 60 years later, his nephew visited the town to remember it.

This event shows how much technology has changed and how we communicate with people worldwide.

Carnarvon is famous for bananas but not well-known for its role in Australian technology.

In 1966, Carnarvon was the base for Australia's first live TV show with the UK.

During the show, families in Carnarvon met with relatives in London for a short time.

Seeing technology change

Alan Gilham helped make the technology work for the TV show in Carnarvon.

He was an engineer at the Carnarvon Tracking Station before the Apollo mission to the moon in 1969.

Carnarvon's tracking station was the base for Australia's first live TV show.

It was a new and exciting thing; satellite technology was very new then.

The TV show happened because a satellite called Intelsat IIa did not go into the right orbit.

The satellite was supposed to be over the Pacific Ocean but failed because its rocket stopped too early.

When the satellite went into its own orbit, engineers found a short time when they could connect Carnarvon and the UK for a TV show.

Former Carnarvon mayor Wilson Tuckey and ABC presenter Peter Pockley were at the event.

Many trucks with equipment and people went to Carnarvon for the TV show.

Now, 60 years later, Alan's nephew Stephen Gilham went to Carnarvon to remember the event.

Stephen used modern technology to call his uncle, who is 96 and back in the UK.

Stephen and his wife Margaret visited Carnarvon to remember the event.

It is very different from the technology used in the 1960s, with much less cost and manpower needed today.

I am still talking to my uncle and hearing about his experiences; it is very emotional.

Stephen said he went to Carnarvon to show respect to his uncle.

I wanted to respect my uncle in some way, and this was the best way to do it.

Carnarvon on the map

Carnarvon Space Museum manager Phil Youd said the town's role in technology is often forgotten.

Carnarvon was important for satellite technology and the moon landing, and the NASA tracking station.

The Casshorn antenna was used for the live TV show.

The TV show was an important part of Australian technology history.

Most people do not know how broadcasting and technology started.

Now, communicating is easy and normal, but in the 1960s, satellite technology was very new.

Saturday, 18 July 2026, at 10:04 am

Saturday, 18 July 2026, at 11:16 am

See more ABC news

Promotion

Practice Listening