AusBonsai

Just came upon this reference:

IN view of the events of the past 15 years it is strange to find in a Channel 2 programme called "Australia Unlimited" on Wednesday, November 21, that the subject will be of Japanese origin. The programme will demonstrate the Japanese art of bonsai, the stunting of trees and plants.

Mr. V. Koreshoff, an authority on bonsai and a leading Sydney nurseryman, will be the lecturer. The A.B.C. says of "Australia Unlimited" that "each week . . . viewers will be shown unusual facets of rural Australia, of interest to the city-dweller as well as the countrv-dweller."

Per TeleVision Parade, The Australian Womens Weekly, Nov. 21, 1956, pg. 10, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article ... rchLimits=

(This happens to predate a reference that in 1957 on TV Channel 5 KTLA John Naka gave a bonsai demonstration on "Garden Chats" with Joe Littlefield, http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/BoldlyGrow1.html )

Very interesting - it would be great if we could get a copy to watch - if such still exists. cheers Ash

And to put things in perspective a little, this was two days after the station http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABV_%28TV_station%29 began broadcasting and the day before the opening ceremonies of the Melbourne Summer Olympics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Summer_Olympics . Five percent of Melbourne households owned a television set http://televisionau.com/timeline/1950-1959 .

What was Melbourne's population that year? I'm having difficulty finding that data...

Population in the whole of Australia was listed as 9 and 1/2 million in 1956 so Melbourne maybe over 1 million?

http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/asset ... ers_37.pdf

1.7 miilion according to the above link

Grant

The nature of the program suggests that it may have been shot on film. If this is the case it may well have survived.

The national sound and film archive search engine say's it is "currently broken". This would be a good place to look.

http://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/