HISTORY
Radio Monash is over 50 years old, with a rich and dramatic history! This page showcases the key events that have shaped our organisation over the years. None of this would be possible without Radio Monash alumnus Rafal Alumairy, who has created a fascinating database on student radio history in Australia and beyond. You can find her website here, but for access to the database, please enquire with the committee.
THE TIMELINE
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The timeline
In 2022, with the help of Rafal, Sarah made the following timeline to illustrate Radmon’s history for our 50th anniversary event. You may have seen the posters up on the walls in the Radmon space. Though some of the entires on this timeline are vague or questionable in accuracy, it is still a fascinating overview to the key events that have shaped Radmon’s past.
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1970's
The decade Radio Monash was founded.
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1980's
A lot of vintage Radio Monash art comes from this decade.
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1990's
In this decade, Radio Monash shares the frequency 95.7 with Golden Days Radio, broadcasting 3 days a week.
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2000's
The decade Radio Monash loses its FM licence, and faces significant funding cuts.
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2010's
The station battles through committee fallout and renovations to get to where we are today.
key moments in our history
The walkout (2017)
Over the period of a few weeks in 2017, a disagreement over how the station should be run saw a large portion of the committee resign. Over time, this has become colloquially known as “the walkout”. It had a large impact on future committees, as knowledge was lost, and the station had to be rebuilt from the ground up.
In 2024, Sarah Stancombe wrote an article for Radio Monash’s journalism department seeking clarity on what really happened, as “the walkout” was something of a mystery. The article has some fantastic insights from past committee members explaining what happened, and providing advice to future committees. Read it here.
the 50th (2022)
In 2022, Radio Monash turned 50. We celebrated by inviting alumni into our newly renovated space, and heard stories of their time at Radio Monash. The timeline above was created to showcase our rich history.
the renovations (2022)
The large scale renovations that took place in 2022 saw Radio Monash close down until around October, when committee was finally allowed back in the space. The renovations were supposed to be finished over the summer break, so the station could be open again for Semester 1. Thus, the renovations took around seven months longer than expected. This was incredibly disappointing for the station after a successful year in 2021, and meant that engagement had to be rebuilt significantly in 2023. Thankfully, the SSAF-funded renovations allowed us to build an advanced music recording studio with professional instruments and gear. Radio Monash is therefore a space that non-music students can access, allowing them to pursue their creative projects alongside their studies.
the founding of radio monash
Radio Monash was founded by John Maziels in 1972. On the 12th of August, he broadcasted officially for the first time. In 1975, we were broadcasting from the basement of the Student Union Building, now known as Campus Centre. A number of committee members from 2019-2024 were able to meet John Maziels, along with other alumni, at the 50th celebration event.
