Special Sub-Topic: Aussies Making Headlines In The 1960s Click Here To Play: Aussies Making Headlines In The 1960s

Who was 'The Wild One'? He was born in 1935 and died in 1978 and hosted a popular teenage rock and roll television show that was broadcast at 6 pm.

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.

I was the last man to be hanged in Australia on 3rd February 1967. Who was I?

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.

Who set land and water speed records in 1964?

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.

Who turned up for National Service Training in 1968 in a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce?

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.

What television show that ran from 1965 to 1968 starred Gordon Chater, Barry Creyton and Carol Raye?

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'.

What was the name of the eight year old boy who was kidnapped and murdered in June 1960?

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.

Which future Member of Parliament won over $60,000 on the most popular TV quiz show of the 1960s?

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.

What was commonly known as 'The Ming Dynasty' which ended in 1966.

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.

Which horse won the Melbourne Cup in both 1968 and 1969?

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.

A very popular radio disc jockey who brought rock 'n roll to Sydney afternoon radio in the 1960s. He was known as 'The White Knight' and the 'Peter Pan of the Airwaves'. He started at 2UE in Sydney in 1960, and a favourite saying was 'Rickapoodlie and Fandooglie'. Who was he?

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.