Performer and host Graham Kennedy (1934-2005) is celebrated as "The King" of Australian television.

This scrapbook was compiled by Kennedy’s long-term former housekeeper, Mrs Divona Fox; it is full of advertisements, articles, promotional material and clippings from celebrity pages featuring Kennedy.

16mm film was used in early television production because of its comparatively low cost and portability. Although it was initially used as a news gathering format, 16mm proved effective when shooting in the confined space of a production set.

Australia’s favourite mechanical cupid, Dexter, is the robot from popular television show Perfect Match (1984-89). He is best known for his cheeky commentary. Perfect Match was a ‘blind-date’ style game show produced by the Grundy Television and Network Ten.

Keith Scott provided the voice for Dexter whose function was to mathematically predict the couple’s compatibility at the conclusion of the show.

This TV was built by Mr F. D. Straford in 1957. The electronic components were purchased as a kit of parts for approximately £125.

First used to demonstrate TV in Australia in the early 1950s, this type of camera was used from 1956 at GTV9 and ABV2 for both studio and outside broadcast work.

Donated by GTV9

The 'Astor' brand began with the production of radio receivers locally in Melbourne in the 1920s.

For many years it was the leading brand of domestic electrical goods in Victoria. By the 1970s it was becoming increasingly difficult to compete with imports from Japan and Astor ceased production.

Hey Hey It's Saturday began its astonishing 27 year run on Australian television as a Saturday morning children's program.

Hosted by Daryl Somers with his bright pink sidekick Ossie Ostrich (the creation of Ernie Carroll) Hey Hey took its freewheeling variety format to Saturday evenings where it became ritual family viewing. Fan cards such as this are used by the networks to respond to the often thousands of fan letters a show receives.

The famous ‘Red Book’ is an essential part of This Is Your Life presentations around the world. It is often the first signal to the recipient that they have been sprung!

Mike Willesee, Digby Wolfe and Roger Climpson hosted the show when it first appeared on Channel 7, between 1975 and 1980. Mike Monroe has been the host since it switched to Channel 9 in 1995.

This TV had pride of place in the Mount Eliza lounge room of aviation and television pioneer Sir Reginald (Reg) Ansett. Sir Reginald launched Melbourne’s Channel 0 (later Channel 10) on Saturday August 1, 1964.

Outside broadcast crews using early television camera technologies did not have the capacity to record while out on location. Vision and sound were transmitted back to the studio for either recording or live broadcast.

Clown duo Zig and Zag were stars of one of HSV 7’s longest running television show Peter’s Fun Fair. Starting in 1956 and enjoying a showlife of 15 years together, Zig and Zag were Jack Perry and Doug McKenzie.

Possibly one of Australian television’s most important icons, Zig and Zag dressed in costumes advertising Peters Ice Cream (“the health food of a nation”). They were known for using catchphrases such as “No-o-o trouble!”