Groundbreaking Australian LGBTI radio program, Gaywaves has been preserved and digitised thanks to the National film and Sound Archive of Australia.
It was 1979 that Gaywaves made a splash onto the Sydney radio scene, airing weekly on community radio station 2SER until 2005. Gaywaves illustrated the Australian gay liberation movement and LGBTI life and now thanks to the National film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) more than 160 episodes will be digitally available.
The project has been made possible by a bequest from the estate of gay rights activist and broadcaster Dietmar Hollman, who worked on the program for more than 15 years as a presenter and producer.
Radio archivist, Chris Arneil says, “through his generosity, Dietmar Hollman has guaranteed that the pioneering voices of Australia’s gay liberation movement will be able to be heard by future generations.”
From today onwards, Gaywaves will be accessible via the NFSA’s Soundcloud channel showcasing a variety of episodes from 1985 to 2001.
Each week, Gaywaves explored the news, issues and lives of LGBTI people in Australia. Gaywaves was breaking ground for LGBTI radio through coverage of HIV/AIDS rallies, Mardi Gras parades, interviews with community representatives, current affairs reports, music and even two radio dramas.