Mobil Quest

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The Mobil Quest was an Australian competition for operatic vocalists which ran from 1949 to 1957, sponsored by the Vacuum Oil Company and broadcast by Melbourne radio station 3DB and relayed to affiliates throughout Australia. It is remembered with wry amusement for judging Ronal Jackson the 1949 winner ahead of Joan Sutherland.

Contents

History

The quest was founded in 1949 with the stated aim of "bringing to the attention of the public the best vocal talent available in the Commonwealth" [1] The Vacuum Oil Company had an honorable association with classical music in Australia, having supported Opera for the People concerts and broadcasts since 1946. [2]

The contest was run Australia-wide, with contestants first passing an audition conducted by a participating radio station, which then conducted a series of heats to select that station's candidates for the semi-finals. Eighteen winners, three from each State, then competed in Melbourne to select the six who competed for the £1,000 prize at a grand final at the Melbourne Town Hall. The heats were broadcast in the relevant State capitals, and the finals broadcast through all participating stations. Lesser prizes for finalists were, respectively, £300, £100, £50, £25, and £15, [3] later £300, £150, and £50 each for the other three finalists. [a] Each singer who appeared on air received a broadcasting fee and all semi-finalists received an all-expenses trip to Melbourne. [4]

The Mobil Quest radio broadcasts between 1949–1956, and the 1957 semifinals, are held in Australia's National Film and Sound Archive. [5]

Winners

YearWinner2nd3rdEqual 3rd
1949Ronal Jackson [6] Trudy DauntWilliam Smith
1950 Joan Sutherland [7] [8] David Allen [8] William Smith [8]
1951 Margaret Nisbett [9] Clifford Powell June Bronhill [9]
1952 Donald Smith [10] Eric MitchelsonElizabeth AllenMarjorie Conley
1953Elizabeth Allen Robert Allman Raymond McDonald
1954Ronald AustronJohn ShawRaymond McDonald
1955Marjorie Conley Margreta Elkins [11] Heather Begg Conrad Berensen
1956Noel MelvilleHeather BeggLance Lloyd
1957Nance GrantRobert BickerstaffRichard BromleyPeter Campbell

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ To give some idea of the value of the prizes, a skilled worker's weekly wage at the time might have been £20, a new car £1000, and a house £5000.

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References

  1. ↑ Barbara Mackenzie; Findlay Mackenzie (1967). Singers of Australia. Lansdowne Press.
  2. ↑ "Opera for the People is News". The Herald (Melbourne) . No. 21, 577. Victoria, Australia. 16 July 1946. p. 9. Retrieved 19 December 2023– via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "Big Prizemoney Offered in Nationwide Radio Quest". The Mercury . Vol. CLXIX, no. 24, 372. Tasmania, Australia. 20 January 1949. p. 21. Retrieved 19 December 2023– via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "New Mobil Quest". Barrier Miner . Vol. LXIII, no. 17, 198. New South Wales, Australia. 30 October 1950. p. 9. Retrieved 19 December 2023– via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "Australian radio series (1930s–1970s) A guide to holdings in the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (p.133)" (PDF). National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Germain, John. "A baritone who was 'showbiz' through and through". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  7. ↑ Blackshaw, Adam. "Before they were famous: Joan Sutherland". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Maryborough Chronicle (7 September 1950). "Mobil Quest to Joan Sutherland". Maryborough Chronicle. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  9. 1 2 The Age (Melbourne) (6 September 1951). "Soprano Wins Mobil Quest". The Age . Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  10. ↑ The Age (Melbourne) (4 September 1952). "Former Gunner Wins Mobil Quest". The Age . Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  11. ↑ McGinnes, Mark. "Statuesque yet steely soprano". The Age. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
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