16 January 2026
► LOOKING at events on 16 January;
On this day in 1957 in Liverpool, England, the Cavern Club opened. This was the venue where, on 9 November 1961, music entrepreneur Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles performing,
In 1965, the new Empress of Australia RO-RO ferry made its first voyage from Sydney to Hobart, resuming a sea link which had been abandoned over 20 years previously.
In 1969, two cosmonauts spacewalked from Soyuz 5 to Soyuz 4 while the two craft were docked together. This was the first time a docking of two manned spacecraft or crew transfer took place, and it remains the only time when an external transfer was made, all subsequent crew exchanges having been made internally.
Soyuz 4 later returned to Earth and had a soft landing, whilst Soyuz 5, crewed only by Commander Boris Volynov, made a harder than intended landing some distance from its planned target site, due to a malfunction. Volynov abandoned the capsule and walked several kilometres in -36C temperatures to a farmhouse to await rescue.
In 1981 the Space Shuttle Columbia made its maiden flight, the first by a re-usable spacecraft. And on this day in 2003 Columbia took off from Cape Canaveral on its final, fateful mission. It disintegrated during re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere 16 days later, with the loss of all crew.
► ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
Lorraine Bayly was born on this day in 1937 in Narrandera, New South Wales. She is an actress best known for her portrayal of Grace Sullivan, in the television drama The Sullivans, which was centred on the life of an Australian family during World War 2.
She was also a presenter on the children’s programme Play School from 1966 till 1978, and has appeared in Neighbours and the films Fatty Finn and The Man From Snowy River.
Ronnie Milsap was born on this day in 1946 in Robbinsville, North Carolina, U.S.A. He is a singer and songwriter, blinded since birth by a congenital disorder. Milsap is one of the most successful and versatile country crossover singers, appealing to both country and pop music markets with hits which incorporated pop, rhythm and blues and rock and roll
Duncan Bell, was born on this day in 1955 in Glasgow, Scotland. He is an actor who appeared in several English television series, but is best known as Sergeant Dennis Merton in the TV drama Heartbeat .
No departures noted for this date.
Today’s photo – Storm clouds over the Derwent River and Meehan Range, Tasmania.
Today’s Playlist
This week, introducing the new Comfort Zone, and Country Road segments.
The Comfort Zone is a double-play of familiar artists, and/or familiar music. The Country Road likewise, of older-style country music.
Both these will also be included in the playlists for Valley Sunrise.
| TRACK | RELEASE YEAR | PLAY TIME | PREVIOUS PLAYS | LAST PLAYED |
| Carol Stevens – My Dream Lover | 2025 | 09:05 | 0 | |
| 70s Classic Leif Garrett – Runaround Sue | 1977 | 09:12 | 8 | 20/4/2025 |
| Lee Ann Kelly – It Was Mine | 2025 | 09:14 | 1 | 28/12/2025 |
| Comfort Zone –Well Known Artists and Songs +Seekers – The Last Thing On My Mind | 09:20 | 11 | 17/10/2025 | |
| +Percy Faith Orchestra & Chorus – Leaving On A Jet Plane | 1967 | 09:23 | 2 | 24/8/2018 |
| Ray Lani – If It Were Not For You | 2025 | 09:28 | 0 | |
| Pete Moore & His Orchestra – Islands In The Stream | 09:33 | 1 | 10/8/2025 | |
| Ronnie Milsap – Daydreams About Night Things | 09:38 | 8 | 7/7/2023 | |
| Elisabeth Grey – Mrs Grey | 2025 | 09:42 | 0 | |
| For a Listener Louis Armstrong – Blueberry Hill | 1949 | 09:46 | 1 | 4/8/2023 |
| Diamond Classic – Charting on this day 1966 Manfred Mann – Hi Lili Hi Lo | 1965 | 09:50 | 2 | 29/10/2017 |
| Diamond Classic – Charting on this day 1966 Toys – A Lovers Concerto | 1965 | 09:53 | 13 | 31/10/2025 |
| Orchester Hugo Strasser – Pariser Tango | 09:57 | 1 | 25/7/2025 | |
| Christa Fartek – If I Could | 2025 | 10:05 | 2 | 2/12/2025 |
| Lindsay Waddington – Rush Hour | 2025 | 10:10 | 3 | 21/11/2025 |
| Walk Don ‘t Run – Backroads and Moonshine | 2025 | 10:13 | 1 | 14/12/2025 |
| For a Listener Johnny Horton – When It’s Springtime In Alaska | 10:21 | 10 | 29/6/2025 | |
| Vintage Vinyl Diana Coupland – A Guy Is A Guy | 1952 | 10:25 | 6 | 5/3/2023 |
| Bing Crosby – Morgen | 10:29 | 2 | 9/7/2023 | |
| Romantic Strings Orchestra (Pierre Belmonde, Pan Flute) – Sailing | 10:34 | 0 | ||
| Paul Ricketts – I’m Just Like You | 2025 | 10:39 | 2 | 11/1/2026 |
| Victoria Eman – Lost My Heart At Christmas | 2025 | 10:43 | 0 | |
| 70s Classic Carly Simon – Nobody Does it Better | 1977 | 10:48 | 4 | 20/4/2025 |
| Bluestone – Road To Nowhere | 2025 | 10:53 | 0 | |
| Michael Russ – Trumpet Hearts | 2025 | 10:56 | 0 | |
| Faron Young – Hello Walls | 11:05 | 7 | 20/6/2025 | |
| Country Road- Old style country songs +Slim Dusty – A Girl From The Land | 1988 | 11:09 | 10 | 24/2/2023 |
| +Alex Hood – Flash Jack From Gundagai | 11:13 | 1 | 30/6/2023 | |
| For a Listener Patrizio Buanne – A Man Without Love | 11:17 | 4 | 22/5/2020 | |
| Vintage Vinyl Peggy Lee, Mel Torme & Mellomen – The Old Master Painter | 1950 | 11:26 | 3 | 19/5/2024 |
| Australian National Concert Orchestra – Truly | 11:32 | 0 | ||
| Diamond Classic – Charting on this day 1966 Gene Pitney – Princess In Rags | 1965 | 11:36 | 0 | |
| Diamond Classic – Charting on this day 1966 Seekers – Well Well Well | 1965 | 11:39 | 7 | 23/3/2025 |
| Joe Reisman & His Orchestra – The Look Of Love | 11:42 | 1 | 28/5/2023 | |
| John Denver – Jenny Dreamed Of Trains | 11:45 | 0 | ||
| Troy Cassar-Daley – Something About Trains | 11:50 | 5 | 2/2/2024 | |
| Leroy Anderson Orchestra – The Typewriter | 11:54 | 14 | 18/5/2025 |