8 February 2026
► EVENTS ON 8 February;
In 1933 Perth, West Australia, registered a record high temperature of 44.5C.
In 1950 Throughout Australia, Wartime petrol rationing ended, almost ten years after it was introduced.
In 1960 Near Guyra, New South Wales, four year old Stephen Walls was found alive after being lost in rugged, snake infested country for four days. This ended one of the most intensive searches in the history of New South Wales, which involved over 3,000 people. This event inspired the composition of a hit record Little Boy Lost.
In 1983, Following the worst drought then on record and a day of severe weather conditions, a 320 metre deep dust cloud enveloped Melbourne, turning day to night.
► ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES ON 8 FEBRUARY
BORN, 1828: Jules Verne, in Nantes, France. He was an author who pioneered the science-fiction genre by writing about space, air, and underwater travel, well before aircraft and practical submarines were invented, and before any possible means of space travel had been devised. He died in 1905.
BORN, 1907: Jack Davey, in Auckland New Zealand. He became a very popular national Australian radio personality, hosting many high-rating quiz programmes during the 30s, 40s and 50s. These included Calling All Stars, The Dulux Show, The Ampol Show, and Give It A Go.
Jack Davey also participated in the Redex Car Reliability Trials of 1953 and 1954, and other round-Australia car reliability trials in 1956, 1957 and 1958. He died in 1959.
BORN, 1931 : James Dean, in Marion, Indiana, U.S.A. He was an actor whose fame and popularity rests on only three films, Rebel Without A Cause (1955), East of Eden (1955), and Giant (1956). He starred in no others, as his career was cut short by his untimely death in a 1955 car crash.
DIED, 1990: Charles Weedon Westover, alias Del Shannon, Santa Clarita, California, U.S.A. by his own hand, aged 55. He was a rock and roll singer of the early 1960s, known for his many top selling hits such as Runaway, Hats Off To Larry, Handy Man and The Swiss Maid.
DIED, 2005: Keith Knudsen, in Kentfield, California, U.S.A. aged 56. He was an drummer, vocalist and songwriter, member of the Doobie Brothers.
DIED, 2023: Burt Bacharach in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., aged 94. He was a pianist, composer and music producer known for his hit songs and compositions from the mid-50s through the 80s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their joint hits were produced specifically for individual artists such as Marty Robbins, Gene Pitney, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, Jackie DeShannon and especially, Dionne Warwick.
Today’s photo: The Organ Pipes Track, Mt Wellington, Tasmania. Photographer: Ilka Munter
Today’s Playlist :
| TRACK | RELEASE YEAR | TIME | PREVIOUS PLAYS | LAST PLAYED |
| Ron Christopher – Forever 1956 | 2026 | 06:06 | 3 | 30/1/2026 |
| Bobby Bare – Tequila Sheila | 1980 | 06:11 | 2 | 22/1/2017 |
| Bucks Fizz – The Right Situation | 1981 | 06:15 | 3 | 22/5/2015 |
| Cliff Richard – Just A Little In Love | 1980 | 06:20 | 0 | |
| Dire Straits – How Long | 1991 | 06:23 | 0 | |
| Shadows – 36-24-36 | 06:28 | 0 | ||
| Arthur Greenslade & His Orchestra – Little Arrows | 06:32 | 4 | 19/8/2018 | |
| Excerpt: Jack Davey – The Dulux Show | 06:37 | |||
| Vintage Vinyl Rosemary Clooney – Hey There | 1954 | 06:42 | 6 | 12/7/2019 |
| For A Listener: Barbra Streisand – Somewhere | 06:46 | 3 | 31/1/2021 | |
| Elisabeth Grey – Mrs Grey | 2025 | 06:51 | 2 | 30/1/2026 |
| Ashley Cook – The Waters of Lake Eyre | 2026 | 06:57 | 1 | 30/1/2026 |
| Sheila Pope – If Not For You | 2026 | 07:05 | 1 | 30/1/2026 |
| COUNTRY ROAD + Brian Letton – The Digger And His Dog | 07:10 | 4 | 27/4/2025 | |
| + Slim Dusty – A Word To Texas Jack | 07:14 | 2 | 30/6/2023 | |
| For A Listener: Sandie Shaw – Please Mr Postman | 07:18 | 2 | 5/10/2025 | |
| Del Shannon – Two Kinds of Teardrops | 1963 | 07:23 | 6 | 19/5/2023 |
| Doobie Brothers – Listen To The Music | 1972 | 07:26 | 1 | 16/5/2014 |
| Burt Bacharach – There’s Always Something There To Remind Me | 07:33 | 3 | 12/12/2023 | |
| Debz Standen – Living Without You | 2025 | 07:38 | 1 | 30/1/2026 |
| Gary R Farmer – South of the Border | 2026 | 07:41 | 1 | 30/1/2026 |
| For A Listener: Graig Giles – Picture On The Mantle | 2017 | 07:47 | 23 | 12/12/2025 |
| Vintage Vinyl Dean Martin – Hey Brother Pour The Wine | 1953 | 07:51 | 4 | 14/9/2025 |
| Joy Adams – After All | 2026 | 07:54 | 1 | 30/1/2026 |
| Chantays – Pipeline | 1963 | 07:58 | 8 | 31/12/2023 |
| Wendy Jewel – Are You Looking At The Same Stars | 2026 | 08:06 | 1 | 30/1/2026 |
| COMFORT ZONE + Jim Reeves – Make The World Go Away | 08:11 | 1 | 21/6/2020 | |
| + Freddy Quinn – Somewhere My Love | 08:13 | 3 | 14/11/2025 | |
| Carrie Talarico – One Perfect Picture | 2026 | 08:19 | 0 | |
| Juanito Fernandez & His Orchestra – Perfidia | 08:28 | 1 | 3/4/2022 | |
| David Whitaker & His Orchestra – Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head | 08:33 | 4 | 22/8/2014 | |
| Kym Cormack – Never Lie Again | 2026 | 08:37 | 1 | 30/1/2026 |
| Andy Williams – Holly | 08:40 | 0 | ||
| Vintage Vinyl Nat King Cole – It’s All In The Game | 1951 | 08:44 | 2 | 9/7/2017 |
| Louise Morrissey – Tipperary So Rare | 2026 | 08:47 | 1 | 16/11/2025 |
| David McCaffrey – Walk of Life | 08:52 | 5 | 30/1/2026 |