16 October 2026
► ON THIS DAY, 16 OCTOBER;
1919 Kew, New South Wales – BORN, Nancy Bird Walton. She was an Australian aviation pioneer, founder and patron of the Australian Women Pilots’ Association, and the youngest woman to receive a commercial pilot’s licence in Australia, in 1933, at the age of 19. Died 2009.
1922 London, England – BORN, Walter William Bygraves alias Max Bygraves. He was a comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. Died 2012.
1923 Hamburg, Germany – BORN, Berthold Heinrich Kaempfert alias Bert Kaempfert. He was an orchestra leader and composer of numerous easy-listening hits, including Strangers In The Night, Moon Over Naples, Died 1980.
1936 London, England – BORN, Peter Bowles. He was an actor famous for portraying upper class characters caught in hilarious situations. He has appeared in many TV series, including The Avengers, To The Manor Born , Rumpole of the Bailey. Died 2022.
1937 Saint Lucia, West Indies – BORN, Michael Emile Telford Miller, alias Emile Ford. He was a musician and pop singer popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s as leader of the group Emile Ford and the Checkmates, known for their No 1 hit What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For. Died 2016.
1964 Sydney, New South Wales – Ansett ANA and Trans Australia Airlines took delivery of their first Boeing 727 aircraft.
1974 Siding Spring, New South Wales – A new $16 million optical observatory, the largest in Australia and the second largest in the world at the time, was opened.
1975 Balibo, East Timor – Five Australian commercial television newsmen were killed by pro-Indonesian troops whilst covering unrest in East Timor.
1975 Canberra – Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Fraser triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis when he persuaded the Liberal Party to block Budget Supply Bills.
Today’s photo: Salmon Ponds trout hatchery, in the Derwent Valley – The first in the Southern Hemisphere.. (Yours Truly)
Today’s Playlist. Included in the fourth column is the year in which each track was last played. –
| TRACK | RELEASE YEAR | PLAY TIME | NUMBER OF PREVIOUS PLAYS |
| M J Kay – She Showed Up | 2026 | 09:05 | Debut |
| Mackhigh Stanton & Ray Roper – Catch 22 (The Musician’s Song) | 2026 | 09:12 | Debut |
| John R Cockburn – High Horse | 2026 | 09:16 | Debut |
| Diamond 45s – Charting on this day 1966 + Gene Pitney – The Boss’ Daughter | 1966 | 09:21 | 7 – 2023 |
| + Left Banke – Walk Away Renee | 1966 | 09:24 | Debut |
| Pearl’s Players – Picnic At Hanging Rock | 09:28 | 8 – 2023 | |
| Henry Arland Orchestra – Carioca | 09:31 | 2 – 2013 | |
| Max Bygraves – Those Were The Days (See (2) above.) | 09:36 | 1 – 2016 | |
| Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra – Tea And Trumpets (See (3) above.) | 09:43 | 3 – 2022 | |
| Emile Ford – What Do You Wanna Make Those Eyes At Me For (See (5) above.) | 1960 | 09:47 | 9 – 2025 |
| For a Listener Willie Nelson – Farther Down The Line | 09:51 | 5 – 2025 | |
| Ol’ 55 – Raindrops | 1980 | 09:54 | 11 – 2026 |
| Drummond – Daddy Cool | 1971 | 09:58 | 7 – 2024 |
| Gary Anderson – Just Still Letting Go | 2026 | 10:05 | 2 – 2026 |
| COMFORT ZONE – Familiar artists and/or familiar songs + Ray Malcolm – He’ll Have To Go | 2026 | 10:11 | Debut |
| + Toni West – He’ll Have To Stay | 2026 | 10:15 | Debut |
| Vintage Vinyl + Jo Stafford – Shrimp Boats | 1951 | 10:21 | 1 – 2026 |
| + Frankie Laine – Rose Rose I Love You | 1951 | 10:24 | 4 – 2017 |
| Brooke Seabrook – Family Tree | 2026 | 10:27 | 2 – 2026 |
| Gordon Langford & His Orchestra – Yellow River | 10:33 | 4 – 2025 | |
| Charlie Landsborough – I Know What It Is To Be Loved | 10:37 | 3 – 2026 | |
| Celia Bryce Band – Shine Like The Road | 2026 | 10:41 | 1 – 2026 |
| For a Listener Roy Orbison – Cry Softly Lonely One | 10:47 | 19 – 2026 | |
| Reels – According To My Heart | 10:50 | 5 – 2025 | |
| 70s Gem + Hans Poulsen – Boom Sha La La Lo | 1970 | 10:55 | 10 – 2026 |
| + John Williamson – Old Man Emu | 1970 | 10:59 | 11 – 2025 |
| Hans van der Velde – Here at the Bar | 2026 | 11:06 | 1 – 2026 |
| Niamh Lynn – Before The Next Teardrop Falls | 1963 | 11:11 | Debut |
| For a Listener Tornados – Telstar | 1962 | 11:17 | 20 – 2024 |
| Littlemen – Evil On Both Sides | 2026 | 11:23 | Debut |
| Harry James & His Orchestra – By The Time I Get To Phoenix | 11:35 | 3 – 2024 | |
| Diamond 45s – Charting on this day 1966 + Seekers – Walk With Me | 1966 | 11:39 | 6 – 2023 |
| + Gerry & Pacemakers – Girl On A Swing | 1966 | 11:43 | 6 – 2026 |
| Javier & Megan Woods – Sentence Me | 2026 | 11:47 | 2 – 2026 |
| David McCaffrey – Walk Of Life | 2026 | 11:51 | 6 – 2026 |