Bush Telegraph

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title: "Bush Telegraph" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["australian-broadcasting-corporation-radio-programs", "2014-disestablishments-in-australia", "australian-talk-radio-programs", "2000s-australian-radio-programs", "2010s-australian-radio-programs"] description: "Australian radio program" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_Telegraph" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian radio program ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox radio show"]

Field	Value
name	Bush Telegraph
format	Music, stories, rural news and reports
runtime	1 hour
start_time	1100
end_time	1200
country	Australia
language	English
home_station	Radio National
presenter	Cameron Wilson
first_aired
last_aired
website	Bush Telegraph web site
podcast
::

| name = Bush Telegraph | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | other_names = | format = Music, stories, rural news and reports | runtime = 1 hour | start_time = 1100 | end_time = 1200 | runtime_note = | country = Australia | language = English | home_station = Radio National | syndicates = | television = | presenter = Cameron Wilson | starring = | announcer = | creator = | writer = | director = | senior_editor = | editor = | producer = | exec_producer = | narrated = | rec_location = | rem_location = | oth_location = | first_aired = | last_aired = | num_series = | num_episodes = | audio_format = | opentheme = | othertheme = | endtheme = | sponsor = | website = Bush Telegraph web site | podcast = Bush Telegraph was a radio program on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National network, broadcast weekdays (Monday-Friday) at 11-12am, presenting stories from rural and regional Australia. It ran from 23 April 2001 until 19 December 2014.

"Bush telegraph" is the Australian country term for the informal network which spreads news and gossip through a region of rural or outback Australia.

History

The show began on 23 April 2001 and the last program was aired on Friday, 19 December 2014.

Format

The show presented original stories, Australian music, rural news and reports from ABC rural reporters across Australia. The show's topics of debate included genetically modified food, services in rural Australia, climate change and water policies.

Special series

Bush Telegraph also ran several innovative listener participation series, where listeners were able to vote on aspects of a project through the internet site and phone-in lines, such as:

2002/3: Grow Your Own

In 2002 and early 2003, Bush Telegraph listeners voted on production of a cotton crop. Stu Higgins, a cotton farmer from Jandowae (near Chinchilla) in Queensland, offered 5 acre of his crop. The show had weekly updates, and votes were taken on matters such as: how the crop should be fertilised, or whether natural or artificial defoliant should be used. The crop was successful, and achieved a premium price. Higgins received an award, the Queensland Primary Industries Achievement Award for media and communication.

2006: Wine on the Wireless

For the 2006 harvest, commencing March 2006, a grape grower and winery owner, Ian Davison of Galens Tor winery near Orange, New South Wales, offered Shiraz grapes for two vintages:

• a listener-decided vintage;
• a competing vintage made by students from the Orange TAFE's oenology course. Each group would make a barrel of Shiraz wine with the help of professional winemakers, with professional judges deciding on the outcome. Listeners were able to buy bottles of each wine and decide for themselves.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023172839/http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/wine/default.htm| url=http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/wine/default.htm |archive-date=23 Oct 2012|title=Wine| website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Presenters

The last presenter was Cameron Wilson. Previous presenters include Helen Brown, Michael Mackenzie (2004-2009) and Michael Cathcart (2009-2012).

References

References

1. "Final Bush Telegraph ever". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
2. (10 October 2003). "Past Programs by Date".
3. "Grow Your Own".
4. Courtney, Pip. (23 March 2003). "Cotton competition yields result".
5. (12 March 2003). "Volunteers Pick Radio-Grown Cotton Crop".
6. "Cameron Wilson".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::