Page 15 - CR

An inveterate early riser, Henry is
remembered for his long-running
breakfast program (Fridays, and then
Tuesdays too), and famed for his three-
hour Saturday night program Bach to
Bernstein, which for many years was
characterised for its listener involvement
Henry Jamieson and weekly quiz with a prize.

In his Daybreak program, Henry
9.5.1927 - 7.2.2011
had the philosophy that listeners
By Roderick Smith preferred orchestral music at that time
of the day rather than songs or opera.
long-standing and much-respected
At one stage, he even had a Bach
A Melbourne CATHS member,
Before Breakfast section.
Henry passed away on February 7th
Henry was not comfortable with
2011, after only a few days of
computers; when all programs had to
unexpected health problems.
Henry was cultured, erudite and be prepared on a computer (from
His funeral service was held at Holy
with a specialist knowledge of music, around 2003), he let a colleague
Trinity Anglican Church, Surrey Hills,
particularly baroque and classical. He prepare his programs. His style was
on Friday 11 February. It was packed,
also had a lively sense of humour. quite laconic. He would nick off early
as Henry was a local legend in the
Henry and Mary (his second wife) (8.50) after Daybreak to get to work on
suburb and was active in the local
were regular attendees of CATHS time.
community, the church, community
meetings and field trips. He looked like Henry also liked trains. For his 80th
radio and CATHS. This tribute has been
a bohemian professor, with the mop of birthday, he was taken to Maldon, and
assembled by drawing on the
wild curly hair, and his perpetual pipe drove the train.
recollections of many people.
(unnoticed, he had quit smoking a few Henry was also a deeply religious
Henry was a product of his times, years before his death). man who for decades wore a Holy
born at the tail end of a decade of
The total clutter of his shop medal presented to him in 1975 by
prosperity (the ‘roaring 20s’). It was an
reinforced the image. Behind the Archbishop Frank Woods.
era of technological development: radio
image, there was a breadth of Surrey Hills residents remember the
communication, movies with sound,
knowledge, a generosity of spirit, and a shop, which became the last of its type
aviation, the automotive industry, Art
deep religious conviction. in greater Melbourne, and a mecca for
Deco architecture. Just as today’s boys
Henry spent much time in his collectors of vintage radio and
are computer savvy, a 1920s or 1930s
earlier years passing on his love of recording equipment. One regular
boy was immersed in evolving
classical music to children by playing recalled that there was always an open
technology.
LPs to them at local youth clubs. bottle of red wine on the counter at
Henry was born on the day of the
He was a long time advocate, lunchtime.
opening of the first Federal Parliament
supporter and indefatigable volunteer at Henry also had a regular circle of
in Canberra. The optimism of the
3MBS FM. He was also a member of friends who joined him for lunch and
decade was soon tempered by the
Music Broadcasting Society Victoria intellectual conversation at an adjacent
austerity of the great depression, a
since its very early days, and was restaurant every month.
revival, and then WWII. He had
involved in on air presentation Eulogies were delivered by Henry’s
attended Primary School in Box Hill,
continuously from 1983. He served in cousin, who had been like a brother in
and then Box Hill Grammar. Too young
nearly every voluntary capacity, childhood, and by son Stuart.
to go to war, his life changed with the
including as a director.
death of his father. Appropriately, the hearse was
At age 15, he took a job as a English: a 1950s Armstong Siddeley
technical assistant with the which after leaving the forecourt,
Commonwealth Film Unit - showing paused outside the shop with the church
an early enthusiasm for the cinema officials standing on the footpath.
industry. He had a brief stint with a An elaborate morning tea was
radio-repair shop in Mont Albert, then served in the church hall, which in its
took up an apprenticeship with Adrian own right had been a cinema. In an era
Knowles, who ran a radio-repair shop in when television was not common and
Union Road, Surrey Hills. This would programming was with USA leftovers,
become Henry's permanent vocation. the hall had hosted regular screenings
of wholesome children's films.
When Adrian retired in 1970, Henry
bought the business, and was still Henry had stipulated a generous
running it until his untimely death. The provision of red and white wine - he
main sign read Jamieson’s, but a small was indeed, his own person right to the
sign in the window still mentioned very end.
Knowles.
Photographs provided by R. Smith.
CINEMARECORD 2011 15