ABC Friends across Australia

Western Australia

ABC Friends WA was established in 1996 as Friends of the ABC (WA) Inc. in response to a recognised need for a support group for the national broadcaster. The organisation is an Incorporated Association governed by a volunteer Committee elected annually at the AGM. Community-based and wholly dependent on member support, ABC Friends WA is not aligned to any political party and operates independently of the ABC. Members are spread across metropolitan Perth and regional WA, from Broome to the South West. Activities include community events, market stalls, the annual May Day Festival in Fremantle, lobbying WA-based politicians, public outreach at ABC Open House, and two regional billboards honouring the ABC. Alongside national ABC Friends goals, we advocate on specific WA concerns: the reduction in ABC TV production in Perth since 1999; under-utilisation of the purpose-built ABC Perth building; reduced coverage of WA news and cultural events; and the impact of the digital transition on remote and regional communities with limited mobile coverage.
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Contact

Email: wa@abcfriends.net.au
Address: PO Box 534, Subiaco, WA, 6904
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Role

Perth WA, Australia

News

  • WA birthday dinner enjoyed by all

    ABC Friends WA marked 30 years with a birthday dinner at the Subiaco Hotel, featuring ABC journalist Charlotte Hamlyn, founding member Beth Schultz, and Senator Fatima Payman.

  • Welcome to “ABC Friends, the first 50 years” website

    The task of producing a website telling the history of ABC Friends began almost by chance – in 2023, several boxes of old documents had to be cleared from a storeroom at Ross House, home of ABC Friends Victoria, and knowing m…

  • WA: April 2026 news and update

    ABC Friends WA has a big few months ahead, with a stall at the Fremantle May Day Festival on Sunday 3 May, a new $2000 annual journalism scholarship for WA university students, and a celebratory dinner at the Subiaco Hotel on…

View All News Posts

Events

  • ABC Friends WA Annual Dinner 2026

    When: November 12, 2026 at 6:00 pm AWST (9:00 pm AEDT)
    Where: Herdsman Lake Tavern, Herdsman Parade, Wembley WA, Australia

    Price for three-course dinner is $50 for members, $60 for non-members. Buy your own drinks.

Past Events

Take Action

  • ABC Friends WA Journalism Scholarship 2026

    ABC Friends WA Journalism Scholarship 2026 The ABC Friends WA are offering a scholarship to assist a student to continue and complete their studies with a view to a career in investigative journalism. Status: Open &#8211…

  • Safeguard the ABC’s independence

    Safeguard the ABC’s independence At a time of extraordinary international turmoil, growing authoritarianism, and unprecedented pressures on the media, we need a fearless independent ABC more than ever. Support our call …

More Information

Our goals are the same as those of ABC Friends nationally – you can see them here. We have specific State concerns as well:

  • The reduction in ABC TV production in Perth since 1999 (see below)
  • The under-utilisation of the purpose-built ABC Building in Perth.
  • The reduction in coverage of WA news and other cultural events, including the lack of publicity for WA events.
  • The move to digital, which affects remote and regional users, as large areas of WA have no mobile coverage.

ABC Friends WA Constitution

PDF | 347 KB

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WA ABC TV Production 1999 onwards

Compiled by Bobbie Mackley (ABC staffer 1980-2010) from various sources including ABC Annual Reports and discussions with ABC staff and former staff.

This version March 2019.

2018

ANZAC Day March & Service

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

(The 30 x 30 min drama production The Heights was filmed in ABC Perth’s TV studio and the environs of Perth, but no ABC production personnel worked on the program.)

2017

ANZAC Day March & Service

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

2016

ANZAC Day March & Service

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

2015

ANZAC Day March & Service

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

2014

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual: The Day The Shark Came In – 58’ documentary (fully in-house production).

Coverage of WW1 First Fleet commemorations in Albany (November)

2013

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

2012

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

2011

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual: Compass – Rebuilding Bunbury Cathedral (one-off documentary) 58’ app

Factual Series: Can We Help? (20 x 28 min Eps, final series)

News Series: Australian Story – Mr Quigley’s Quandary (2 parts) 28’ app x 2

News Series: Australian Story – Desperate Remedies (2 parts) 28’ app x 2

2010

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual Series: Can We Help? (41 x 30 min Eps)

2009

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual Series: Can We Help? (40 x 28 min Eps)

Children’s Series: Rollercoaster Hostings (multiple 5’ shorts for ABC3, final screening Jan 2010)

2008

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual Series: Can We Help? (40 x 28 min Eps)

Children’s Series: Rollercoaster Hostings (290 5’ shorts, national)

2007

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual Series: Can We Help? (40 x 30 min Eps)

News Series: Australian Story – Beyond Reasonable Doubt (3 parts)

Children’s Series: Rollercoaster Hostings (290 shorts, national)

2006

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual Series: Can We Help? (28 Eps, national)

Factual Series: The Pet Show (37 Eps, national) 28’ app

Children’s Series: Rollercoaster Hostings (290 shorts, national)

2005

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual Series: How The Quest Was Won (36 Eps, national) 28’ app

Children’s Series: Rollercoaster Hostings (multiple shorts for ABC3, national)

Arts: Boys Don’t Dance (one-off documentary, national) 58’ app?

2004

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual Series: Reality Bites – Children’s Ward

Factual Series: George Negus Tonight (40 Eps, national) 28’app?

2003

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Arts: Festival of Perth (one-off documentary feature) 58’app?

Factual Series: Outback Upfront (co-pro with ScreenWest & FTI, national)

Factual Series: People Dimensions (40 eps, national)

Children’s Science Series: Our Earth (7 Eps, national)

Factual Series: George Negus Tonight (40 Eps, national) 28’app?

2002

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Factual Series: Outback Upfront (co-pro with ScreenWest & FTI, national)

Children’s Science Series: Atoms Alive (8 Eps, national)

Factual Series: Radio Pictures Shorts (cut-down programs used as fillers, national)

Factual Series: Police Training Academy (4 Eps, screened 2003, national) 28’app?

Factual: Series: Consuming Passions (cooking show ; 40 5’ short Eps, national)

2001

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Sport: Women’s National Basketball League (for national broadcast)

Sport: Davis Cup 1st. Round (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Arts: Terrace Proms (one-off)

Arts: Dennis Cleveland Opera (one-off, national)

Arts: Rolf Harris Centenary Concert (one-off, national)

Children’s Science Series: Atoms of Fire (7 Eps, national)

Factual Series: Consuming Passions (cooking show; 40 short Eps, national)

Factual Series: Radio Pictures (10 Eps, national) 28’app

2000

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Sport: Women’s National Basketball League (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Arts: Angels in the Architecture (one-off performance feature) 58’app?

Arts: Terrace Proms (one-off performance)

Arts: The Planet (6 Eps, national music program with Lucky Oceans)

Factual Series: Consuming Passions (cooking show; 40 5’ short Eps, national)

Factual Series: Radio Pictures (10 Eps, national) 28’app.

Factual Series: Snapshot (200 x 5 min per year) 5’app

1999

ANZAC Day March & Service

Sport: WA Football League (coverage of a weekly game and half-time programming)

Sport: Hopman Cup Tennis (national)

Factual Series: Gardening Australia – WA-based segments for national program

Children’s Science Series: Waterworks (4 Eps, national)

Factual Series: Radio Pictures (5 Eps, WA only) 28’app

Factual Series: Consuming Passions (cooking show; 40 5’ short Eps, national)

Factual Series: Snapshot (200 x 5 min per year)