Ruth Fenner oral history interview by Rosemary Block

MLOH 148

fonds

15 October 1993

Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Oral Histories

401869

Digitised

1 audiocassette (43 min.) - 10 × 7 cm, 4 mm tape

The State Library of New South Wales acquired the papers of Ruth (Fenner) Plummer concerning her establishing the radio program, 'Kindergarten of the Air' on the Australian Broadcasting Commission's program, 2FC (Sydney) and 3AR (Melbourne). In order to expand this record an interview was conducted with her by Rosemary Block, Curator of Oral History at the State Library, for the Library's collection. Ruth Fenner was born in 1917 and graduated from Kindergarten Training College in 1940. She broadcast 'Kindergarten of the Air' three days a week from 1943-1951.

MLOH 148/01 Side A (43 min.):
Ruth (Fenner) Plummer reflects on the establishment of 'Kindergarten of the Air.' The program was started because kindergartens were closed during the Second World War. Later, because of the polio epidemic, many small children were kept at home. 'Kindergarten of the Air' was broadcast from Sydney and Melbourne by the A.B.C. three days a week including Saturday. The program was a world 'first' and was emulated later in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America. She married Bruce Plummer in 1950, and left the A.B.C. in 1951 just before the birth of her first child.

In copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder.

The description of this material has been supplied from the Oral History Digitisation Program, undertaken 2014 to 2017, of the Library's oral history collections.

Copy available at CY MLOH 148/1
A log of this tape is available. The papers of Ruth Fenner (now Plummer) are located at MLMSS 5316.
MLOH 148/01 Side A: Recorded in Lane Cove on 15 October 1993

Interviewer: Block, Rosemary
Interviewee: Fenner, Ruth

MLOH 148/01 : Side A: Label indicates Side B is blank.