Radio Australia was opened on the 20th of December, 1939 with the following words from John Royal, Radio Australia's very first announcer. (John retired in 1975.)

"Australia calling, Australia calling the world. Station VLQ 2; V for victory, L for liberty, Q for quality. VLQ 2 Australia calling. I have the honour to introduce the Prime Minister of Australia the Right Honourable R. G. Menzies."

"No country today can afford to ignore either the fact or the consequences of war. And most countries have a natural interest in discovering why other countries are fighting, and what they are fighting for, and what their honest ideas are about what they hope to achieve..."

(Hitler had invaded Poland on the 1st of September 1939 and on the 3rd, Australia entered the war along with Britain and France.)

Thirty-five years later, from his home on the celebration of his 80th birthday on the 20th of December, 1974 (coincidentally the same date as the opening of Radio Australia in 1939), the now Sir Robert Gordon Menzies made the following speech:

"It scarcely seems thirty-five years ago, since, in the early flush of my first appointment as Prime Minister, I opened Radio Australia.

"I little thought at that time how significant an element Radio Australia would become, in our international relations, and in the knowledge that other people have of us. It has I think been a remarkable thing, to have the voice of Australia carried into various countries, particularly in the east and far east. I in fact have heard Radio Australia when I've been abroad in various countries outside Australia.

"And the great thing is that Radio Australia has told people something about us: something about what's happening here, something about what we think, something of the character of Australia. This has been a very remarkable contribution to Australia's foreign relations, and I'm delighted to think how well it has gone on.

"And above all things, I'm speaking now because I am confident that Radio Australia will go from strength to strength, and that Australia will be the better for it, and that the knowledge that other people have of us, and of events in our country, will be singularly enriched.

"So I want to say to all of you at Radio Australia, thank you very much for the work you've done, and good luck to you for the future."