ABC Central West (call sign: 2CR) is the

ABC Local Radio ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites. Its programm ...

station for the Central Tablelands region, based in

Orange, New South Wales Orange is a city in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney on a great circle at an altitude of . Orange had an urban population of 41,920 at the 2021 Australia Census, 2021 Cens ...

, owned by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

. It broadcasts on 549 kHz on the AM band. The 549 kHz signal, from the transmitter at

Cumnock Cumnock (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cumnag'') is a town and former civil parish located in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The town sits at the confluence of the Glaisnock Water and the Lugar Water. There are three neighbouring housing projects which lie j ...

, is one of the most powerful in Australia, with the coverage map on the ABC's reception website showing that the station can be heard in Northern Victoria and South Western Queensland during normal daytime conditions. This includes the towns and cities of Bathurst, Lithgow,

Mudgee Mudgee () is a town in the Central West (New South Wales), Central West of New South Wales, Australia. It is in the broad fertile Cudgegong River valley north-west of Sydney and is the largest town in the Mid-Western Regional Council Local gov ...

Parkes Parkes may refer to: * Sir Henry Parkes (1815–1896), Australian politician, one of the earliest and most prominent advocates for Australian federation Named for Henry Parkes * Parkes, New South Wales, a regional town * Parkes Observatory, a radi ...

, Blayney,

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairy, fairies in Middle Ages, medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania ...

Gulgong Gulgong is a 19th-century gold rush town in the Central Tablelands and the wider Central West (New South Wales), Central West regions of the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales. The town is situated within th ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

and

Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, approximately south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters patent by Queen Victor ...

History

ABC Central West is one of the oldest stations of the ABC. The station opened on 29 April 1937 in the Strand Palais in Orange. It was attended by the Mayor of Orange, W.F. Matthews, the Postmaster-General, the Minister of Defence and a representative of the ABC. Entertainment for the night was provided by

Jim Davidson James Cameron Davidson (born 13 December 1953) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, singer and TV presenter. He hosted the television shows '' Big Break'' and '' The Generation Game''. In 2014 he was the winner of the 13th series of ''Cel ...

and the ABC Dance Band, The Singing Pierrots, tenor

Sydney MacEwan Canon Sydney Alfred MacEwan (19 October 190825 September 1991) was a Scottish tenor, who sang traditional Scottish and Irish songs. His name has also been recorded as Alfred Sydney Marley MacEwan.(Marley was his mother's maiden name). __TOC__ E ...

, yodeller

Tex Morton Tex Morton (born Robert William Lane in Nelson, New Zealand, also credited as Robert Tex Morton; 30 August 1916 – 23 July 1983 Sydney, Australia) was a pioneer of New Zealand and Australian country and western music, vaudevillian, actor, tel ...

and Auld Lang Syne. The original studios were located at Lords Place, before being relocated to 46 Bathurst Road in East Orange. The station celebrated 70 years of broadcasts in 2007 and 80 years in 2017.

References

Central West Radio stations in New South Wales Radio stations established in 1937 {{Australia-radio-station-stub