Peek behind the broadcasting curtain

Over 200 dedicated volunteers devote their time, energy and passion to 3MBS, both on-air and behind-the-scenes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Without their combined knowledge, experience, skills and commitment, 3MBS would never survive.

This thank you page is a work-in-progress so check back from time to time to see what or who's new!

John Barns
After his 38 year career as a lawyer ended, John became involved with 3MBS as a programmer/presenter of Concert Hall (Mondays 1.30-4.30pm) and Recent Releases in Concert (Sundays 9am-12pm). He enjoys the challenge of presenting neglected works by the great composers, resurrecting the music of forgotten composers and is not averse to including examples of challenging "modern" classical music. When not engaged in these pursuits, John edits the 3MBS magazine Libretto, breeds and races thoroughbred horses (with his wife Maureen), enjoys watching and reading about (real!) cricket, gazes fondly at the wines maturing in his and Maureen's cellar and plays golf (badly!)

Maureen Barns
A former secondary school teacher, Maureen helps out with reception and administrative duties, as well as arranges for 3MBS volunteers to speak to various organizations. Maureen has given group tutorial sessions in German language skills to presenters and helps individual presenters with German and French pronunciation. When not at the station, Maureen is an ardent painter (watercolour and pastel), and shares with her husband John an attempt to breed a Melbourne Cup winner.

John Barty
John Barty is an Australian musician with a German/Hungarian background. He has a music degree from the University of Melbourne and has held teaching and music directorship positions in both government and private schools having worked in primary, secondary and adult levels of education. He now works as a freelance conductor, producer and pianist. John is a programmer and presenter at 3MBS.

Susan Batten
Susan began as a volunteer in 2000 and presented ‘Music in Melbourne’ from 2001 until 2007. She now presents Friday ‘Intermezzo’. During the annual Radiothon, Susan co-ordinates the 'Spotlight' live music segment. Susan also plays the oboe, having completed a Bachelor of Music Performance at the VCA in 2001 and teaches oboe at several private schools in Melbourne. She is also a freelance musician and regularly performs with the Australian Pops Orchestra.

Alastair Blaikie
Alastair has been presenting Intermezzo (Weekdays 4:30-7pm) on Mondays since 1986 as well as doing minor construction and maintenance around the station.

Paul Butler
Paul presents Music for Strings each Saturday afternoon. He also takes a keen interest in the technical side of 3MBS, including the recent trials of digital radio. Outside the 3MBS studios, Paul manages Information Technology in a major Melbourne school. Any time left over is reserved for his family and dogs.

Lindsay Coker
Lindsay has been presenting Daybreak Classics (Weekdays from 6-9am) on Thursdays since 1997. Always an early morning person, he finds it a real joy to be able to select some of his favourite classics and then share them with our listeners. Hopefully your day is helped along by his choices. To all his unseen friends, he says thanks for your support - and keep listening!

Michael Compton
Michael presents Daybreak Classics (Weekdays from 6-9am) and Relaxing Classics (Saturday 10pm-12midnight), a couple of times per month. He loves the very friendly atmosphere at 3MBS where everyone helps everyone else.

Elizabeth Duffield
Elizabeth has been programming and presenting since 1991 and can be heard on Kingfisher Bay Afternoon Concert (Saturdays from 3-5pm). Originally from Tasmania, Elizabeth joined ABC Radio after leaving school and was on ABC Concerts and the Youth Concert Committees. Her late husband was actor Michael Duffield, she has two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren and three grand dogs! Elizabeth loves classical music, 3MBS FM, ABC, SBS, opera, concerts, foreign films, food, wine, driving and travelling extensively.

Elisabeth Giddy
A former librarian, Elisabeth has been with the station since 2001 as a presenter and programmer, and has enjoyed working with concert programmes and lighter music programmes. Elisabeth is currently presenting Much Ado About Midday (Weekdays noon - 1:30pm) on Fridays, spends a lot of time at concerts and theatre, and also attempts to play golf.

Larry Groves
Larry has been presenting and programming Colours of Jazz (Fridays 10-midnight) since 2000. This specialist jazz program is dedicated to investigating all kinds of jazz music spanning the early 1900's to the present day. Larry is a former professional musician and composer, commencing his career in 1968 and spending much of his time playing piano and composing music for many renowned Melbourne bands. He now enjoys the challenge of presenting overseas, and more importantly talented Australian jazz musicians, to dedicated 3MBS listeners.

Geoff Hayes
Born into a medical family in 1942, (within hours of the Japanese invasion of New Guinea), Geoff is descended from Anglo-Celtic Victorian gold rush immigrants. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Melbourne University in 1962 and was employed at the ABS from 1966-1995. Geoff enjoys his extended family, cycling, tennis, walking and photography, and has travelled to Finland several (8?) times! He has was the producer of Nordic Sounds on 3MBS for 17 years and continues to be a crusader for Sibelius.

Robert Hooke
Robert currently presents Concert Hall on Friday afternoons and Melbourne in Concert on Sunday evenings.  Brought up and educated firstly in France then England, he has been a teacher of French and linguistics at secondary and tertiary levels, excepting his years of service with the RAAF.  He has been a volunteer at 3MBS since 1985, with the exception of ten years spent in Queensland, during which he was a presenter for 4MBS.  For a life-long music lover, 3MBS provides a creative challenge in the selection of music which is hopefully pleasing to the listener.

Julie Houghton
Julie has been an Accidental Arts (Saturdays 11:30-1pm) on-air presenter and general 3MBS interviewer since the mid 90's. She began life as a child actress but soon realised she wanted to eat every week so trained as a cadet journalist with ABC TV and Radio News and later became an ABC announcer on Radio Australia and a theatre interviewer on ABC FM. She is often the voice of 3MBS Outside Broadcasts and 3MBS advertisements and loves all radio presentation work.

Joan Ikin
Since 1989 Joan has found great pleasure in being part of the 3MBS team as a programmer and presenter of concert programmes. “Wonderful people, a splendid record library, and the constant challenge of preparing programs which may provide interest and pleasure for our listeners – what more could one want?” she wonders. Joan enjoys the challenge of creating programmes using themes which draw on her wide interests in people, history, her church, art and travel (perhaps a little biased towards France!). In another life Joan taught Mathematics, French and Music, so communication is a continuing pleasure. Above all Joan wishes to communicate and share her love of classical music.

Alastair Jackson
Alastair has been the co-presenter of Vocal Chords (opera program featuring music and interviews Saturday from 1-2pm) since its inception in 1988, as well as various other programs. A retired medical practitioner and author, Alastair is also a Council Member of the Melba Conservatorium of Music and was Chairman of The Opera Foundation Victoria from 1999 to 2002.

Peter Larsen
Peter has been presenting Chamber Music & Song (Monday from 8-10pm) since 1992. He is an ex-teacher and lecturer and an amateur violinist.

Nicky MacFarlane
Nicky has been a regular presenter of Much Ado About Midday (Weekdays 12-1:30pm) and Daybreak (Weekdays 6-9am) and A Little Night Music (Monday 10-midnight) since 1999. Nicky has a background in Community Theatre and a large extended family keeps her on the hop. In her spare time she's an avid reader.

Jane Mitchell
Born in Nottingham, England, Jane has been a presenter and programmer since 1993 and was elected to the MBS Board of Directors in 1999. From a very young age, Jane worked as an actor in theatre and television and later became a BBC interviewer and writer of comedy and "whodunnits", working in London, Los Angeles and New York.

Robyn Murtagh
Robyn has been a volunteer at 3MBS for nearly three years, having joined when she moved to Kew from the country. When calling or visiting 3MBS you’ll receive a warm welcome from Robyn who, as a member of the Reception team, handles the various duties with great efficiency. "Volunteering has appreciably increased my understanding of and passion for classical music, and I have had the privilege working with many wonderful and knowledgeable people", she says. In another life Robyn has been a solicitor, author and a breeder of occasionally fast racehorses.

Frank Pam
Frank has been a programmer/presenter at 3MBS since 1991 but has always been passionate about music. He attended ten National Music Camps, was Principal Viola of the Australian Youth Orchestra, President/Musical Director of Musica Viva Younger Group and Victorian Treasurer of Musica Viva for over 20 years. In 1975 he founded a chamber orchestra, the Melbourne Musicians. He was a senior teaching Fellow in German at Monash University and then spent 20 years with the Commonwealth Department of Education, culminating in the position of Assistant Director of the Overseas Students' Office in Victoria.

Kitty Sandy
Kitty has been a programme/presenter of Morning Melody (Saturday 8-9:30am) since 1991. Kitty's program taps into a rather eclectic mix of classical music, catering for all tastes. Kitty is also known as the Schubert Lover for she starts off with Schubert every time.

Kiera Stevens
Kiera has been a volunteer at 3MBS since 1984, during which time she has been a programmer, presenter, trainer and President of the Board. When she is not at the station she works as a manager at the University of Melbourne. This follows an earlier career as a teacher of French and German. She is also a marriage celebrant and a besotted grandmother.

Hector Walker
Hector has been presenting Après-Midi, the 3MBS Sunday afternoon concert, for almost twenty years.  He can also be heard fortnightly in the Tuesday edition of Much Ado About Midday. Hector’s musical tastes are wide-ranging, his music-teachers having encouraged a sense of adventure, exploring much that is outside the standard repertoire.  This is reflected in his programming, although the popular favourites have a firm and permanent place, too. In his pre-3MBS days, Hector was a schoolteacher, English and History being his main subjects, though from time to time there was an opportunity to do some Musical Appreciation.  Voluntary radio work has been an ideal way of occupying the years of retirement, and during his time at 3MBS, Hector has done just about everything from digging the garden (there used to be small one behind the Kew premises) to on-air training of new volunteers, editing the station’s magazine Libretto for five years and a short spell as acting station manager.

Rod Watson
Rod has been presenting Much Ado About Midday (Weekdays 12-1:30pm) every second Wednesday and Music for Leisure (Sunday 4-6pm) every second Sunday afternoon since 1998. He is also one of a number of presenters who speaks to community groups about how the station functions. When he is not at 3MBS, he may be taking a high school mathematics or physics class, working on the Puffing Billy Railway or marrying a couple with stars in their eyes.

Jenny White
Jenny's voice is one of the many friendly and helpful voices you'll hear when you call the station. She has been on 3MBS reception since 1991, joining after she retired.