On 8 December 1975, Brisbane airwaves were changed forever when community radio station 4ZZZ went live, broadcasting from a hand-built transmitter on the campus of the University of Queensland.
The station introduced itself to the pounding strains of 'Won't Get Fooled Again' by The Who, a fitting refrain for Brisbane's new radical alternative to mainstream music, news and current affairs.
Fifty years later, 4ZZZ is Queensland's longest-running FM station and remains true to its founding principles – agitate, educate, organise.
The story of 4ZZZ is a tale of passion and persistence embodying the countercultural struggle against convention and conformity, set upon the backdrop of a darkly broken city governed by crime.
However, more than that, it's a story about people – the thousands of hardworking and dedicated volunteers who have all contributed to the station's past, present and future.
"Triple Zed will continue to be extremely relevant and grow its place as a cultural and creative icon of the southeast Queensland corner."
People like 4ZZZ Chairperson and longtime co-host of the 'Dykes On Mikes' programme, Ruth Gardner. "There's barely a person in Brisbane that doesn't have a connection with Triple Zed in some way, shape or form," Ruth says.
"When you think everything is wrong with the world, five minutes speaking to a Zedder or being around the station can pretty much cure you of that melancholy."
4ZZZ didn't just change the soundscape of community radio; it heralded a seismic cultural shift in Brisbane, giving voice to the marginalised and disenfranchised factions of the city's burgeoning sub-cultures. It was a voice of solidarity cutting through the stale fuzz of FM radio. That voice was loud, and it was angry.
Rebels With A Cause
Brisbane in the mid-1970s was a conservative stronghold for then Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who over a nearly 20-year reign held an iron grip on the Sunshine State.Corruption and vice were the order of the day. Police rubbed shoulders with criminals in a vast underground syndicate insiders referred to as The Joke. It was a dark and oppressive time in Brisbane, especially for anything or anyone considered 'other' to the conservative norm.
Police were shutting down punk shows and suppressing public protests, while political activists and other 'undesirables' were covertly monitored by the notorious Special Branch. By all accounts, it was a police state.
Though much has changed in Brisbane over the past 50 years, 4ZZZ has never forgotten its founding mandate as a people-powered radio station.
It's a legacy of which current Station Manager Jack McDonnell is proud to be the caretaker. "To me it's a responsibility to represent and foster communities," Jack says.
"We are standing on the shoulders of people that really fought so hard to make sure that those independent voices and those communities were heard in a time where there was such strict media control and strict government that was repressing anything that was alternative.
"These communities out there were being extremely, poorly mistreated and where were their voices being heard? Nowhere."
Dr Heather Anderson is a Griffith University academic specialising in community radio. She has recently authored a comprehensive history of 4ZZZ, '50 Years Of 4ZZZ', being released for the station's 50th anniversary.
Since 1991, she has also been one of the many volunteers whose life has been shaped by working at 4ZZZ. "Once you get drawn into the 4ZZZ community, if it's a fit for you then it can definitely be a fit for life," Dr Anderson says.
"For me it was a great opportunity originally to get involved as a general young announcer learning about music and politics, but it's really opened a lot of doors for me professionally.
"I probably wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now if it hadn't been for my initial involvement at Triple Zed. I was pretty deeply involved in the punk scene when I moved to Brisbane in the late '80s.
"In the early '90s, Triple Zed wasn't particularly connected with the punk community. It was one of those rare times when there wasn't much punk happening at Triple Zed. So, I wanted to get involved to get more local punk, and especially women's punk, involved in the station.
"Then at the same time I was involved with things like the Coalition Against Police Violence and different grassroots anarchist activism type stuff, so it was really a perfect fit for someone who was interested in radical politics and local independent punk music."
Dr Anderson believes Triple Zed has done a great service to Brisbane in providing a place for people to express themselves, whether that's through music or news and current affairs.
"It's a place that genuinely amplifies the voices and that is really empowering for people, especially people who don't quite have the confidence within mainstream society to put themselves forward, it's a safe space to do that."
Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death
Though, things have never been safe for 4ZZZ. Throughout their history, 4ZZZ have collectively eschewed convenience and resisted subservience to face down every challenge.Their propensity to push the boundaries and upset the status quo also made them targets for pearl-clutching moral crusaders, political malcontents and, of course, the police.
In 1981, it was still illegal to say words like 'f...' and 'c...' on radio. The station was reported to Australian Broadcasting Authority by the Society To Outlaw Pornography when it ignored this edict and played 'Too Drunk To F...' by Dead Kennedys as well as 'Why'd Ya Do It?' by Marianne Faithful.
4ZZZ's success in the matter changed Australian broadcasting rules, subsequently allowing on-air swearing to an extent.
In 1988, amid a conservative backlash following the findings of the Fitzgerald Inquiry and subsequent ousting of Joh Bjelke-Petersen as Premier, 4ZZZ were forcibly evicted from their UQ premises by the Australian Liberal Students' Federation (ALSF) and Young Nationals.
The station relocated temporarily to Toowong before settling in their forever home in the former headquarters of the Communist Party Of Australia on Barry Parade in Fortitude Valley, where they've been since 1994.
Even during the '90s, long after Joh's displacement, 4ZZZ couldn't escape the heavy-handed arm of the law. In 1996, the station's Cybernana Market Day descended into chaos as riot police swarmed the event with extreme prejudice.
Dr Anderson was there that day and explores the infamous Market Day Riots in a chapter of her new book. "About 50 police descended on the Musgrave Park Market Day just as a storm was starting and there ended up being 60, 70 people arrested," Dr Anderson recounts.
"Ultimately, 4ZZZ put in a complaint to the CJC [Criminal Justice Commission]. I was one of the people that served that complaint. There were plenty of witnesses that saw the Public Safety Response Team kitting up hours before it happened.
"The police's line has always been that they were responding to a call for help, that it wasn't preplanned, and that was what the inquiry found.
"As well as complaining about those particular events, we were trying to put in a complaint about the systemic discrimination that 4ZZZ had been receiving from police at events. There had been increasing police presence at Market Days. . . it all amounted to nothing."
A People-Powered Party
In 2025, 4ZZZ celebrate their 50th anniversary with a massive programme of events over the coming months, including the revival of Market Day nearly 20 years since it last happened.The ZED50 Market Day at Roma St Parklands (25 October) features headline performances from Brisbane legends Regurgitator and Melbourne's Tropical F... Storm as well as punk icons The Saints '73-'78.
There are also panel discussions, exhibitions, Dr Anderson's book launch, live gigs, dinners, bush walks and plenty of special on-air programming lined up to mark the milestone.
"We're looking to make sure that we spread ourselves wide across the community and have as many opportunities as possible for people to come celebrate what 4ZZZ has achieved but also what our future looks like in Brisbane and celebrate where we are going," Jack McDonnell says.
"We have a range of different music events. We have panel discussions. We have exhibitions. We have a book launch. We have all these different elements that are coming together to celebrate 50 years of 4ZZZ and people-powered radio."
The Road A-Zed
4ZZZ's 50th anniversary brings together its colourful past with a strong future that is in good hands with the current crop of young volunteers. At just 19, volunteer and presenter of the 'Sonic Alien' programme Jordan Royal is among the new generation of loyal Zedders leaving their mark on the station."I think it's crazy that I get to be part of such a rich legacy," Jordan says. "4ZZZ, I think, is such a cornerstone in the Brisbane music scene and that takes a lot of hard work and dedication over so many years.
"The fact that 4ZZZ is a 24-hour radio station run by volunteers is such an amazing community, passion-filled project. It's truly a blessing I get to contribute to that legacy and be a part of 4ZZZ."
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Ruth and her governance team on the board commit themselves to securing the future of 4ZZZ and ensuring the station remains on-air for years to come.
Ruth, Jack, Heather and Jordan are just four characters among a growing cast of thousands, each and every one playing their own essential role in the epic 4ZZZ saga. "It really is a massive group effort," Ruth says.
"It's very much everyone mucking in together. That's how the station started 50 years ago and it seems to be the culture of the station 50 years later, which is just a fantastic thing to be a part of.
"Our strategic planning process is not the vision of any one person; it's truly the vision of the entire organisation and we take consultation really seriously.
"So, I think Triple Zed will continue to be extremely relevant and hopefully grow its place as a cultural and creative icon of the southeast Queensland corner.
"While there are still these colonial structures and oppressive structures in society that marginalise people, there always will be a place for 4ZZZ in that media landscape."
Check out 4ZZZ's website for 50th anniversary events.
ZED50 takes place at Roma Street Parklands (Brisbane) on 25 October.
ZED50: A Market Day Celebration Of 50 years Of 4ZZZ Radio Line-up
The Saints 73-78Regurgitator
Tropical F... Storm
Full Flower Moon Band
Big Noter
Butterfingers
Screamfeeder
Nice Biscuit
Party Dozen
Dancingwater
Flangipanis
Platonic Sex
Velociraptor
