Charles Moses

Sir Charles Moses
Born	Charles Alfred Joseph Moses (1900-01-21) 21 January 1900 Woodlands Farm, Westhoughton, Lancashire, England
Died	9 February 1988(1988-02-09) (aged 88) Turramurra, Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)	Broadcasting executive, military officer
Years active	1930–1965 (ABC), 1940–1943 (military)
Known for	General manager of Australian Broadcasting Commission (1935–1965)

Sir Charles Alfred Joseph Moses (21 January 1900 – 9 February 1988) was an Australian administrator of British origin who held the position of general manager at the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) from 1935 until 1965.

After graduating from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in 1918, Moses took part in the Occupation of the Rhineland and was involved in the Irish War of Independence. He relocated to Australia in 1922, initially working as a farmer and car dealer before joining the ABC in 1930 as a radio sports commentator. During the Second World War, he escaped from Singapore alongside Major General Gordon Bennett, commanded the 2/7th Cavalry Regiment during the Battle of Buna-Gona, and accompanied British Commandos crossing the Rhine during Operation Plunder in his role as a media executive.

Following the war, Moses broadened ABC's influence by creating its own news division and increasing rural listenership through the establishment of ABC Rural, featuring programs such as The Country Hour and the widely listened-to radio drama Blue Hills. He also guided ABC through its entry into television broadcasting, inaugurating Australia's first nationwide TV service in time for the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne.

Early life

Born on 21 January 1900 at Woodlands Farm in Westhoughton, Lancashire, England, Charles Joseph Alfred Moses was one of five siblings born to Joseph Moses, a farmer, and Elizabeth (née Henderson). The family relocated to Shropshire in 1902, where he attended Oswestry School, completing his studies there in 1912. He then enrolled at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, graduating in 1917. Just prior to the Armistice of 11 November 1918 which ended the Great War, he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Border Regiment, serving during the Occupation of the Rhineland and later participating in operations during the Irish War of Independence.

During his time in Ireland, he met Kathleen (Kitty) O'Sullivan from Castlebar, County Mayo. Their relationship involved considerable risk due to IRA activities; Moses would travel by bicycle across dangerous areas while armed with a Webley Revolver. They wed in Dublin on 3 June 1922 and had two children together.

Uninterested in peacetime military life, Moses resigned his commission that same year and emigrated to Australia to join relatives. Utilizing his British Army severance pay, he purchased a farm near Bendigo, Victoria. Despite his agricultural background, unfamiliarity with local crops led to financial losses. Subsequently, he moved to Melbourne where he worked variously in real estate, as a physical training instructor, and as a car salesman until unemployment struck during the Great Depression.

Seeking new opportunities, Moses applied for a radio announcer position at the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC). His southern English accent matched ABC’s preferred style, and despite having no prior experience with ice hockey, he successfully commentated on a game in 1930. This achievement secured him a role at ABC starting that August.

He gained prominence as a sports broadcaster, covering rugby and delivering telegraphed cricket updates for The Ashes as if reporting live. Progressing through ABC’s hierarchy, he was appointed Sporting Editor in Sydney (1933), Federal Controller of Talks (1934), Federal Liaison Officer (1935), before becoming general manager in November 1935.

His predecessor, Walter Conder, had conflicts with ABC chairman William James Cleary concerning programming priorities—Conder emphasized sports and entertainment whereas Cleary focused on discussions and cultural programming. Cleary’s vision ultimately prevailed.

Together, Cleary and Moses championed Australian performers and original productions while also featuring international artists such as Elisabeth Rethberg and Arthur Rubinstein. Concert promoters contested ABC’s broadcasts which disrupted their exclusivity; an agreement permitted ABC to air concerts for which admission fees were charged. Likewise, ABC encountered difficulties accessing news content dominated by News Limited under Keith Murdoch’s leadership, who wielded influence over politicians including Joseph Lyons and Robert Menzies. Lacking its own news service initially, ABC depended on News Limited until 1939 when war prompted Moses to initiate independent news broadcasts despite Menzies’ opposition to this development.

Second World War

Moses enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 13 May 1940, receiving the service number NX12404. Having previously served as a lieutenant in the British Army Reserve, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the AIF on 17 May 1940. He was promoted to captain on 1 July and appointed company commander of the 2/20th Battalion. On 3 February 1941, he departed for Singapore aboard the . Elevated to major on 24 August 1941, Moses joined the staff of AIF Malaya under Major General Gordon Bennett on 30 August.

In his role as liaison officer to the 11th Indian Division, Moses narrowly avoided ambushes on two occasions. As Singapore’s fall loomed on 11 February 1942, he expressed his wish to evacuate. Five days later, Moses, along with Bennett and aide Lieutenant G. H. Walker, escaped Singapore by sampan to Sumatra before flying onward to Java. While in Batavia, Moses sustained a taxi accident injury and was diagnosed with scrub typhus, necessitating evacuation and hospitalization in Perth. After the war, he endorsed Bennett’s contentious decision to flee.

On 9 October 1942, Moses was appointed commander of the Port Moresby Base Area with the rank of lieutenant colonel, responsible for logistics during the Kokoda campaign. Eager for frontline command, he petitioned General Sir Thomas Blamey and Minister Frank Forde and demonstrated his physical readiness by running up an hill. On 27 December, he took command of the 2/7th Cavalry Regiment, leading it as infantry through the fierce Battle of Buna-Gona. In February 1943, he was evacuated due to malaria and relinquished command on 12 April, subsequently entering the Australian Reserve of Officers. His service was formally recognized with a mention in despatches on 10 August 1943.

Later life

During his recovery from malaria, Moses received a personal letter from John Curtin, then Prime Minister of Australia, underscoring the critical role of his leadership at the ABC. Curtin emphasized the need for the ABC to foster a national identity and enhance entertainment offerings for both workers and military personnel, which contributed to Cleary’s resignation in 1945.

In February 1945, Moses participated in the Empire Broadcasting Conference held in London and witnessed BBC war coverage firsthand, including Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's forces crossing the Rhine. He was awarded the France and Germany Star for his contributions.

Following the war, the Australian Broadcasting Act of 1946 mandated that ABC operate with editorial independence in news gathering. The corporation expanded its rural reach through initiatives like ABC Rural and introduced popular programs such as The Country Hour (1945) and Blue Hills (1949). Moses also played a key role in establishing ABC orchestras throughout state capitals.

Although initially opposed by the Liberal Menzies government, television broadcasting was launched in 1956 under the Broadcasting and Television Act (1956), coinciding with the Melbourne Olympic Games. During this period, ABC staff numbers increased from 2,000 in 1956 to 3,000 by 1960 while its budget doubled to £7.4 million.

By the late 1950s, Moses’ relations with political figures had deteriorated. In 1957, Opposition Deputy Leader Arthur Calwell criticized him for appointing Peter Homfray—an Englishman and former Liberal candidate—as director of Radio Australia. In 1963, defying Prime Minister Menzies’ directive against airing a controversial BBC interview with exiled French politician Georges Bidault, Moses arranged its distribution to commercial broadcasters, resulting in its airing across major Australian networks.

Retiring in 1965 and succeeded by Sir Talbot Duckmanton, Moses left behind an ABC that had grown substantially under his leadership since 1935—from fewer than 300 employees and 14 radio stations to a workforce of 5,000 supporting 83 radio and 24 television stations. He was honored as a Commander of the Order of British Empire in 1954 and received a knighthood in 1961. From 1965 until 1977, Moses served as the inaugural Secretary-General of the Asian Broadcasting Union (now Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union), authoring Diverse Unity: The Asian-Pacific Broadcasting Union, 1957–1977 in 1978.

Moses was instrumental as a founding member of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1954, contributed to organizing the Sydney Opera House design competition, and became a founding trustee of its Trust in 1961. In addition, he held the position of vice president of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales in 1969.

Death and legacy

Moses passed away in Turramurra, Sydney, on 9 February 1988, and his body was subsequently cremated. He was survived by his son, Tom, while his daughter Kathleen had died earlier in 1960. In recognition of his contributions, the Charles Moses Stadium at the Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park bears his name.

External links

• Radio interview featuring Sir Charles Moses recorded on 1 July 1970.