<P> By comparison, the budget for the pilot episode of the 1964 Australian topical revue series The Mavis Bramston Show was just AU ₤ 1500 . Adjusted for inflation, this was around A $3500 in 1967 figures; given that US - Australian dollar exchange rate in 1967 was A $1.00 = US $1.12, this still would have only equated to around US $4000--50 times less than Laugh - In . </P> <P> Although by the end of the 1950s television had expanded to also include Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, it was estimated that less than 5% of the residents in Melbourne, and fewer than 1% in Sydney owned a television set, which at the time cost, on average, six to ten weeks' wages . During these early years broadcast days were very short--all stations including the ABC only broadcast programs for a few hours each day and broadcast the test pattern for the rest of the time they were on air . Broadcast times were gradually increased over succeeding decades, although the ABC did not commence 24 - hour broadcasting until 1993 . </P> <P> A TV series The Adventures of Long John Silver was made in the Pagewood Studios, Sydney for the American and British market; it was shown on the ABC in 1958 . Local content was limited to talk and variety shows, and news and current affairs . Notable programs of the 1950s included TCN - 9's music program Bandstand, hosted by radio presenter Brian Henderson, HSV - 7's weekly sport program World of Sport, and the ABC's Six O'Clock Rock, hosted by Johnny O'Keefe . The first Australian serial drama, Autumn Affair, ran for a 10 - month run on ATN - 7 . Several programs in the 1950s were simply adaptations of established radio programs, such as Pick a Box . </P> <P> The 1960s saw the continued growth of television in Australia, particularly into regional areas . The first regional TV services began in Victoria in 1961 with the first being Gippsland's GLV - 10 followed by Shepparton's GMV - 6 and Bendigo's BCV - 8 . NBN - 3 in Newcastle was the first regional service in New South Wales commencing broadcast in 1962 . </P>

When was the first tv sold in australia