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Time’s up for the iconic talking clock

At the third stroke, there will be… no more dial-up talking clock.

By Australian Geographic • Reading Time: < 1

Image credit: TELSTRA

DESPITE NEARLY two million calls last year to Australia’s ‘talking clock’, at the third stroke past midnight tonight (30 September 2019), it will fall silent.

For 66 years, its striking, deep, full voice has provided Australians with a millisecond precise time-keeping service – “at the third stroke, it will be… 9.34 and 20 seconds” before the familiar “pip, pip, pip” – just by dialling 1194.

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Before its automation 66 years ago, people wanting to know the exact time would dial a telephone exchange, and operators would read the time from the exchange clock. In 1953, theatre critic Gordon Gow was paid £100 to record the hours, minutes and seconds for a new, mechanised system, nicknamed “George”.

In 1990, Telstra replaced Gow’s voice with ABC broadcaster Richard Peach. It’s his voice that will fall silent.