Ward "Pally" Austin

Who was Ward "Pally" Austin?

Ward Austin Gargan, known as Ward "Pally" Austin, was a Sydney radio DJ who gained famed in the 60s and 70s for his somewhat unpredictable but at times widely popular stints as a Radio DJ on various Sydney Radio stations. He had numerous nicknames, 'Pally', 'Baby', 'The White Knight', 'The Confederate Cowboy' and 'the Peter Pan of the Airwaves'. He was known for his outgoing, fun, and sometimes left of centre Radio style. He could also be difficult, unpredictable and, on occasion, totally out of control, which was often the source of problematical relationships with the Radio stations he worked for. This resulted in him not infrequently being sacked and having to move from station to station. However, in the late sixties he was one of Australia's top DJs.

He was a dedicated music fan and a fanatic for all things American, Elvis in particular, and The South in general. He had a number of famous catchphrases which became part of the vernacular at the time, including "a rickapoodie and a fandooglie", "Too much for the human unit" and "Anytime you're ready Pallie".