Arthur Calwell arrives at Essendon airport

Upon arrival at Essendon airport Calwell was surrounded by a tight circle of news reporters questioning him about the incident. Obviously tired, he answered their questions but couldn’t wait to get home to ‘see [his] wife and daughter’.

Channel 9 Melbourne went live to air with this impromptu media conference. Calwell is almost totally obscured from shot because of the camera used by Channel 9 being a large outside broadcast (OB) camera on a pedestal or tripod. Movement of the camera, cables to the OB van and the lighting restricted the ability of the camera to move. Smaller, portable film cameras (an Arri ST and a Bolex) can be seen in shot but these were recording excerpts of the press conference to be later edited into a news story. Audio can also be heard in the background of one of Channel 9’s OB technicians asking the studio if they were recording.