Queensland Radio News Service was first to announce King's death across the state in 1952

The Courier-Mail Thursday
 7 February 1952

Q.R.N.S. was first

QUEENSLAND Radio News Service beat all other news services in the State by more than 15 minutes in bringing the news of the King's death to radio listeners. 

First cable messages began reaching The Courier-Mail offices at 9.3 p.m. At 9.7 p.m., the first news flash was broadcast to the Q.R.N.S. network.

Before 10 p.m., a special edition of The Courier-Mail announcing the news, was on sale in Queen Street. 

4BK-AK began immediately a recorded programme on the King's life, and at 9.13, the senior Q.R.N.S. news reader, Don Chadwick, read the first full message from London, a few seconds after it came off The Courier-Mail teleprinter. 

Public told 

Radio stations outside the Q.R.N.S. network were still broadcasting their standard programmes up to 25 minutes after 4BK had first flashed the news. 

From the first flash, 4BK with two news readers and a station announcer kept the public informed of latest details cabled from overseas, and at 11 p.m. the Q.R.N.S. network went on the air with a special bulletin giving a summary of events.

Original article: The Courier-Mail 7 February 1952