For one surreal week in February 1975, colour TV was both here and not here. Test broadcasts had been running for months, but the Australian Broadcasting Control Board ordered a full blackout of colour programming after 6 pm between 24 and 28 February 1975 in the lead-up to C-Day. The idea? Maximum impact. The first moments of colour had to land with a bang – and when 1 March arrived, they did.

TV stations treated the switch like a grand performance. Some counted down to midnight, others launched with glossy promos and over-the-top fanfare. Families crowded around their brand-new sets, while those without peered into shop windows, eager to see the world beyond black-and-white. The colours weren’t subtle – blues blazed, reds popped and skin tones took on a whole new life (sometimes a little too much). In this clip from 7 Perth: The First 50 Years (2009), Channel 7 captures the moment the screen changed forever.