Happy Hammond

Harry Montague Hammond (7 May 19161 April 1998), professionally known as Happy Hammond, was an Australian comedian, radio host, children's television show host, and television producer. He hosted children's entertainment programmes Tarax Show on GTV-9 (1957–1960) and Happy Show (1960–1969) on HSV-7. Hammond was known for his bright personality and wearing a tartan suit and hat, sometimes referred to as his "test pattern" outfit, with colours that clashed in real life but worked well on black-and-white TV. His catchphrase was "Is everybody happy?" and the theme song for his show was "Happy Days Are Here Again". He was the youngest of three children to father Alfred (musical instrument mechanic) and mother Ida ( Scott) Hammond. He transferred to the Australian Army Entertainment Unit of Second Australian Imperial Force on 30 November 1942 as a senior sergeant and served overseas, on New Britain and Bougainville Island, from 11 June 1945. On 8 July 1944 Hammond had married bookkeeper Rita Joyce Hedger (died 1979).

Hammond switched to HSV-7 in 1960, where The Happy Show, no longer sponsored by Tarax, featured Princess Panda (Panda Lisner), Lovely Anne (Anne Watt), Parer the Magician (Tommy Parer), Funny Face (Vic Gordon), Big John (John D'Arcy), Robbie Rob (Bob Horsfall), Cousin Roy (Roy Lyons) and Sylvester the Talking Sock (Ian Wiliams). The program was also relayed to ATN-7 in Sydney. During Watt's absence for her honeymoon in early 1965, her place was taken by a young Olivia Newton-John. Hammond was famous for his bright personality and wearing a tartan suit and hat, sometimes referred to as his "test pattern" outfit, with colours that clashed in real life but worked well on black-and-white television. His catchphrase was "Is everybody happy?" and the theme song for his show was "Happy Days Are Here Again".

Limited footage remains from Happy Hammond's career. The most commonly seen clip is a musical finger-clicking routine. A very small number of kinescopes of The Happy Show are held by the National Film and Sound Archive, despite the heavy Wiping of that era. Hammond was a keen supporter of the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League. On Grand Final day in 1963, he was accorded the honour of running through the banner with the Geelong players before the game, which Geelong won.

He lived in Bentleigh East and had a holiday house at Rosebud. Hammond died at Rosebud on 1 April 1998 after being diagnosed with heart disease. He was survived by two adopted daughters and his long-term companion, Norma Burnside.