Pick a Box was an Australian game shows that first aired on radio in 1948 until the early 1960s; subsequently, the concept transferred to TV and was broadcast from 1957 and 1971.
The program successfully made the move to television, debuting at 8:00 pm on Saturday 2 March 1957, less than six months after the new medium had been launched in Australia.
[2] The affiliation changes meant that Pick a Box became part of the newly formed Seven Network and its Melbourne broadcast moved from GTV-9 to HSV-7.
The first contestant to make a name for himself was Ken Eccleston, who gained fame over 10 weeks in 1958 when he achieved what was then the longest winning streak on the program.
After claiming the official title of "Mr Pick a Box" during a closely fought contest with Melbourne entrant George Morris, Eccleston retired from the game with a total of AU£3873/5/-, or AU$7746.50.
($121,477.99 in 2018 currency, adjusted for inflation)[7] Two other famous contestants were Frank Partridge, the last Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross in World War II, and George Black, who went on to become a question writer for the show.
[8] However, by far the program's most successful contestant was Barry Jones, who won a total of 208 episodes spanning eight years between 1960 and 1967, winning over A$58,000.