Sunday 14 June 1964 | Press Conference | Sydney Airport, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
On the morning of Sunday 14 June 1964, Ringo Starr arrived in Sydney, Australia, following a 34-hour flight from London Airport via San Francisco. He spent less than two hours in the city before catching a connecting flight to Melbourne, where he was reunited with the other Beatles. At the airport, a press conference was held for the assembled reporters. Brian Epstein, The Beatles' manager, was also present.
Ringo's arrival in Australia marked the end of a remarkable episode in Beatles history. He had been absent from the opening dates of the 1964 world tour after being taken ill with tonsillitis and pharyngitis just days before the group's departure from London. His place had been taken by stand-in drummer Jimmie Nicol, who had performed with The Beatles in Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Australia — including the celebrated Adelaide concerts on 12 and 13 June, where an estimated 300,000 people had lined the streets to welcome the group. Ringo's reunion with the band in Melbourne on 15 June brought Nicol's brief and remarkable stint as a Beatle to an end.
The Press Conference
The Sydney airport press conference gave Ringo his first opportunity to speak to the Australian press, and his answers were characteristically warm, funny, and self-deprecating. The full exchange:
Q: Ringo, welcome to Australia. How do you feel about being here?
Ringo: Oh, it's great. It's good fun, you know. I'm glad I'm off that plane.Q: How long have you been on it?
Ringo: Thirty-four hours.Q: Well, you must be… just about had it.
Ringo: No, I had a sleep, you know. I feel fine. Fit and everything.Q: How's your throat now that they put you in hospital and made you miss the start of the Australian tour?
Ringo: The throat's fine now, you know. Everything's all right. It's fine. Just gotta take it easy a few days and then we'll be back to normal.Q: You're still able to bash the drums?
Ringo: Oh yeah. Still bash 'em.Q: And have you missed the other boys?
Ringo: Yeah, terrible! Haven't half-missed you, fellas, if you're watching… or if you do watch.Q: You're looking forward to joining up with them this afternoon?
Ringo: Yeah, can't wait. 'cause, you know, we've been together, you know, for 90 years. For so long, I don't know. It's funny being without them. 'cause even if, you know, when we're not playing, if we go out, at least two of us go out together as a rule. So it's a bit funny being on your own.Q: Can you give us a look at these rings which you got your name from?
Ringo: There you go.Q: They say that fans have sent you a lot.
Ringo: Not too many actually. No. I haven't got 2,671 as some reporter wrote.Q: What are you looking forward to most seeing in Australia?
Ringo: I don't know. Everything in general, you know. Glad to see a few Maoris and that. And a few kangaroos, I suppose.
The questioning then turned to Brian Epstein, with Ringo providing characteristically comic interjections:
Q: And Brian, coming over to you. Can you tell us when you first met The Beatles?
Brian Epstein: Oh, 1961. October, I think.Q: And whereabouts did you see them?
Brian: In the Cavern Club in Liverpool.Q: And what did you think when you first saw them?
Brian: Oh, I was sufficiently knocked out.
Ringo: Load of rubbish, that's what you told me.Q: And what was the next step from there?
Brian: Well, then we got to know each other and eventually worked out a bit of idea of management. (To Ringo) See?
Ringo: I know. I was away at the time, you see, I joined later… after Brian.Q: At any time did you have a feeling that you might reach this dizzy height of success?
Brian: No. Well, I don't know about the dizzy height, but I always thought they were going to be pretty big. Very big.Q: What's the hardest problem you encounter trying to manage The Beatles?
Brian: Well, none really. But I think traveling around and going around the world and making arrangements for moving around is the most difficult thing, 'cause you don't know what's going to happen.Q: Do you have any trouble keeping them in control? Do they try and escape from you?
Brian: Oh no. No no no no no.
Ringo: Never! Never!Q: And on the subject of money, how do you go about financing their weekly pocket money?
Brian: They get, you know, whatever they want from their earnings, and their earnings go into their own company.Q: And Ringo, do you miss anything now being a Beatle, or do you think you've got everything now?
Ringo: Um, no. I don't miss anything, you know. Well, I can't remember. I just have a good time. It's good fun, you know.Q: Yesterday in Adelaide, the three were talking about what they were gonna do when they weren't Beatles. And they said you were going to open a chain of women's hairdressing salons. Is that correct?
Ringo: Yes. Well, I thought of that a few months ago, you know, so I'm still thinking about it. But I could change. Oh, I could change, you know.Q: Is there anything that you'd like to ask about Australia?
Ringo: Ask about? No, I don't think so. Seems quite nice to me.Q: So, it was quite a good reception.
Ringo: It was a marvellous reception, I loved it. How many were there?Q: I think it was about three or four thousand.
Ringo: There you go! Seven, he said!
Ringo's Journey to Australia
Ringo's route to Sydney had been eventful. He had flown from London via San Francisco, Honolulu, and Fiji, accompanied by Brian Epstein. The journey had been complicated from the outset: Ringo had left his passport in London, delaying the first flight. He was eventually allowed to board without it. The passport was found, sent to London Airport, forwarded to San Francisco, and reunited with its owner during his stopover on 13 June.
After the brief Sydney stopover and press conference, Ringo flew on to Melbourne, where he rejoined John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison on 15 June 1964. His arrival brought to an end the tenure of stand-in drummer Jimmie Nicol, who had performed with the group since 4 June in Denmark. Nicol was paid £500 for his services and a gold watch inscribed "From The Beatles and Brian Epstein to Jimmie — with appreciation and gratitude."
Jimmie Nicol: The Stand-In Beatle
Jimmie Nicol's brief stint as a Beatle — 11 days, across Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Australia — is one of the more poignant footnotes in Beatles history. A competent session drummer with no prior connection to the group, he was recruited at short notice and performed creditably under extraordinary pressure. His departure on 15 June, as Ringo stepped back into the drum seat, was handled with characteristic Beatle efficiency: Nicol was flown home, paid, and the tour continued as if nothing had happened.
Nicol later spoke movingly about the experience, describing the sudden transition from global fame back to anonymity as deeply disorienting. His subsequent career never recaptured the brief spotlight of June 1964.
Brian Epstein and The Beatles
Brian Epstein's account of first seeing The Beatles — at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in October 1961, where he was "sufficiently knocked out" — is one of the most frequently quoted moments in Beatles history. His management of the group from January 1962 had been transformative: within two years of signing them, he had secured a recording contract with EMI, overseen their rise to national and then global fame, and organised the 1964 world tour that was now taking them to Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Epstein died of an accidental drug overdose on 27 August 1967, aged 32. The Beatles never replaced him as manager.
Key Facts: 14 June 1964
- Date: Sunday 14 June 1964
- Location: Sydney Airport, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Event: Press conference on Ringo Starr's arrival in Australia
- Flight duration: 34 hours (London via San Francisco)
- Also present: Brian Epstein
- Time in Sydney: Less than two hours before connecting flight to Melbourne
- Reunion with Beatles: Melbourne, 15 June 1964
- Stand-in drummer: Jimmie Nicol (4–15 June 1964)
- Nicol's fee: £500 + gold watch
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ringo Starr miss the start of the 1964 Australian tour?
Ringo Starr was taken ill with tonsillitis and pharyngitis just before The Beatles' departure from London for their 1964 world tour. He was hospitalised and unable to travel. Stand-in drummer Jimmie Nicol replaced him for the opening dates in Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Australia before Ringo rejoined the tour in Melbourne on 15 June 1964.
Who was Jimmie Nicol?
Jimmie Nicol was a British session drummer who stood in for Ringo Starr during 11 days of The Beatles' 1964 world tour, from 4 June in Denmark to 15 June in Melbourne. He was paid £500 and given a gold watch inscribed with thanks from The Beatles and Brian Epstein. His subsequent career never recaptured the brief spotlight of June 1964.
When did Ringo Starr arrive in Australia in 1964?
Ringo Starr arrived at Sydney Airport on the morning of 14 June 1964, after a 34-hour flight from London via San Francisco. He spent less than two hours in Sydney before flying on to Melbourne, where he rejoined The Beatles on 15 June 1964.
When did Brian Epstein first see The Beatles?
Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in October 1961, describing himself as "sufficiently knocked out." He became their manager in January 1962 and remained so until his death on 27 August 1967, aged 32.
What did Ringo Starr say about missing The Beatles?
At the Sydney press conference, Ringo said: "Yeah, terrible! Haven't half-missed you, fellas, if you're watching." He added: "we've been together, you know, for 90 years. For so long, I don't know. It's funny being without them. 'cause even if, you know, when we're not playing, if we go out, at least two of us go out together as a rule. So it's a bit funny being on your own."
What was Ringo Starr's plan after The Beatles?
At the Sydney press conference, Ringo confirmed that the other Beatles had told reporters he planned to open a chain of women's hairdressing salons — an idea he said he'd been thinking about for a few months, though he allowed he might change his mind.
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