Derryn Hinch, the legendary broadcaster and former Australian senator, has died at the age of 82. His former radio station, 3AW, confirmed on Friday that he passed away overnight at his home.
Health Struggles and Final Years
The New Zealand-born Sky News Australia journalist had been open about several ongoing health issues. He received treatment for a facial melanoma, a blood infection, and a cardiac arrhythmia. In 2011, he underwent a lifesaving liver transplant after being diagnosed with liver cancer. More recently, in October, Hinch revealed he had been hospitalised for an infection caused by a fall.
A Storied Career in Broadcasting
Born in Taranaki, New Zealand in 1944, Hinch moved to Australia in 1963. He began his journalism career at The Sun and Fairfax Media. A major milestone came in 1969 when he provided live commentary of the Apollo 11 launch for Sydney radio station 2GB. By 1979, he moved to 3AW, hosting his own morning program for eight years.
Hinch was a regular fixture on Australian television, hosting Beauty and the Beast on the Seven Network in the early 1980s. From 1988 to 1991, he helmed his own current affairs show, Hinch at Seven. In 2010, he was inducted into the Australian Commercial Radio Hall of Fame. By 2015, he led his twice-weekly news opinion program, Hinch Live, for Sky News Australia.
Political Career and Legacy
In 2015, Hinch founded the Derryn Hinch's Justice Party and was elected to the Australian Senate as senator for Victoria, serving from 2016 to 2019.
Tributes Pour In
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute on social media, stating: "Derryn Hinch lived a life rich in colour and free from fear. As an interviewer, investigator and presenter he was much more than 'the Human Headline,' he had a sense of the deeper story and the courage to cover it, come what may. He held to those same instincts as a senator and he fought illness with that same bravery. My sincere condolences to his family and his many friends."
Speaking with 3AW, long-time colleague Peter Ford said: "He knew how to write a story, to present a story. Whether that was in newspapers or whether it was radio or television, he succeeded in all those fields." Ford added that Hinch was "provocative" in his work, noting: "He stirred the pot a lot, he upset people a lot, and he saw that almost as being validation of doing his job well."
