Derryn Hinch, the former journalist and senator, has died aged 82. Hinch had reportedly been in poor health since a recent fall and friends said he died in his sleep, as was his wish.
Early career and rise to prominence
As a young reporter he provided live commentary of the Apollo 11 launch for Sydney radio station 2GB in 1969. In the 1980s he was one of the most powerful broadcasters in Australia. His legendary candid style kept him in the public eye over several decades.
He was a newspaper reporter before moving into television and radio, perhaps most prominently as a presenter on Melbourne radio station 3AW, which on Friday reported that Hinch died at home overnight.
Television and political career
Hinch was the face of Nine's Midday show for 13 years, and hosted multiple current affairs programs, including the eponymous Hinch from 1988 to 1994. Outside his media career, Hinch served as a senator for Victoria in his Justice party between 2016 and 2019.
Tributes from political leaders
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said 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,” Albanese said on social media. “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.”
The communications minister, Anika Wells, said Hinch would be remembered fondly as “an icon of the media” by all those for whom he fought and advocated. The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said Hinch “lived a life made for the front page”. “The thing about Derryn was that you never had to wonder what he thought. He told you straight,” Allan said in a statement. “He never shied from a fight and sometimes seemed to relish one. But his convictions were always real… He leaves behind real change for victims and survivors who for too long went unheard.”
Legacy at 3AW
In a statement, 3AW described him as “a titan of Australian broadcasting and a figure inextricably linked to the heartbeat of Melbourne radio”. “His impact was recognised widely within the industry, culminating in his 2010 induction into the Australian Commercial Radio Hall of Fame,” the station said. “Listeners, even those who did not always agree with his stance, held a deep respect for his unwavering dedication and the palpable passion he brought to every issue. As we reflect on his life, Derryn Hinch’s time at 3AW serves as a testament to the power of talkback radio to provoke, engage, and connect a city. He leaves behind a legacy of uncompromising, compelling broadcasting that fundamentally shaped the station he called home for so many years.”
Personal reflections and campaigns
One of Hinch’s friends, the 3AW host Darren James, told the network on Friday that he was “yet to process” the death. “He messages me every morning … I didn’t get the messages this morning,” James said. Hinch was also well-known for campaigning against paedophiles, and was repeatedly found in contempt for breaching court orders. The former broadcaster and author Mike Carlton said Hinch was a good man. “A bit mad at times, but he cared and wanted to make things better. I liked him a lot, and I’m very sorry to see him go,” he said.
The federal leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor, said Hinch was a man who “stood by his opinions with conviction and was never afraid to court controversy”. “In politics, he will be particularly remembered for his fight to improve the criminal justice system, including harsher penalties for those guilty of violent and sexual crimes, and better support for victims,” Taylor said on social media.
Hall of Fame induction
Inducting Hinch into the Media Hall of Fame in 2018, the veteran broadcaster Ray Martin said: “For six decades, Derryn Hinch has been a colourful, megaphone-campaigning, groundbreaking journalist”. He was, Martin said, a “legend of Australian journalism”.
