horney paper storms: RIP

Showing posts with label RIP. Show all posts

RIP Peter Harvey........

Peter Harvey was THE most respected journalist in Australia and set the bar for both professionalism and gentlemanly manners. He was NEVER out of line with his interviews, he always handled himself with such poise and aplomb. He was quite frankly the gold standard of reporting.

He will be sadly missed.

For my American friends, he was basically the Dan Rather of Australia.

Peter Harvey, 1944-2013

A voice never forgotten ... Peter Harvey.

It was probably the most listened to silence on television. The pause between "Peter Harvey" and "Canberra" never stretched so long as to be overly dramatic, but it was there and everyone heard it. The "Peter Harvey" and "Canberra" bits were in that deep, rich voice that said viewers were in the hands of a news master.

Comedians made jokes about the pause and voice and Mike Carlton created a radio character called "Peter Gravey" to send up Harvey and his voice. He might even have been called "The Voice" if John Laws hadn't got their first. Harvey thought it was all very amusing and liked to joke that the "bitumen" baritone tones were because he was Barry White's love child, "I'm just a lot paler than Dad."

Harvey was like that, calm, coolly amusing, never given to hysterics, it was just the news, folks. One reviewer said his smile was rare enough to call for "an action replay".
Others said his delivery was as though Harvey had swallowed a "handful of Mogadons" but the public kept listening, even when he did the weekly "Mailbag" segment on 60 Minutes, a gentle position that did not require a reporter of his calibre.
Harvey, a boy from Bondi, a place he never stopped missing, began his career as a copy boy at The Daily Telegraph in 1960. By 1964 he was a cadet reporter and that year he shared a Walkley Award (with three others) with a story about the shooting of a greyhound trainer at Randwick. Harvey, ever reticent to blow his own trumpet about his work, said later about Australia's highest media award, "That was a good thing to happen. I was 19 at the time. It was nice."

The following year, he went to work for the American magazine Newsweek as a reporter in Vietnam during the war. He was honest enough to admit to being "terrified" there, "I was very frightened all the time ... I left Vietnam totally depressed about the prospects of the war being won."

There was a brief stint back in Australia on 2UE but soon enough he was off again, to London to work on the Guardian. There he took the British Reporter of the Year Award twice, once with a story about drug trafficking from Turkey through Marseilles then and with a story about security and the lack of it in Government departments in Whitehall. The second story lead to a change in UK law.
Back in Australia in 1975, Harvey went to work with the 2GB-Macquarie network in Canberra but was quickly lured away to Channel Nine by Gerard Stone. He covered many of the biggest new stories the country has ever seen in politics as well as doing general interest, such as the 90th anniversary of the Anzac's Gallipoli landing, the 60 anniversary of the end of World War II from France, the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines.

Of course, one of the biggest stories, for him and everyone else, was just months after he joined Nine's Canberra bureau - the Whitlam dismissal in November, 1975.

Harvey was one of the few journalists considered close to Malcolm Fraser, although Harvey always said it was because he was so tall, "I think it was probably because I was one of the very few people he could actually have eyeline contact with in crowds. Malcolm Fraser wasn't close to anyone. I think Tamie Fraser was the only person close to Malcolm Fraser." Harvey didn't want to be too close to any prime minister anyway. "One should never confuse being close to a prime minister or a politician with an absence of shrieking at them ... no reporter has a place for temper tantrums. ... As far as I am concerned, the office of the prime minister, whoever is prime minister is, demands respect."
In Canberra, Harvey had connections and could read events. He broke the news that John Howard had lost the leadership of the liberal Party in 1989, a story that started with a tennis match, or rather the lack of one. Harvey was an enthisuastic tennis player and was bemused when a regular game was cancelled. Then he couldn't find a Liberal Party man anywhere to make up the numbers for another game. Among the major missing where a couple of Andrew Peacock supporters. Curiouser and curiouser.

Harvey took his thoughts to Laurie Oakes, Channel Nine's political editor. Oakes was was intrigued and started ringing around. Howard's press secretary blustered and denied. Other reporters mocked Harvey and Oates and big press names stated confidently that Howard was on his way up. Soon enough, Howard was removed from his position. His press sectretary had told him about Harvey's thoughts but Howard had refused to believe it.

Of course, Harvey wasn't always perfect. In 1986 he reported some early balance of payment figures. Alas for his great scoop, the figures turned to be merely a revision of the previous figures, but it was a rare mistake from such a journalist.

There were rumours in 1990 that Harvey might leave reporting and become John Hewson's press secretary, but Harvey chose to stay on in the work he loved.

In 1994, Alan Ramsey credited Harvey as being the one who saw that there was something not quite right about Alexander Downer's claims to have had nothing to do with the League of Rights, a far right and anti-semitic political organisation, and had passed on his thoughts to Laurie Oakes. Downer, then leader of the Liberal Party, tried to ignore the whole affair, but lost the party leadership in January the following year.

In 1997, Harvey relocated to Sydney but stayed with Channel Nine. The following year saw a quadruple by-pass but Harvey soldiered on and in 2003 he signed on to present the 60 Minutes Mailbag segment.

In 2005, he celebrated 30 years with Channel Nine. A supposedly low-key celebration turned into a party with 200 people and Kerry Packer toasting Harvey. A few notable at the station didn't make the party though - they were on air covering the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
In 2011 and Harvey was on the move again, to Queensland to report on the floods. After seeing the devestation, he took part in a telethon with other of Channel Nine's big names to raise money for the victims.

In October 2012, Harvey was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Vowing to fight the condition, he went back to work for as long as possible. He appeared on 60 Minutes on February 24 and was admitted to hospital a few days later. The news flashed around Australia, appearing on almost every news site on the internet, and a Twitter account #weloveharves was immediately full of good wishes. Even the prime minister went to air to express her sorrow.

And the last word should go to Harvey, "Always run like you're coming second by refusing to ever accept that it's down and out or anywhere near it. Keep the stories relevant and of value. Stay up to date and always run harder than the competition."

Peter Harvey is survived by his wife, Anne, and children Claire and Adam.

Harriet Veitch

Thunderbirds Are Gone..RIP...

Mr Gerry Anderson - creator of the fantabulous TV series "Thunderbirds" - starring the FIRST Diva of claymation Lady Penelope - has blasted off to the great unknown.

We are losing all the greats of TV and theatre. Klugman. Durning. Now Anderson.

Sigh.....

TWO young soldiers just starting their army careers and a 40-year-old father of two with a tour to Iraq under his belt - these are the three Diggers gunned down by a rogue local soldier in Afghanistan this week.

The trio will be remembered for their loyal leadership and kind nature. Their dedication to the Army, and their passion for life.
The Australian Defence Force announced yesterday afternoon that 40-year-old Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, 23-year-old Private Robert Poate and 21-year-old Sapper James Thomas Martin were the soldiers killed during a shocking "green on blue'' attack in Oruzgan Province on Wednesday night.
The soldiers were shot dead and another two wounded when an Afghan soldier turned his gun on them and then escaped.

The horrific incident was quickly followed by the death of two fellow diggers in a helicopter crash early Thursday in Helmand Province, signalling one of Australia's darkest combat days in decades.

Born in Penrith in NSW, Lance Corporal Milosevic, who liked to known as Rick, was a keen rugby player and devoted family man. He joined the army in 2008 before being sent to Iraq in 2010 and getting promoted to Lance Corporal a year later.

The father-of-two was described as a highly-qualified soldier with a strong future, who was much-liked and respected by his comrades.
"His leadership and professional abilities stood out in the unit, on the rugby field and on operations. He was also a devoted family man. He will be sorely missed by his family and comrades,'' the ADF said.
The 40-year-old, from the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment, Queensland Mounted Infantry based in Brisbane, is survived by his wife and two kids.

It was Private Robert Poate's first deployment. The 23-year-old is survived by his parents Hugh and Janny , and sister Nicola in his home town of Canberra.
The ADF said Private Poate had a reputation for "creating mischief without getting caught'' and was known as bit of "larrikin''. He was "proud of his family, his military service and his red hair, which he vehemently defended as "strawberry blond''.
Private Poate was a member of the 3rd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment Task Group and was from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment based in Brisbane.

Lance Corporal Mervyn McDonald, 30, and Private Nathanael Galagher, 23, were killed when their helicopter crashed in Helmand province in Afghanistan. Picture: Australian Defence Force Source: Supplied

Sapper Martin was also on his first overseas deployment. Born in Perth, Western Australia, the 21-year-old will be remembered as a talented musician and loyal friend. He is survived by his mother Suzanne Thomas, younger brother Angus and sister Holly.
"He often played his bass guitar for his mates. He was also an avid follower of Aussie Rules,'' the ADF said.

As the nation continued to mourn the loss of the five Australian soldiers, a spokesman for the Department of Defence said yesterday that preparations were underway to have all the bodies returned home. The date for their return has not yet been confirmed.
The fallen troops will first be ceremonially sent off from Afghanistan before returning to Australia for a formal military "ramp ceremony''. Their families will then decide whether to hold a private funeral or one in which senior officials, such as Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, could attend.
The tragic week has reignited the debate about Australia's role in the war on Afghanistan, and when to bring our troops home. However, Ms Gillard, who has been accused by independent MP Andrew Wilkie of having "blood on her hands'', has said her resolve to keep our troops in the wartorn nation was unwavering.

Yesterday she received support for her stance from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Secretary Clinton called to offer her personal condolences for Australia's terrible losses in Afghanistan,'' a spokeswoman for Ms Gillard said in a statement released yesterday.
"The Prime Minister and the Secretary agreed on the vital importance of ISAF (international forces) and the Afghan government taking the strongest possible measures to reduce the risk of insider attacks on coalition forces.''
A search involving intelligence agents, troops and unmanned drones is continuing for the suspect in the shootings of the three diggers - Afghan National Army Sergeant Matullah.

The two soldiers killed when a US Blackhawk helicopter crashed in Helmand Province were Lance Corporal Mervyn McDonald, 30, of Carnarvon, Western Australia, and Private Nathanael Galagher, 23, of Wee Waa.

RIP.....Ron Palillo ...........

Mr Ron Palillo

Please be upstanding..........an actor has departed the stage............

RIP Mrs Landingham

please be upstanding......... an Actress has departed the stage........

.................please be upstanding..........a Diva has left the stage...........

........ A gracious lady who faced her demons then helped others ...........
.

.....RIP Kinickie.....

.........RIP.... Bill Hunter - Iconic Australian Actor.........

...............Dear Mr Hunter............Thank you so much for your grace and wonderful roles that have filled my heart with both laughter and tears........

.....Please be upstanding.......................A fine Australian actor has left the stage.............

Veteran actor Bill Hunter has died in Melbourne, his manager Mark Morrissey says.

The actor passed away surrounded by family and friends at a Kew hospice at 8.05pm (AEDT) on Saturday, after battling cancer, Mr Morrissey said.

"He was a fine actor, a true story teller and a great friend. He will be sorely missed," Mr Morrissey said.

‘‘During the course of his long and esteemed career, Bill touched the lives of many people,’’ Mr Morrissey said.

He said Hunter recently summed up his approach to his craft in an interview for the feature film The Cup, in which he played Australian racing legend Bart Cummings.

Hunter said: ‘‘As long as the director told me where to stand and what to say, I was happy.

‘‘Anyone who says there’s any more to it than that, is full of bullshit.

‘‘It’s a job. It is a craft, but there’s no art involved.

‘‘What you need is common sense and a reasonably rough head.

‘‘You put on the makeup and the wardrobe and that is half the performance.

‘‘That upsets the purists but never mind, they don’t work as much as I do.’’

Mr Morrissey said the actor was ‘‘much loved, a gentleman, an inspiration to fellow actors, a journeyman, and a rogue’’.

Hunter’s long-term manager said a memorial service would be held at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne on Thursday (May 26) at 2pm.

‘‘If you are not able to attend, we invite you, whether you are in your favourite pub, a theatre, at home, in country towns, on the land or with friends anywhere throughout Australia, that at 6pm on Thursday 26th you raise your glass as a salute and a final farewell to a great man,’’ Mr Morrissey said.

The 71-year-old actor was admitted to the Caritas Christi hospice six days ago after refusing to go into hospital.

Hunter appeared in more than 60 films, including a role in The Shiralee in 1957.

He starred in iconic Australian films including Gallipoli, Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in a career that spanned decades and also included roles on stage.

In 1978 he won an AFI award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his part as Len Maguire in the movie Newsfront, which won eight AFIs that year, including Best Film.

.............article reprinted from www.brisbanetimes.com.au.....