Farewell to a legendary broadcaster
The Australian newsman is remembered as a gentleman and true professional
Australia’s longestserving news presenter, a two-time Gold Logie winner and a Member of the Order of Australia, Brian Henderson was also known to generations of TV viewers for his bulletin-ending catchphrase, “That’s the way it is.”
The much-respected and beloved Nine journalist died last week aged 89 from cancer, with his wife of 55 years, Mardi, and their daughters, Nicole, 50, and Jody, 48, by his side.
Friends and colleagues paid tribute to New Zealand-born “Hendo”, who moved to Sydney and started his media career in radio before reading the weeknight news on Nine from 1957 until he retired in 2002.
Brian, who was instantly recognisable with his trademark
horn-rimmed glasses and smart suit and tie, also hosted live music program Bandstand from 1958 to 1972, helping launch the careers of countless bands and singers.
Last week, singer Col Joye, who regularly appeared on the show during its run, fondly remembered the fun times he had with his “best friend” Brian over the years.
“Hendo and I go back to 1958,” Col tells Woman’s Day. “I was best man at his wedding to Mardi. That was quite a wedding!
“Back in the day we got into some strife... those long lunches with Hendo and John Laws. God knows how we survived!”
Col added of their 63-year friendship, “Barely a day went by when we didn’t speak on the phone. There will never be another Hendo.”
Singer Marcia Hines agrees that there was no one like quite like Brian, telling Woman’s Day, “He was one of the kindest and most generous people. I loved being in his company.”
PART OF OUR LIVES
Another former colleague, Nine News presenter Peter Overton, also paid tribute to his good friend, calling Brian an “a giant of Australian television”. ision”.
“He was part of our lives for so many years. He was such h a trusted voice,” Peter said, , adding that Brian was known for his “wicked” sense of humour.
That observation is something Brian’s close friend Craig Bennett can attest to. “He was a magnificent person in every ry sense. So funny, wildly witty ty and yet such integrity,” Craig aig tells Woman’s Day.
The Studio 10 showbiz reporter described Brian as a “cyclonic force of nature”, someone who remained humble despite his decades of fame.
Craig also remembers Brian as a “perfectionist” and a true professional, recounting one stressful time where the newsreader didn’t even flinch! “Hendo was unflappable. On
‘So funny, wildly witty and yet such integrity’
one occasion he told me the studio lights suddenly went dark – in the middle of reading the 6pm bulletin!” says Craig. “Not fazed for a moment, he quipped to camera, in the dark, ‘Kerry [Packer], someone forgot to pay the electricity bill!’”
In 2002, upon his retirement, Brian reflected on how much he’d enjoyed his long career, saying, “Being fortunate enough to work at something you love does make the years fly by.”
In February 2020, Brian announced he had kidney cancer and had decided not to have h surgery or treatment, having h already beaten melanoma, m prostate, bowel bo and throat cancer by that t point. He said he’d had a “wonderful life”, and wanted to enjoy what time he had left with his loved ones.
Craig tells Woman’s Day of Brian’s final days, “He’d become confined to a wheelchair, but he never lost his trademark sense of humour.”
Brian did, however, worry how his beloved wife would cope when he was gone. Mardi was just 16 when they met, while Brian was 33, and her parents wouldn’t allow them to marry until she turned 18.
Craig says of the couple, “Mardi and Brian were the loves of one another’s lives. They always had one another’s backs... it was a magnificent and genuine love match.”