OBSERVER: Death of Derryn Hinch, 82
BY ASH LONG, EDITOR
So long, mate. Vale Derryn Hinch, dead at age 82.
Derryn and I shared lunch just a few weeks back at the Survivors bi-annual gathering at the Emerald Hotel, South Melbourne. We always shared war stories about leg wounds. Derryn had started to be a regular at the luncheons at my invitation, as well as those from his 3AW colleagues including Tony Tardio, Denis O’Kane and Tony McManus. He was brought to the luncheons by ever-caring friend Beverley Pinder (thank you). In June, Derryn caught up at length with ‘old-flame’, Annette Allison.
In this photo (taken June 2025), Derryn looks healthier than me! I had had a bad fall earlier in the day (which led a series of hospitalisations including an amputation). Derryn has lately been a repeat client at the Alfred, fighting infection from a leg wound.
The Survivors lunch was a special one. Derryn was de facto guest-of-honour. Tony Tardio told the audience how he entered journalism because of Hinch. Tony told Derryn how he loved him – Derryn shed a tear, and applauded. Hopefully, Fiona Byrne of The Age, will be able publish more of that story.
Much will be written about the ‘Human Headline’. Along the journey, he and I joined for a feature story in The Sunday Age and 3AW about a prominent churchman who strayed badly. The churchman left his job. DH and I had a temporary and brief falling-out a few decades back, but neither of us could remember why. “That’s life.”
Pictured: Derryn Hinch and Ash Long. Photo: Gordon Bennett