ABC Gippsland celebrates its 90th birthday last Friday with a special outside broadcast featuring school children, cake, former staff, community elders, listeners, the Sale RSL Pipe Band, the Maffra Municipal Band and song from Misty Harlowe. In amongst the memories, both heartwarming and heartbreaking, Mark DeBono, the voice of ABC Gippsland news for more than two decades, was given a special surprise, with one of the ABC studios named in his honour.

The station began its life as 3GI and was one of the first ABC stations to build a transmitter site. The Black Friday fires of 1939 gave rise to the ABC’s role as an emergency broadcaster, something the staff and locals of Gippsland and surrounds have had more experience of than most over the last decade.

Mim Hook and Bec Symons

During the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires breakfast radio host Mim Hook spent seven hours emergency broadcasting while also trying to make sure her own children were protected.

She said:

“Because I’m from East Gippsland, I have friends and family who were evacuating, who didn’t know if their houses were still standing. So it was personal, as well as trying to be as professional as possible.

I remember a farmer calling in on his truck radio, to try and get the message out that he and his family were OK.

I had one woman sending me voice memos through Facebook and then I would play that voice memo on the radio.”

Tim Lee, Mark Debono and Kellie Lazzaro

Regional Digital Editor for Victoria, but based in Gippsland, Kellie Lazzaro is the longest serving member of staff, starting as a rural reporting in 2000.

She said:

“We take pride in knowing our patch, and bringing stories that matter to Gippsland, even when they are difficult to tell. And don’t worry — our audience holds us to account if we don’t get it right.”

On Mark and the studio plaque awarded him during the celebrations, she said:

“Before his retirement in 2020, Mark was the voice of ABC Gippsland news, steering listeners through countless fires, floods and storms.

It’s an honour to recognise his service in this way.”

Images from Facebook.