While at University, and until I got my first radio job, I worked in a Before and After School Care centre. My boss was a wonderful, charismatic woman called Annette. Her husband was her first love, first kiss, first everything. Someone must have said to her, ‘don’t you wish you’d played the field more before you settled down?’

She was telling me this after the kids had gone to school one morning, in the quiet half hour while we cleaned and tidied up ahead of the afternoon. Annette said:

‘I choose to believe I got the best the first time around.’

Triple M radio presenter Tanya Wilks was born and bred in Newcastle, NSW. Except for six months living in Ireland some 25 years ago, she hasn’t left. For more than three decades the breakfast shows she has been part of in the region have rated No 1.

This is an extraordinary achievement.

25 years with Triple M, or KOFM as it was known before the branding change in 2018 to bring it into line with other SCA stations. 11 years with on-air partner Steve Graham. 23 with previous co-host, the late David Collins.

In 2012 our Editor Emeritus Peter Saxon sat down for a two-part interview with Tanya and David. He asked a question similar in vein to Annette’s; why hadn’t they, the longest running male/female duo in radio, headed to Sydney, or Melbourne? Why hadn’t they played the field?

Tanya replied:

“My life is here. My son is here and my family and my friends. This is where I am happy.”

Newcastle shares many similarities with my own home base of Canberra. Both one NRL team almost country towns (although Newcastle also has A-League soccer team The Jets and beautiful beaches). Many kids yearn to leave to find the big smoke. In radio they have been provincial steppingstones too.

And yet, over the last decade this industrial city, and my one of ‘politicians, police and public servants’, have seen an inundation of young people and families searching for, and finding, a better lifestyle.

Tanya is a constant. In this world of change she is a steadfast ambassador for her city. Her contract might say ‘radio presenter’ but her dedication to and for Novocastrians extends way beyond that. She was awarded an OAM (main image) by the Governor General of Australia in 2023 for that service to broadcast media and the community.

Her response:

“I am hugely honoured and more than a little bit chuffed to receive this OAM. To realise others thought me worthy to devote considerable time and energy into nominating me is deeply humbling.

“A great many people work tirelessly for others in our community and not everyone gets the recognition they so richly deserve so I’m aware of how special this is, and I shall always cherish it with pride.”

I think this is the first article wholly devoted to Tanya. In preparing to talk with her I found it fascinating how many were with either David or Steve or, like her OAM, mindfully recognised others. All that her success earns, she shares.

Tanya’s love of radio started via a gift from her Nana:

“When I was eight, my Nana gave me a radio that was in the shape of a Coke bottle, and I thought it was the greatest thing. You’d twist the bottom to jump around the stations.

I was hearing all these accents across many stations. As an only child that spent a lot of time alone I just felt radio was this magic carpet that could transport you to far flung destinations. I was absolutely fascinated by it and would go to bed each night and get into trouble because I’d still be listening. Even the conversations on talk radio that I couldn’t understand!

I just loved it but I never wanted to be on the radio, though. I thought I’d be a teacher. But then I discovered what producers do. They guide the shows and write and that’s where I thought I was headed when I did work experience.”

Aged 14, Tanya did work experience at 2HD. By 15 she was working there full-time. First as a copywriter, then in the newsroom which she loved. She was given a nighttime request show where she’d have to ring her nana, and parents, because she didn’t know any of the artists she was playing. This was a soft launch to life on air. Listeners would come in with knitted gifts because Tanya had mentioned she was cold. And say she reminded them of their grandchildren.

In January 1991 David Collins was employed as program director and breakfast announcer. He did breakfast for a little while but felt he needed someone to feed off. He said later:

‘And I realised there were no boy-girl duos on air in Newcastle at that time, and I heard you do a couple of weekend shifts and I remember calling you into the office and asking you to do the breakfast show. It turned out to be the best decision of all time.’

Personally and professionally. Gradually Tanya grew to be more sure of herself in the role, and as that happened 2HD went to No 1 in the ratings. David and Tanya stayed there for eight years until Bill Caralis purchased the station in 2000.

With uncertainty about their future, and because Tanya had been working non-stop for more than a decade, the pair decided to resign. Tanya’s decision was also personal as she had met a man called Michael who had been the London contact for a show promotion they had done. In the pre social media times they were managing a long-distance relationship and Tanya saw this as the opportunity to move to Dublin where Michael was from and see what happened from there.

Six months later they’d married, and baby Lorcan was on the way. Tanya wanted to be closer to her mum. This time Michael packed up his life in Ireland and became a devoted Novocastrian as well.

This was the moment when both Tanya and David could have ended up elsewhere, but Newcastle was home. It had friends and family. KOFM was quick to sign the duo and six months nearly to the day they were back on air together. Many thought that the agreement had been in place the whole time!

Times were different then and there were few precedents for women to be pregnant, have babies and maintain high intensity and profile media roles. But, in Sydney, 2Day FM’s Wendy Harmer had been able to work from home using a special set up after giving birth and SCA was willing to give that a go, using 10k line into the house, in Newcastle too. Tanya was back on air 13 days after Lorcan arrived 10 weeks early. If she had the time again she would have given herself more time to settle into the new role and now ensures new parents she works with get loving nudges to look after themselves as well as the new bub.

At the end of 2013 David decided to stop doing the early mornings, and Tanya was joined by Steve Graham who was already doing drive on KOFM and a close friend. Michael had been stay at home dad the first few years of Lorcan’s life. When he returned to work David would often pick Lorcan up and drop him off to school.

At the end of 2017 David came around for a regular visit and it was clear something wasn’t right. Tanya and he visited the doctor together to be told it was pancreatic cancer with a six-month prognosis. Tanya was at David’s side when he died in July 2018.

Everyone knew that Tanya and David’s friendship transcended breakfast radio camaraderie and to read the comments on a beautiful post / meme Tanya created afterwards was recognition from the community they both loved of a deep understanding that she had lost her best friend.

Genuine connection on-air between two people takes trust, honesty, give and take and a little bit of magical alchemy. In Steve, for Tanya, lightning struck twice:

“I now got a big brother in Steve. When things have gone awry over the last few years, I know he’ll ring me. I’m so fortunate because I don’t know too many people that can honestly hand on heart, say it’s not just a working relationship. This is family now, and we’re in it forever. For as long as it lasts on air, but off air, it doesn’t matter because it will still remain and it’ll continue.”

How lucky Steve, and all who work with Tanya are too.

Now that Lorcan is an adult this is the third stage in the Tanya Wilks journey, that of being an empty nester. She’s taken up new hobbies like learning Spanish and kayaking, plus copious volunteer roles which led one organisation describing her efforts as ‘enriching the lives of Novocastrians through various charity bodies.’

Even after all this time, and success, Tanya still can’t believe her luck. She said that with every year and new contract she almost waits for the ‘gotcha’. I’ve never met someone who is such a cornerstone for radio and her community who would never, ever blow her own trumpet unless she was part of a broader orchestra. Even the beautiful tribute that Triple M put together to mark 25 years (above) was a surprise. Lorcan says she’s the best mum ever. Michael paid tribute to her heart and work ethic. The love and respect that Newcastle hold Tanya Wilks in is unique, and special.

‘This has never been a steppingstone. This was never a ladder. I’m sure this goes against me in so many ways but I’ve never aspired to be anything more than a Novocastrian who loves their community and wants to be helpful. I’m really happy where I am, I love what I do, in the town I grew up in. It’s important to me that there are people that do want to champion our people and our causes and get to know the people who can help make things happen.’

When it does come time to call it a day on radio Tanya said to me that she’ll be okay. Better than okay. Her identity is connected to family, friends, service, community and place, not being a ‘breakfast personality.’ There’s always a plan B, and whatever that looks like, in Newcastle, she’ll find, and bring joy.

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo. Email: [email protected]