Monty Maizels has left us. In his 102 years, he made a huge contribution to many aspects of the Australian radio and media industries. Monty’s son John Maizels recalls his dad’s life and career.
Monty died on 31 March 2026 in his bed at Margreit Lodge in the Melbourne suburb of Kilsyth. He was 102 3/4, a fact of which he was exceptionally proud, and he had no intention of allowing his age to get in the way of enjoying life.
While Monty always displayed exceptionally broad interests and capabilities, nobody ever doubted that his first love, and key skill, was language and words. He had three major loves in his life: music, words, and Frances – his wife of over 60 years.
Monty Maizels was born in London on 26 June 1923, emigrated to Australia as a 10 pound pom in 1939 and quickly got a job at 4BC as a panel operator. With the war on, everyone did multiple duties, and Monty showed talent as a producer, writer, performer and recording engineer. He also got his BOCP.
In 1943 he was lured to Melbourne to work for Hector Crawford at Broadcast Exchange (BEA) cutting acetate discs, but also assisting with production of the many serials and commercials for which BEA was the powerhouse. In 1949 he joined Donovan Joyce, one of the great radio drama producers of the time, and further honed his craft.
Back at BEA in 1954 Monty was one of the pioneers of new-fangled recording tape, presiding over a massive EMI BTR-1, and then single and multitrack Ampex machines. He creatively used the new technology to assemble The Ning Show, a parody of 1950s radio using the original voices and musicians as they came into the studio to do other work. He also became known as a jingle writer for radio and TV, often composing music as well as words. He worked with, was friends with, produced and encouraged many of the great voice actors of the day.
When BEA relocated to Prahran, in studios that he helped design and build, Monty’s production skills expanded the business to deliver soundtracks for multiscreen slide presentations; longform weekly musical dramedies for Army Public Relations; orchestral recordings and more.
In the 70s Monty went freelance, writing for a number of Melbourne creative agencies and still engineering and producing in recording studios. After volunteering as an actor for student film productions, he found himself being cast in roles in TV and film productions, ranging from soaps to features and culminating in the role of Jack in The Castle.
In later life Monty returned to music production, using a gaggle of synthesisers and keyboards, and an impressive collection of computers. He transcribed, composed, and recorded and as arthritis set in he worked one-note-at-a-time on the screen. In 2024 his Symphony #1 was performed in concert by a live orchestra just as he was turning 101.
Monty lived to make people laugh and to experience laughter. Outside his professional roles he produced stage shows; was a squaredance caller; made furniture; regularly attended concerts; chased the perfect HiFi listening experience; rebuilt two houses; learned to cook; and constantly sought new ideas and ways of thinking.
In the end, the spirit was willing but the flesh had weakened too much. On the morning of 31 March Monty died peacefully in his sleep after telling everyone the night before that he was in good shape.
Monty Maizels is survived by his three sons (John, Robin and Andrew), their wives, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Fran died in 2014.
Monty has bestowed a remarkable body of work: two symphonies; arrangements and transcriptions; the Ning Show; revue scripts; recordings; verse; lyrics; and an almost uncountable number of radio jingles. He gave huge joy to the people around him, and was always looking for humour in any interaction.
Most likely, there will never be another person like Monty Maizels, polymath, dead at 102 3/4.
A celebration of life for Monty Maizels is scheduled for Tuesday 14 April at 1000, at Tobin Brothers in Ringwood (Melbourne). The event will be streamed.
RIP Monty, condolences to John and all the Maizels family