Barrie Cassidy
Encyclopedia
Barrie Cassidy is a veteran Australia
n political journalist.
Cassidy was born in Wangaratta and grew up in the Victorian town of Chiltern
, attending Rutherglen High School. He had many brothers and an elder sister, and grew up with a love of football and sports. Starting his career as a cadet on the Albury Border Morning Mail in 1969, he moved to the Shepparton News about a year later before being hired as a court reporter for the Melbourne Herald. Joining the ABC Network
, he initially covered state politics. He moved to Canberra to become the ABC's federal political correspondent for radio and television in 1979.
In 1986, Cassidy was approached by the then Prime Minister
, Bob Hawke
, to become his personal press secretary. He remained in the job—which he has described as "the most rewarding and interesting period of my life"—until Paul Keating
took over the leadership in 1991 following a challenge.
Moving to Washington
, Cassidy worked as a correspondent for The Australian
(a News Corporation
newspaper) before returning to Australia to host the Last Shout and Meet the Press programs on Network Ten
. Cassidy returned to the ABC to replace Paul Lyneham
as host on The 7.30 Report
before he, his daughter and his wife (Heather Ewart) were sent to Brussels
as European correspondents.
In 2010, Cassidy wrote The Party Thieves: the real story of the 2010 election (Melbourne University Press, October 2010, ISBN 978-0-522-85780-1), which one reviewer called "the standard text on precisely what happened in 2010."
Cassidy currently hosts the Sunday morning political discussion show Insiders, the sports panel show Offsiders
and was until recently hosting the morning show ABC News Breakfast
. He stepped down from his role as host of Offsiders to write The Party Thieves. He has a keen interest in horseracing, and is a devout fan of Collingwood
in the Australian Football League
. Cassidy is also a keen jogger, running almost every day.
Cassidy appeared as himself in the first episode of the 1998 Australia television series The Games.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n political journalist.
Cassidy was born in Wangaratta and grew up in the Victorian town of Chiltern
Chiltern, Victoria
Chiltern is a town in Victoria, Australia, located in the north east of the state between Wangaratta and Wodonga, in the Shire of Indigo. At the 2006 census, Chiltern had a population of 1063. The town is close to the Chiltern-Mount Pilot National Park...
, attending Rutherglen High School. He had many brothers and an elder sister, and grew up with a love of football and sports. Starting his career as a cadet on the Albury Border Morning Mail in 1969, he moved to the Shepparton News about a year later before being hired as a court reporter for the Melbourne Herald. Joining the ABC Network
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, he initially covered state politics. He moved to Canberra to become the ABC's federal political correspondent for radio and television in 1979.
In 1986, Cassidy was approached by the then Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
, to become his personal press secretary. He remained in the job—which he has described as "the most rewarding and interesting period of my life"—until Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
took over the leadership in 1991 following a challenge.
Moving to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Cassidy worked as a correspondent for The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
(a News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
newspaper) before returning to Australia to host the Last Shout and Meet the Press programs on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
. Cassidy returned to the ABC to replace Paul Lyneham
Paul Lyneham
Paul Lyneham was an Australian journalist and commentator. Lyneham was born in Melbourne in 1945, growing up there and in Canberra where he graduated from the Australian National University...
as host on The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report
The 7.30 Report is an Australian nightly television current affairs program, that was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at , Mondays–Thursdays...
before he, his daughter and his wife (Heather Ewart) were sent to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
as European correspondents.
In 2010, Cassidy wrote The Party Thieves: the real story of the 2010 election (Melbourne University Press, October 2010, ISBN 978-0-522-85780-1), which one reviewer called "the standard text on precisely what happened in 2010."
Cassidy currently hosts the Sunday morning political discussion show Insiders, the sports panel show Offsiders
Offsiders
Offsiders is an Australian television sports program, that is currently airing live on Sunday mornings at 10.30am on both ABC1 and ABC News 24 networks . It began airing in 2005...
and was until recently hosting the morning show ABC News Breakfast
ABC News Breakfast
ABC News Breakfast is an Australian breakfast television programme which broadcasts on ABC1 & ABC News 24 from 6am - 9am on weekdays. The program airs live in all Australian timezones on the high-definition digital free-to-air channel ABC News 24...
. He stepped down from his role as host of Offsiders to write The Party Thieves. He has a keen interest in horseracing, and is a devout fan of Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Cassidy is also a keen jogger, running almost every day.
Cassidy appeared as himself in the first episode of the 1998 Australia television series The Games.
External links
- Cassidy's home page at the ABC website
- Ten Questions: Barrie Cassidy by Caroline OveringtonCaroline OveringtonCaroline Overington is an Australian journalist and author.Born in May 1970, Overington grew up in Melton, Victoria where she attended Melton South Primary School and Melton High School. Post secondary school she began her journalism cadetship with The Age Suburban Newspapers. She later took up a...
, The Australian, 18 October 2010