Kevin Crease facts for kids

Kevin Crease (born May 8, 1936 – died April 12, 2007) was a famous TV and news presenter from South Australia. He was best known for hosting the Nine Network's National Nine News in South Australia. He presented the news with Rob Kelvin for many years, from 1987 to 2007.

Growing Up

Kevin Crease was born in North Adelaide. He grew up in Semaphore, a seaside suburb. He was the oldest of four children in his family.

Even when he was young, Kevin was a great public speaker. He won the Year 7 debating championship at his school.

In 1952, he started working as an office clerk for a company called Shell. Later, he worked at The News newspaper in Adelaide. He started as a copy boy and then became a cadet reporter.

Kevin also completed his national service in the army. However, he left the army after an interesting event. He once used an armored car to go to a party with his girlfriend!

His Career in TV and Radio

Kevin Crease began his radio career in 1957 at station 5DN. People noticed him because he was good at selling plastic raincoats on the streets of Adelaide.

On July 17, 1959, Channel 9 started its first TV broadcast in Adelaide. Kevin was chosen to host the very first show, called Clarkson's TV Hostess Quest.

During the 1960s, he worked on many different projects. He read commercials and news. He also became the main host for Adelaide Tonight from 1962 to 1975. In the early 1970s, he hosted a news program called News Beat.

From 1975 to 1977, Kevin worked for the Premier of South Australia, Don Dunstan. He was the Premier's press secretary, helping him with media. After this, he returned to television. He presented the news for ADS-7.

In 1983, Kevin wrote a children's book called Sam and the Dreamtime. The story was set in his hometown of Adelaide. The book had drawings by John Draper and photos taken by Kevin himself.

He returned to Channel 9 in April 1987. He became a news presenter for National Nine News with Rob Kelvin. Together, they became very popular. Nine News Adelaide became the top-rated news show in the 1990s.

On February 9, 2007, his co-host Rob Kelvin announced that Kevin was taking time off due to a serious health issue. On March 17, 2007, it was shared on National Nine News that he was battling a serious type of cancer. The Sunday Mail reported the next day that Kevin would be retiring from TV.

Later Life and Passing

Kevin Crease passed away on April 12, 2007. He was 70 years old. He died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Awards and Recognition

After he passed away, Kevin Crease was honored. He was added to the South Australian Media Hall of Fame. His son, Tom Crease, accepted the award on April 28, 2007.

Later that week, NWS-9 aired a special program called Farewell Creasey. It was the most-watched show in Adelaide that week.

Family Life

Kevin had three children with his first wife, Josie. He also had a son named Tom Crease with his second wife, Cathy. Tom is a bassist for the band Frenzal Rhomb.