Richard Carleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Carleton
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| Born | 11 July 1943 Bowral, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | 7 May 2006 (aged 62) Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia
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| Education | Sydney Grammar School |
| Alma mater | University of New South Wales |
| Occupation | journalist |
| Years active | 1967−2006 |
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Notable credit(s)
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This Day Tonight Tonight The Carleton-Walsh Report 60 Minutes |
| Spouse(s) | Sharon Carleton |
| Children | Oliver Carleton, James Carleton, Jennifer Carleton |
Richard George Carleton (born 11 July 1943 – died 7 May 2006) was a famous Australian television journalist. He won many awards, including the Logie Award, for his work.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Carleton was born in Bowral, a town in New South Wales, Australia. He was the third of four children in his family.
He went to Sydney Grammar School for his education. Later, he studied at the University of New South Wales.
A Career in Journalism
Richard Carleton had a long and successful career in television journalism. He worked for both the ABC and the Nine Network, reporting on important events.
Working at ABC and BBC
In the 1960s, Richard Carleton started as a reporter for a show called This Day Tonight on the ABC. He also presented another ABC program, State of the Nation.
In 1976, he left the ABC to work in radio for a short time. He then traveled overseas, making films in places like Indonesia and the Middle East. He even visited East Timor, which was a difficult place for journalists to enter.
In 1977, Carleton joined the BBC in London, working on their Tonight program. He returned to Australia in 1979.
One famous moment in his career happened in 1983. He asked a very direct question to the new leader of the Australian Labor Party, Bob Hawke. This question made Hawke quite annoyed.
In 1986, Carleton co-hosted a show on the ABC called The Carleton-Walsh Report. He worked with financial journalist Max Walsh on this program.
Joining the Nine Network
In 1987, Richard Carleton began his most well-known role. He became a reporter for the popular show 60 Minutes. He worked on this program for almost 20 years.
During his time at 60 Minutes, he traveled all over the world. He reported on many different political situations and important events.
In 2006, he and producer Stephen Rice visited Chernobyl. This was a very dangerous place because of a nuclear accident that happened there. They were allowed to see inside the building that covered the damaged nuclear reactor.
Carleton won several awards for his reporting. He received five Penguin Awards and three Logie Awards during his career.
Later Life and Passing
Richard Carleton had some health problems over the years. He had heart surgery in 1988 and another heart attack in 2003. In 2005, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
On 7 May 2006, Carleton was reporting from the Beaconsfield mine collapse in Tasmania. He was asking questions about safety at the mine when he suddenly collapsed. He had a massive heart attack.
He was taken to the hospital by ambulance, but he sadly passed away on the way. He was 62 years old.
His last words were a question to the mine manager about safety. He asked why workers were sent into a dangerous area after a rock fall had happened there before.
In 2012, a TV movie about the Beaconsfield mine incident was made. Richard Carleton was played by actor Steve Vizard in this film.
In 2017, his home garden was shown on the TV program Gardening Australia. His wife, Sharon, introduced the segment.
