Australia Day Ambassador
Diana Fisher OAM
Ambassador for Yass Valley Council
And now, as always, Diana Fisher. The name says enough, for Diana Fisher is Australia's social catalyst, making crowds and pleasing audiences. Where events of society importance happen, Diana is there.
Diana has had an enormously varied career and she is still in 1998, totally involved with all the events in Sydney and frequently, around the world. Her working life commenced with the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1948 as an outside broadcaster of sporting events, theatre and film premieres and State and Royal occasions.
She continued to work with the BBC in the 1960's, working in a freelance capacity both on and off radio and television, researching and documenting events such as Royal weddings and the State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill. She also managed an Art Gallery in London and was personal assistant to David Niven during the making of the film The Guns of Navarone.
In 1964, Diana and her husband, The Hon Humphrey Fisher, moved to Australia where he worked as the BBC representative for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. While in Australia she appeared in Beauty and the Beast, ran her own radio program on 2GB and worked for ABC radio in Let's Find Out. Between 1967 and 1969, Diana returned to London, starring in her own television series Almost Human, as well as her own BBC radio program. She was responsible for researching and briefing commentators from around the world for the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales at Caernarvon Castle.
In 1969, Diana Fisher emigrated to Australia and almost immediately piloted The Inventors, appearing on the program for twelve years - without ever missing one show! In 1971, Diana became the first woman to head Channel 7's team of commentators and began a regular social page for the Sydney Morning Herald On The Go. She also wrote for Vogue Magazine on the Royal tour of Australia and the Sunday Australian.
In 1974, she joined the Sunday Telegraph and remained there as Social Editor for five years, fitting in numerous overseas visits as journalist/broadcaster/film-maker until she joined the Australian Womens Weekly in 1979, then Woman's Day in 1980.
Regular travel for her work has become a major part of Diana's life and she has covered an enormous range of events in many, many countries. From the 1980's, Diana has appeared on a huge number of television shows, including Good Morning Sydney, Mike Walsh Show, Burke's Backyard, Eleven AM, Midday Show and A Touch of Elegance. In 1984 she commenced the very long-running mini-Inventors series What's New and New For You.
Diana has always been equally as busy with radio programs and has broadcast for Brisbane 4BH, ABC's 2BL, 2GB, 2RES FM and Melbourne 3AW.
Regular writing and reporting remained an important part of Diana's career and she has written columns and articles for Sydney Calendar Magazine, Sydney Morning Herald, Inside Dining (the national magazine of the Restaurant and Catering Association of Australia), The Wentworth Courier and was a contributing Editor of Interiors.
In 1988, Diana was made an Honorary Ambassador for World Expo and in the same year, launched "Bubbles", the first of a fleet of Water Taxis on Sydney Harbour. She has always been an enthusiastic and tireless worker and organiser for charity, constantly staging events such as her annual Christmas Party for the Royal Alexander Hospital for Children, now Westmead, and other great events for the Lord's Taverners who helped the handicapped and underprivaliged play sport.
Diana was involved with a company called Quasartech which sets out to help inventors get their inventions into the market place - this work has been a passion for many years. She is a regular on Good Morning Australia, Channel 10 and was a contributing editor to Interiors magazine.
In 2001 she launched the Jubilee stamps for Australia Post at the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne.
It has been said that writing an introduction to Diana Fisher is little more than an academic exercise. She is a remarkable media personality who opens doors, informing and entertaining wherever she goes.
