Jeff Newman
Class of 1961
Class of 1961
Television & Telethon
Jeff Newman was one of the first group of students to graduate from Mount Lawley Senior High School as a Year 12 when the school finally reached Senior High School status in 1961. He represented the school in Football.
After a series of setbacks in his attempts to get into radio and television, Jeff began in radio in Geraldton in 1963.
Television, however, is where Jeff made his name, and he was involved almost from its beginnings in Western Australia.
When Channel 9 Perth came on air in 1965, Jeff hosted his own show, the Jeff Newman Show. Two years later, after a disagreement, Jeff jumped ship and moved to TVW-7.
He worked in a number of roles at the station, including as the host of ‘Its Academic’ (from 1969-79, and 2001-05). Jeff combined his on camera appearances with middle level management positions and became the station’s weather presenter in 1991, a role he maintained until his retirement in August of 2009.
Throughout his career at Channel 7, Jeff won five Logies for Best Western Australian TV Talent.
Jeff is perhaps best known for his involvement in Telethon. He acted as the main anchor for the live broadcast from 1968 to 2009, and became known as ‘Mr Telethon’. During that time Telethon raised just under $100 million for childrens’ charities around Western Australia. It is now described as the highest donating Telethon (per capita) in the world.
Since his retirement, Jeff has acted as a Telethon Trustee, and built The Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre which he chairs.
Jeff started the Variety Club in 1980 and has has been the Chairman of the Variety Club of Western Australia, its national Chairman and their international ambassador. Rotary have awarded him a Paul Harris Fellow and in 2000 he was awarded the Centenary Medal from the Australian Government.
In 1994 Jeff was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia Medal for “services to charities and fundraising, particularly through the TVW-7 Telethon”.
For many years, Jeff has been one of Perth’s most respected master of ceremonies for corporate and government events, and was the West Coast Eagles #1 Ticket holder for many years.
In 2013 Jeff revealed he was fighting prostate cancer, and has since become an advocate for mens’ health.
Jeff Newman is a life member of the West Coast Eagles and the Variety Club of W.A.