Elizabeth Bond (1942 – December 2002) was an Australian radio broadcaster, TV host and journalist.Nicholson, John; Nattrass, Sue (11 January 2003

''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

''. Retrieved 15 October 2019.

Education

Bond graduated from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

in 1962 with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

with honours in English and German. Bond attended the university with

Germaine Greer Germaine Greer (; born 29 January 1939) is an Australian writer and feminist, regarded as one of the major voices of the second-wave feminism movement in the latter half of the 20th century. Specializing in English and women's literature, she ...

, whom Bond credited with teaching her how to apply

make-up Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources or created syn ...

. While at the university, Bond appeared as an extra in a production of '' Saint Joan'' which starred

Zoe Caldwell Zoe Ada Caldwell (14 September 1933 – 16 February 2020) was an Australian actress. She was a four-time Tony Award winner, winning Best Featured Actress in a Play for '' Slapstick Tragedy'' (1966), and Best Actress in a Play for '' The Prim ...

Career

After a successful audition in December 1963, Bond commenced working for the

Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is a ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, working in various capacities. Bond relocated to

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 1970 where she presented her own program on 2BL. The program was dropped after Bond attracted criticism for making controversial comments on the program following a discussion with social commentator Ray Taylor, angering ABC management, prompting protests and accusations of Bond being a " left wing libber on the ABC". During this time, Bond appeared on

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

, hosting ''Matinee'' and ''At Home with Elizabeth Bond''. However, Bond expressed the view that she didn't enjoy television work and said she had no desire of becoming a

media personality Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...

. Following a short-lived marriage and the birth of her son, Bond took a break from radio but returned to

3LO ABC Radio Melbourne (official callsign: 3LO) is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. It began transmission on 13 October 1924 and was Melbourne's second licensed radio station after 3AR. The other ABC Local Radio stations in Vict ...

in 1977 to take over from

Terry Lane Terry Lane (born 1939) is a retired Australian radio broadcaster and newspaper columnist based in Melbourne. Lane was born at Williamstown in South Australia and was educated at Gawler High School. After studying for the ministry at the Ch ...

on the ''Mornings'' program. Following an initial outcry immediately following Lane's departure, listeners warmed to Bond and she was able to command a large audience, covering topics such as national and international politics, business affairs and media analysis. Bond was explicit in her instructions to her producer to never be asked to help promote television shows, movies or books as they were a national broadcaster, and "not a PR company". Following disagreements with management about proposed changes to her program, Bond resigned from the ABC at the end of 1979. Following her resignation, Bond accepted an offer to work for ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

''. In 1981, Bond was appointed as the first community relations officer at the

Royal Women's Hospital The Royal Women's Hospital, located in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville, is Australia's oldest specialist women's hospital. It offers a full range of services in maternity, gynaecology, neonatal care, women's cancers and women's health. It also ...

in Melbourne. Bond became the first female commissioner of the Liquor Control Commission, which was later renamed the Liquor Licensing Commission. Her work there prompted her to enroll in a law course at Melbourne University in 1989, which she graduated from in 1995. Throughout the 1980s, Bond served in a number of roles including as a foundation board member of the Meat Market Craft Centre, as a chairperson of St Martins Youth Centre, as a member of the ethics committee at the Royal Southern Memorial Hospital and as advisory committee member with the ABC.

Recognition

In October 1979, Bond received a gold citation at the

United Nations Association of Australia The United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) is the official United Nations Association of Australia, working on behalf of the United Nations core body to promote its overall aims and ideals, and equally seeking to build support for the ...

's media awards.(23 October 1979
Major media prizes
''The Canberra Times''. Retrieved 15 October 2019.

Personal life

Bond suffered from

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects synovial joint, joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and h ...

from the age of 16. Because of this, she often used a

wheelchair A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...

. In her final years at the ABC, she asked to be carried from her house to her car, and then from her car into the studio so she could continue working.

Death

Bond died in December 2002. Her death prompted a number of tributes including from political commentator Max Teichmann.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Elizabeth University of Melbourne alumni Australian radio journalists 1942 births 2002 deaths Australian women journalists 20th-century Australian journalists 20th-century Australian women writers