Australia is mourning the loss of broadcasting legend and former senator Derryn Hinch. But before his passing, the outspoken media icon left behind a deeply personal message—one that reflected the way he wanted to be remembered.
In a candid interview recorded just over three months ago, Hinch spoke openly about death, his extraordinary life, and the simple words he hoped would remain long after he was gone.
A Final Goodbye Recorded in His Own Voice
Speaking with former 3AW host Tony Tardio at his Melbourne home, Hinch revealed he had already planned many details of his own funeral.
He said he hoped the service would be held at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, with longtime friend Darren James serving as master of ceremonies. As his coffin was carried from the venue, Frank Sinatra’s classic That’s Life would play.
But the most emotional moment, he explained, would come from a recording in his own voice.
“I’m Derryn Hinch. That’s life. Goodbye.”
Those six simple words, he said, would be his final farewell to family, friends and supporters.
‘I Don’t Fear Death’
When asked whether he was afraid of dying, Hinch’s answer came without hesitation.
“No, not at all. I’ve had a hell of a life.”
Looking back over eight remarkable decades, he reflected on the experiences that shaped him.
He spoke of covering assassinations, meeting world leaders, witnessing humanity’s greatest achievements, and even receiving a pair of cufflinks from astronaut Neil Armstrong after the moon landing.
For Hinch, there was little left undone.
The Two Words He Wanted on His Tombstone
Despite a career defined by headlines and controversy, Hinch’s greatest wish for his legacy was surprisingly modest.
He admitted he had never been particularly good with money and openly acknowledged his lifelong struggles with alcohol—a battle that had also affected both his father and grandfather.
Then he revealed the only inscription he wanted on his gravestone.
Not That’s Life.
Simply:
“He Tried.”
Those two words captured the way he hoped people would remember him—not as a perfect man, but as someone who never stopped fighting for what he believed in.
His Last Television Interview Carried the Same Message
Months earlier, during an interview with A Current Affair, Hinch once again spoke candidly about mortality.
Looking out from the balcony of his apartment, he joked it would be “a great place to cark it.”
“Sitting in that chair, staring out at the clouds. Goodnight, nurse. Goodbye world.”
Reporter Marty King described him as a “fatalist,” but Hinch approached the subject with the same blunt honesty that had defined his career.
A Body That Could No Longer Keep Up
Behind the humour, however, were increasingly difficult health battles.
Hinch revealed he had suffered around 30 falls in a single year, despite relying on a walker.
One of those accidents left him lying helpless on the floor of his home for 12 hours before he was finally able to get assistance.
Only later did doctors discover he had broken two ribs.
He spent three weeks in hospital recovering after the frightening ordeal.
A Career Built on Conviction—and Controversy
Few Australian media figures divided public opinion quite like Derryn Hinch.
Known for relentlessly campaigning for tougher penalties against convicted sex offenders, he repeatedly challenged suppression orders and contempt laws because he believed the public had a right to know.
His determination came at a personal cost.
He served 12 days in prison in 1987 after naming Catholic priest Michael Glannon while legal proceedings were still underway.
In 2011, he received five months of home detention for breaching suppression orders involving other offenders.
Three years later, he chose to spend 50 days behind bars rather than pay a $100,000 fine after publishing suppressed information about Adrian Bayley, the man convicted of murdering Jill Meagher.
Supporters viewed these actions as courageous acts of principle.
Critics saw them as reckless challenges to the legal system.
Hinch remained unapologetic.
A Complex Public Figure
Despite his uncompromising stance on crime, Hinch often defied easy political labels.
He championed marriage equality, voluntary assisted dying and an end to live animal exports, while also arguing against racial vilification laws and pushing for stronger restrictions on convicted sex offenders.
His personal life was equally complicated.
Married five times—including to acclaimed actress Jacki Weaver—Hinch continued to battle alcohol addiction even after receiving a liver transplant.
The issue became the centre of several public disputes, including criticism from former colleague Steve Price and comments from one of his former partners regarding his drinking habits.
From Newsroom to Parliament
After decades as one of Australia’s best-known broadcasters, Hinch surprised many by entering politics at the age of 72.
He won a Senate seat in 2016, becoming Australia’s oldest first-time senator.
During his term, he campaigned for a national public sex offender register and successfully pushed legislation restricting overseas travel for convicted child sex offenders.
Later, he established the Derryn Hinch Justice Party, which briefly gained representation in Victoria before being dissolved in 2022.
A Voice That Shaped Australian Media
Long before politics, Hinch had already become one of Australia’s most recognisable media personalities.
He hosted top-rating talkback radio programs, fronted current affairs television shows, appeared regularly on major networks and earned a reputation as one of the country’s boldest journalists.
In 2018, he was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame, with veteran broadcaster Ray Martin praising him as a fearless journalist who pursued every story with relentless determination.
An End to an Extraordinary Life
Shortly after celebrating his 80th birthday, Hinch was diagnosed with cancer.
News of his passing prompted tributes from across Australia.
Entertainment reporter Peter Ford described him as “fearless and provocative,” saying Hinch had achieved everything he had set out to do.
From a young boy growing up in New Plymouth, New Zealand, to one of Australia’s most influential—and often controversial—media figures, Derryn Hinch leaves behind a legacy that will continue to be debated for years.
Yet in the end, the words he chose for himself may prove to be the ones people remember most:
“He Tried.”
