Australian Magazine

Veteran Australian journalist, broadcaster & author Richard Zachariah led a six-decade career spanning print, television & racing commentary. Best known for co-hosting The Home Show with Maggie Tabberer and writing The Vanished Land, he became a symbol of elegance, intellect & authenticity in Australian media.

Few names in Australian broadcasting carry the warmth, wit & quiet authority of Richard Zachariah.
Over six decades he moved gracefully between newspapers, radio, television & literature — leaving behind a voice that defined intelligent storytelling.

Who Was Richard Zachariah?

Born 20 March 1945 in Caulfield South, Victoria, Richard Francis Harry Zachariah grew up in a home steeped in education & sport.
His father, Harry Zachariah, a distinguished left-arm bowler for Victoria & later a respected headmaster & his mother Joan, a nurse at the Children’s Hospital, shaped his early values of curiosity & compassion.
He grew up alongside sisters Sue, Jane & Amanda, a close-knit family that later inspired his sense of belonging & loyalty.

Moving to Hamilton in Western Victoria when his father became head of Hamilton College, young Richard fell in love with the vast plains that later inspired his acclaimed book The Vanished Land.

Early Education & Career Beginnings

Educated first at Brighton Grammar & then Hamilton College, Richard Zachariah developed a fascination for words and people.
In 1964, he secured a coveted cadetship with The Age, training under editor Keith Sinclair.
Reporting from Parliament House in Canberra, he quickly gained a reputation for calm, exacting prose.
The newsroom of the 1960s taught him the craft of truth-telling — a skill he carried into every later medium.

Richard Zachariah’s London Years & BBC Experience

In 1969, he moved to London to join BBC Current Affairs, entering the heart of Britain’s media revolution.
There he befriended Barry Humphries and actor David Hemmings, living among artists & journalists in Holland Park Mews.
An oft-told anecdote recalls how he once derailed a lavish cigarette commercial on Capri by over-enthusiastic dancing-a story he retold with trademark humour.
Those years honed his sense of timing, polish & poise-traits that later made him, as colleagues said, “the epitome of suave.”

Return to Australia & Rural Roots

By 1972, Richard Zachariah had returned home, marrying Diane Webster & settling on her family’s Gippsland farm near Maffra.
He combined journalism with country living — filing for The Sunday Australian, co-founding Sale Country Kitchen, calling local football on regional radio and reading television news for GLV8 Traralgon.
Those rural years deepened his empathy for ordinary Australians & anchored the grounded perspective that defined his later work.

Rise to Television Fame

The 1980s brought national recognition.
Richard Zachariah joined Channel 7, where his quiet confidence translated perfectly to screen.
In 1986, he was appointed host of 11 AM, the network’s flagship current-affairs program, delivering stories with clarity and warmth.
Two years later, Christopher Skase, a former Hamilton College schoolmate & then Seven owner, promoted him to co-anchor Seven Nightly News with Ann Sanders.
Audiences admired his balance of intellect & charm — a broadcaster who could handle politics & human stories with equal grace.
He also contributed racing and cultural commentary on 2UE and 3AW, further cementing his reputation as a natural communicator.

The Home Show & Partnership with Maggie Tabberer

From 1985 to 1995, Richard Zachariah shared both life & screen with Maggie Tabberer, Australia’s first supermodel turned media star.
Together they fronted ABC’s The Home Show, a ratings success that reshaped lifestyle television.
The program, co-funded by the Federal Department of Urban Development, showcased Australian design & architecture & inspired a generation of viewers.

Their on-air chemistry was effortless — a blend of charm, intellect & humour that reminded many of a Parkinson-style exchange.
Off-air, they became a celebrated couple, living in Darling Point & moving through Sydney’s creative circles.
When the partnership ended in 1995, Richard quipped that “breaking up with Maggie was like breaking up with the Queen Mother.”

Racing Writer & Newspaper Columnist

After television, Zachariah returned to print with columns for The Sunday Telegraph, The Australian & Fairfax Rural Press.
His “Zac at the Track” column became essential weekend reading, mixing humour with insight.
When the Australian Jockey Club banned him for criticising its management, he wrote defiantly from the bar of his local pub, watching races & sending copy anyway.
The ban became a PR disaster for the AJC & a career highlight for Zac.
He was a proud member of the Australian Racing Writers’ Association, mentoring younger journalists & describing himself, tongue-in-cheek, as “no shrinking violet.”

Author of The Vanished Land

In 2017, Richard Zachariah published The Vanished Land: Disappearing Dynasties of Victoria’s Western District.
Part memoir, part social history, it mourned the decline of pastoral dynasties & explored how modern economics reshaped rural identity.
Launched at Mount Sturgeon Woolshed, Dunkeld, by Allan Myers QC, the book earned praise for lyrical prose & emotional honesty & was short-listed for a regional non-fiction award.
He later returned to Hamilton College to donate signed copies to its library — a symbolic homecoming.

Quoting his own words, “The Western District was once the centre of power in this country,” the book captured both nostalgia & realism.
Critics called it a “Chekhovian portrait of loss & endurance.”

Later Life & Creative Energy

In later years, Richard Zachariah lived with partner Sarah Hyde on a vineyard & horse-breeding property in the Adelaide Hills.
He continued writing essays, appearing at festivals & enjoying the peace of country life.
Friends remembered his generosity, wit and the way he could lift a room simply by arriving.
He remained an Essendon Football Club supporter, a devoted reader of Tolstoy & even stepped back onto television in 2006 for It Takes Two with *Karen Knowles — a reminder that courage and curiosity never retire.

Passing & Farewell

Richard Zachariah passed away on 9 April 2025, aged 80, at his home in Mortlake, Victoria.
His funeral was held on 23 April at the Eastern Park Chapel, Warrnambool, followed by burial at Ellerslie Cemetery.
The official notice described him as “a colourful character, respected journalist & writer & lover of life — always remembered.”
Friends & colleagues echoed the sentiment: he was urbane yet humble, serious about work but never about himself.

Legacy of Richard Zachariah

Across six decades, Richard Zachariah embodied the best of Australian media — intelligent, humane & unhurried.
He proved that journalism could inform without cynicism and entertainment could enlighten without arrogance.
His journey from a country headmaster’s son to national broadcaster & author showed the power of curiosity, courage and grace.
He remains, in every sense, an Australian original — the gentleman journalist who made substance stylish.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Born: 20 March 1945
• Died: 9 April 2025 (aged 80)
• Parents: Harry and Joan Zachariah
• Siblings: Sue (dec.), Jane, Amanda (dec.)
• Notable Roles: Host of 11 AM; Co-anchor Seven News; Co-host The Home Show
• Major Work: The Vanished Land (2017)
• Partners: Maggie Tabberer (1985-1995); Sarah Hyde (later years)
• Hobbies: Horse racing, writing, reading Tolstoy, Essendon supporter
  

Conclusion

Richard Zachariah was more than a broadcaster or author; he was a bridge between worlds — city & country, intellect & intuition.
He wrote and spoke with integrity, warmth & unmistakable Australian cadence.
Even decades after his debut at The Age, his name still evokes respect & affection-proof that genuine storytelling never ages.

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