Stephen William Vizard
Born (1956-03-06) 6 March 1956 (age 56)
Richmond, Victoria, Australia
Occupation Radio presenter, Television host, Comedian, Writer, Producer
Spouse Sarah Jane Wilmoth
Children 5
Parents Godfrey Lancelot Pitt Vizard and June Elizabeth Purtell

Stephen William Vizard (born 6 March 1956 in Richmond, Victoria) is an Australian media personality, comedian, businessman and writer. He is regular a panelist on Network Ten's The Project.

Contents

Early life [link]

Vizard was born in Melbourne, Australia on 6 March 1956, the son of Godfrey Lancelot Pitt Vizard and June Purtell. He grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn and was educated at Carey Baptist Grammar School.[1] His father, Godfrey, had been a Patrol Officer in Papua New Guinea in the early 1950s and had been involved in exploring and mapping the uncharted Gulf region around Kerema, including making first contact with native Kukukuku.[2]

As a teenager, Vizard was raised on a bush property in the semi-rural suburb of Warrandyte.[3]

After finishing high school in 1973, Vizard won a scholarship to study law and arts at the University of Melbourne.[1] From 1981 to 1986, he practised law as a partner in a Melbourne City law firm and until 1988 worked as an international commercial negotiator for multinational RTZ (Rio Tinto Zinc), mainly in Britain and Germany.[4]

Performing [link]

In 1976, while at Melbourne University, Vizard appeared in the Archi Revue and the following year he and fellow university students established, wrote and produced the inaugural University Law Revue.[5] After being spotted in the revue, Vizard wrote material for the inner Melbourne comedy scene. Between 1976 and 1982, while still studying at Melbourne University, Vizard wrote and performed in over a dozen productions, working at such theatres and cabarets as The Last Laugh and the Flying Trapeze with a variety of local performers including Rod Quantock, Wendy Harmer, Glenn Robbins, Peter Moon and Paul Grabowsky,[6] who would later work with Vizard as the band leader on his Tonight show.

From 1979 for six years Vizard was the voiceover man for the iconic racing show Punter to Punter, starring Trevor Marmalade, Dr Turf and Con Marasco, on community radio station Triple R.[7]

In 1985 Vizard wrote and produced a feature film, The Bit Part, starring Nicole Kidman, for which he was nominated for a Writers Guild award for Best Feature Film Screenplay.[8]

In 1987 he was the head writer and a key performer on a television sketch comedy show, The Eleventh Hour, which kickstarted the television careers of Vizard, Maryanne Fahey, Mark Mitchell, Glenn Robbins, Ian McFadyen and Peter Moon.[9]

In 1987, Vizard performed in the first Melbourne International Comedy Festival, launched by Peter Cook; and was one of the hosts of the Comedy Festival Gala in 1991.[10]

In 1989, Vizard established, wrote and produced the hit primetime sketch comedy series Fast Forward. The series, which brought together the talents of some of the country's best performers, including Vizard, Peter Moon, Marg Downey, Jane Turner, Gina Riley and Ernie Dingo, and was Australia's highest rating comedy series. Fast Forward, and its successor programme, Full Frontal, ran for 10 years and the show and its cast accumulated 14 Logie awards (including Eric Bana for best Comedy talent). Fast Forward was distributed internationally and in the UK screened on BBC1.

Steve Vizard is best known for playing character roles on Fast Forward, as advertising guru Brent Smyth (with Peter Moon), Darryl (the gay airline Stewards, with Michael Veitch), 'Fakari' rug salesman Roger Ramshett (with Peter Moon), and Newsreaders Dirk Hartog. He also performed myriad impersonations, most notably of Derryn Hinch, Richard Carleton, Don Lane, Ian Turpie, George Donikian, Geoffrey Robertson and even Gough Whitlam in one instance. He also scripted and acted in Fast Forward's memorable send-ups of popular TV shows such as The Cosby Show, Kung Fu and The Munsters.

Between 1990 and 1994 Vizard hosted his own top rating nightly national tonight show, Tonight Live with Steve Vizard. He interviewed over a thousand guests including Bob Hope, Tim Robbins, Mel Gibson, Chevy Chase, Duran Duran, Cilla Black, Steve Allen, Barry Humphries, Lou Rawls, Tom Jones, Brit Ekland, Cleo Laine, Tiny Tim, Kylie Minogue, Brigette Neilson, Audrey Hepburn, Elle Macpherson, Shirley MacLaine, Alice Cooper, BB King, Rob Lowe, Dionne Warwick, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Hall, Kirk Douglas, Olivia Newton-John, Phil Collins, Sir Bob Geldof, Peter Allen, Sir Peter Ustinov, David Bellamy, Kim Wilde, Michael Aspel, Sally Field, Charles Dance, Whoopi Goldberg, John Thaw, Quincy Jones, Priscilla Presley, Robert Downey Jnr, Mickey Rooney, Martin Sheen, M C Hammer, Lyn Redgrave, ZZ Top, Leo McKern, Kathy Bates, Jane Seymour, Darryl Hannah, Jeremy Irons, Jeffrey Archer, Edward de Bono, Robert Ludlum, James Wood, Diana Ross, Jackie Collins, Harry Connick Jnr, Sir Harry Secombe, Gloria Estafan, Gerard Depardieu, George Benson, Fred Schepsi, Colleen McCullough, Burt Reynolds, Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Ben Elton, Phyllis Diller, Alexei Sayle, Elliott Gould, Oliver Reed, Oliver Stone, Macauley Culkin, Spinal Tap, Robin Williams and Cindy Crawford and various Prime Ministers and politicians.

Tonight Live often broadcast from overseas locations including Barcelona, London, New York. It featured a jazz band led by internationally recognised jazz composer and pianist, Paul Grabowsky. The show was said to have borrowed from the format used in Late Night with David Letterman, although Vizard was off the air by the time Nine Network decided to commence screening Letterman in Australia.[11]

By 1994, when he retired from his on-air roles, Vizard had appeared on the cover of numerous publications, from Time to Rolling Stone. Vizard was nominated for a Gold Logie on four occasions, winning a Gold Logie as Australia's most popular television performer in 1991. Prior to his retirement as a performer, he won three further Logies as Australia's most Popular Television Presenter as well as 4 Television Society Awards, a Variety Club for Best Comedy Artiste and a Rolling Stone Magazine Award for Best Television Performer.

Vizard hosted many awards nights and concerts including the 1992 Logie Awards, the Bali Bombing Memorial Concert and the 1995 nationally televised 50th Anniversary of the End of World War Two Concert. During Vizard's hosting of the 1994 Australian Film Institute Awards, he joked about Australian screen legend Bill Hunter, who had appeared in several nominated movies that year, "each and every nominated film must feature Bill Hunter. This is a pro-rata rule ... Short films may enter into a Bill Hunter-sharing arrangement."

In 1998 Vizard performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, narrating Saint-Saens Carnival Of The Animals.[9]

Film and television production [link]

In 1989 Vizard established the independent production company Artist Services with his fellow writer and producer, Andrew Knight. From 1989 to 2002 when Vizard retired as Chairman, Artist Services grew to one of the three largest production companies in Australia.[12]

During that time Vizard and Knight acted as Executive Producers of over 1400 hours of prime time television shows including several series of Seachange, the ABCs highest rating drama series, and several award winning mini series such as Kangaroo Palace. He was the Executive Producer of Big Girl's Blouse starring Jane Turner, Gina Riley, Magda Szubanski and Marg Downey, which created and first showcased the popular comedic characters Kath and Kim.[12]

In 1996, Vizard’s Artist Services founded and owned with Foxtel, the comedy channel. During Vizard’s chairmanship, the comedy channel produced and broadcast over 80 hours each year of original Australian programming, commissioning emerging writers and performers including This Is Gary Petty (starring Brian Nankervis, Francis Greenslade, Matt Cameron); Off Road (starring Lawrence Mooney); The Fifty Foot Show (starring Paul Fennech and Kitty Flanagan); Home and Hosed (starring Shane Bourne, Bob Franklin and Ross Daniels); Small Tales and True (Roz Hammond and Robyn Butler). Vizard remained Chairman of the comedy channel until 2001

As Executive Producer, Artist Services shows have been distributed internationally and received numerous awards including over 20 Logies, a dozen AFI, Writers Guild and Television Society awards and an International Emmy nomination. Together with his Partner Andrew Knight, Vizard developed and was the Executive Producer of several feature films including The Sound Of One Hand Clapping (based on the award winning novel by Richard Flanagan) and Dead Letter Office (starring Miranda and Barry Otto).[12]

In 1995, Vizard sold half of the shares in his company Artist Services to John Fairfax Holdings for a reported sum of AUD$9 million (1995).[4] In 2000 Vizard sold his remaining 50% shares in Artist Services to UK based media company Granada Media plc. for a reputed $25 million.[13] Vizard remained as Chairman until 2002 when he resigned to spend more time on other business and creative interests.

Since 2002, Vizard has been involved in advising emerging Australian talent. He was a consultant to Network Tens comedy show,The Wedge,[14][15] casting and working with Rebel Wilson, Jason Ghan, Adam Zwier.

From 2003 he has been a consultant to one of Australia’s largest talent management companies, Profile Talent, whose clients include Hamish and Andy, Dannii Minogue, Matt Preston, Andrew O’Keefe and Sonia Kruger.

In 2010, Vizard Executive Produced a reality series about Dannii Minogue, “Dannii Minogue: Style Queen”, which was coproduced with ITV and broadcast in the UK on ITV and in Australia on Foxtel.[16]

Other contributions [link]

From 1990 to 2005, in addition to his on and off air roles with Artist Services, Vizard pursued a number of other business interests[4] and public service roles.

In 1996, was appointed a Director of the telecommunications company Telstra Corporation Limited, a position he held until his decision to retire from 17 September 2000 and not stand for re-election to the board[4][17]

As President of the Screen Producers Association of Australia from 1995 to 1997, Vizard was an advocate for the establishment by the Australian Government of the Australian Commercial Television Production Fund to produce high quality Australian television drama telemovies and series. Vizard subsequently served on the Board of the ACTPF from 1995 to 1998.[18]

Vizard has been an advocate for promoting Australian-made content on Australian television, radio and media. In delivering his 1999 Andrew Olle Media Lecture, Vizard advocated the need to maintain Australian quotas for all Australian commercial television networks as well as proposing that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the National Broadcaster, should be more fully funded and should commission and broadcast exclusively Australian content.[19]

In 1998, Vizard was elected as a delegate for his home state of Victoria to the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention in Canberra, representing the Australian Republican Movement. After the constitutional convention, Vizard wrote the book Two Weeks in Lilliput: Bear Baiting and Backbiting At the Constitutional Convention (ISBN 0140279830). The book became a best seller and was a prescribed text on the NSW HSC syllabus.

From 1998 to 2005, Vizard was the President of the Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia's oldest and most richly endowed Art Museum, founded in 1858. Under Vizard's presidency, the Gallery commenced and completed two extensive public Museum building programs: the $150 million renovation of the International Gallery to house the International collection, including the 100 European masterpieces, Rembrandt to Picasso valued at over $2 billion; and the $400 million construction and opening of the new Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, the only major public art gallery in the world dedicated to Australian art.[20]

From 2001 to 2005, Vizard was Chairman of the Victorian Major Events Company which attracts major sporting, arts and cultural events to Victoria and Australia.

During Vizard's chairmanship events won by VMEC for Australia included the World Cycling Championships, World Gymnastics Championships, World Cup Soccer Qualifiers, International Rugby Tests, the renewal of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, World Superbike Championships, World Swimming Championships, Mercedes Australian Fashion Week, and others.[20]

In February 2002 Vizard was the Convenor with the Premier of Victoria of a National Population Summit at which 50 of Australia's most prominent leaders spoke to over 1,000 delegates in a bipartisan debate about all aspects of Australia's population. The bipartisan resolutions from the Summit and the speeches were edited by Vizard and published by Penguin in Australia's Population Debate.

Other organisations with which he has acted as a Director or a Trustee include Film Australia, Australian Children's Television Foundation and the Transport Accident Corporation. From 1997 to 2005,Vizard served as a Member of the Committee of the Melbourne Cricket Club.

Writing and publications [link]

In addition to writing for theatre, television and film, Vizard has written and edited several books, including a 2008 biography of Graham Kennedy, Graham Kennedy Treasures: Friends Remember the King (Melbourne University Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-0-522-85545-6) which he co-wrote with veteran writer, Mike McColl-Jones.

Other books include Best Australian Humorous Writing (with Andrew O'Keefe, MUP, 2008), Australia's Population Challenge (with Hugh J. Martin and Tim Watts, Penguin, 2003,ISBN 0-14-300113-2); Two Weeks in Lilliput (Penguin, 1998), an account of Vizard's experiences attending the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention; Fast forward, the book: the complete guide to 3000 years of television (ISBN014013400); and The Top seven lists from 'Tonight live with Steven Vizard' (ISBN1863301623).

Vizard's one man play Coles Funny Picture Man, based on the life of the eccentric Victorian bookseller Edward William Cole, was performed by AFI award winning actor Norman Kaye.[21]

Vizard has been the recipient of an Australia Council grant for Poetry and a University of Melbourne Writers Fellowship. He was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Best Feature Film Screenplay in 1985; and won (as a co-writer) Writers Guild Awards for Best Comedy Television in 1989, 1990, 1992 1nd 1993.

Legal proceedings [link]

In 1996, Vizard was appointed a Director of the telecommunications company Telstra Corporation Limited, a position he held until his decision to retire on 17 September 2000 and not stand for re-election to the board.[4][17]

After his retirement from Telstra, Vizard became involved in three separate legal proceedings, primarily related to the activities of the Vizard family's former bookkeeper, Roy Hilliard. In 2001 the Vizard family reported to the Police money missing from their family accounts, and Hilliard was subsequently charged with stealing and falsifying the accounts of the Vizard family companies, and in 2005 Hilliard was convicted of falsifying accounts. This led to Hilliards conviction and sentence to three years jail.[22] Hillard also faced civil action related to the allegations of misappropriating money from the Vizard companies, with Vizard's bank Westpac commencing civil proceedings against Hilliard in 2001. Westpac had conducted an investigation of the fraud and paid out to Vizard's companies some of the money the bookkeeper had taken, and then sued the bookkeeper to recover some of the costs. Vizard was a witness in Westpac's action. In December 2006, the Supreme Court of Victoria found in favour of Westpac and ordered Hilliard to repay over $2 million dollars in funds misappropriated from the Vizards to the bank plus interest. The judge also rejected claims Hilliard had made against Vizard relating to the use of overseas tax havens and that Hilliard had returned the stolen monies to Vizard.[22] In September 2009, an Appeal by Hilliard against the judgement against him was rejected by the Full Court of the Supreme Court of Victoria, which affirmed that Hilliard had misappropriated over $3 million from Vizard, rejected Hilliard's claims against Vizard, and ordered Hilliard to repay the missing moneys and costs.[22]

The third legal action involved Vizard directly and arose out of allegations made by Hilliard in 2003 at the criminal trial of his former bookkeeper. Hilliard alleged that Vizard had insider traded while a director of Telstra.[23] The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) followed-up the allegations[24] with an 18 month investigation, including searching Vizard's home and office in December 2003.[22] After the 18 month investigation, ASIC formally advised that it would not continue the investigation, that it had no evidence sufficient to prosecute Vizard for inside trading or any other crime.

Separately, in 2005 ASIC said it would commence civil proceedings against Vizard for breaching his director's duties. The case of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission was that Vizard had breached Sections 183 and 232 of the Corporations Act of 2001 (Cwth). ASIC made no allegations of dishonesty against Vizard in those civil proceedings.[22]

Vizard and ASIC settled the civil proceedings in 2005 on the basis that Vizard would not contest them, that ASIC made no allegations of dishonesty against Vizard, that a fine of $390,000 be imposed and Vizard agree to be disqualified from acting as a company director for between 3 and 5 years.[22] The penalties imposed on Vizard were part of a civil settlement agreed between him and ASIC. That settlement took the form of an "agreed statement of facts" jointly presented to the Federal Court by Vizard's and ASIC's lawyers, and Vizard agreeing the court should impose penalties for a breach of his duties as a director.[22] In his judgement handed down on 28 July 2005, The Hon Justice Raymond Antony Finkelstein found that Vizard had in fact breached Sections 183 and 232 of the Corporations Act of 2001 (Cwlth) through his activities.[25] ASIC proposed a $130,000 fine per offence and 5 years disqualification.[25] Justice Finkelstein disregarded the agreement reached between ASIC and Vizard and instead ordered a disqualification of 10 years.[25]

On 28 July 2005, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions formally announced that they had elected not to proceed with the criminal case against Vizard.[26] In a media release, Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions Damian Bugg QC along with ASIC Chairman Jeff Lucy vigorously denied assertions by some sections of the media that they had "gone soft" on Vizard.

"The admissions in the civil penalty proceedings and the proceedings themselves cannot be used to bolster a criminal prosecution for the same conduct by virtue of the provisions of Section 1317Q of the Corporations Act 2001"[26]

—Media statement by Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions Damian Bugg QC.

One of the key issues in the case was that the trades in question had not been made by Vizard, but instead by a company called CTI of which Vizard's accountant Gregory Lay was the sole shareholder and director.[26] A Vizard family company lent CTI money to invest and had an agreement to receive back proceeds (less a management fee).[26] This structure meant that in order for a criminal prosecution to be mounted, ASIC would have required evidence from Lay to connect Vizard to the trades.[26] Lay gave detailed statements to ASIC but none which supported any case agasinst Vizard.

Bugg explained that, contrary to speculation, as a matter of policy the DPP would not bring a prosecution and subpoena witnesses (such as Lay) in the hope of what they might say; it would undermine confidence in the justice system to start a prosecution merely hoping that critical evidence would become available.[26]

The head of ASIC, Jeff Lucy, conceded that there was never a criminal case against Vizard and that the media outrage was caused by ASIC's failure to properly communicate the full facts to the media.

"The mistake we made with the Vizard communication was that we did not adequately address the reaction to what we were putting to the public by the media...Our investigation was thorough. We came to a view, which was of course based on the admissible evidence, that a criminal prosecution would not be successful. Having said that, there was no doubt that there was some quite significant media issues for ASIC and indeed myself as chairman. We were not as well prepared for those as we should have been, and because the matter was before the court, our opportunity to correct the record was very significantly reduced. The Vizard case provided a number of lessons for us, and hopefully we have dealt with our communications with the media a lot more effectively since." Jeff Lucy, The Age, 14 May 2007.

Philanthropic activities [link]

In 1991, Vizard and his family founded the Vizard Foundation, which established Vizard House, a refuge for people in need.[4][27]

Since its establishment in 1991, Vizard House has provided over 20,000 room nights free accommodation for needy people visiting inner Melbourne hospitals.[citation needed]

From 1992 to 2002, the Foundation worked with the The Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne to support Australian artists. The collection of Australian art is permanently housed at the University of Melbourne.[28] On 27 April 1994, the Vizard Foundation purchased 45 antiquities from an auction held by Christie's of London.[28] These items are on permanent loan to the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne.[28]

In 1991, Vizard purchased from Lord Alistair McAlpine the iconic Australian painting First Class Marksman by Sidney Nolan, the only painting of the original 1945 Ned Kelly Series not owned and on public display in the National Gallery of Australia. Vizard donated the painting to the Vizard Foundation and the painting was on public display in the National Gallery of Victoria. In 2010, the Vizard Foundation sold the work for an Australian record of $5.4 million and committed the proceeds for charitable purposes, including indigenous scholarships.[29]

In 1997, Vizard was a founding trustee with Walter Mikac of the Alannah and Madeleine Foundation, to assist in education against violence to children.[22]

In 1997, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for service to the community, particularly through the Vizard Foundation, and to the arts.[30] In 2008, three years after settling the civil legal proceedings with ASIC, Vizard voluntarily handed back his membership of the Order of Australia.[31][32]

In 2002, he received the Australian Father Of The Year award.[33]

In 2004 Vizard was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Deakin University Australia.[34]

Recent performances [link]

Vizard is a regular on various television shows including Tens Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation, Nine’s Today Show and A Current Affair. Vizard has also appeared in a regular role in Mick Molloy’s, Foxtel comedy series, The Jesters.[35]

He has appeared as a regular weekly panellist on Channel Ten's prime time 7PM Project andThe Project and has filled in for one of the shows hosts, Dave Hughes.[36] He was a panellist and interviewer on the 7PM Project’s controversial interview with St Kilda sex scandal schoolgirl Kim in which the interviewers were clearly sceptical about her attempts to withdraw her previous allegations—the show aired her post-interview confession that she had just lied to them.[37]

In July 2011, Vizard appeared in the movie Beaconsfield, playing the late 60 Minutes reporter Richard Carleton in the drama about the Beaconsfield Mine collapse in Tasmania and the rescue of miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb 14 days later.[38]

In 2010, Vizard was nominated for a lifetime achievement award for outstanding contribution to the Film & Television Industry. Other nominees for the award included Rob Sitch, Andrew Denton, Brian Walsh, Kim Williams, Penny Chapman, the Fennessy brothers and Posie Graham Evans.[39]

At the 2006 Logie Awards, Vizard appeared with long-time collaborator Michael Veitch in a sketch that reprised one of their most famous roles, that of two camp, bitchy airline stewards. Their sketch lampooned Vizard's recent legal troubles.[citation needed]

In 1998, Vizard was an elected as a delegate for his home state of Victoria at the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention in Canberra, representing the Australian Republican Movement.[4] After the constitutional convention, Vizard wrote the book Two Weeks in Lilliput: Bear Baiting and Backbiting At the Constitutional Convention (ISBN 0140279830).

Radio [link]

In February 2010, Vizard began a brief stint on Melbourne radio station Triple M, filling in for Eddie McGuire who was in Vancouver covering the Winter Olympics.[40]

From March 2010 to March 2012, Vizard presented a daily Morning show on Macquarie Radio Network's Melbourne's talkback station, MTR 1377. Vizard interviewed more than 1000 guests, including Academy Award-winning directors Peter Weir and Tom Hooper, director of The Kings Speech, authors Jeffrey Archer, Booker Prize-winning Tom Kenneally, Jackie Collins, Peter Carey, Tim Flannery, Grammy-nominated musicians Faith Hill, Tim Mcgraw, Josh Groban, Chris Botti, George Benson, President of the World Bank James Wolfensohn, Martin Short, Christopher Hitchens, Weird Al Yankovic, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Professor Ross Garnaut.[41]

Vizard's radio program was responsible for breaking the Christmas Island asylum seekers boat crash tragedy in December 2010. Vizard conducted the first interviews with the schoolgirl at the centre of the St Kilda Football Club scandal and with David Galbally QC before the delivery of his report into the players’ scandal; and covered the Chilean mine disaster and pursued the defrocking of convicted priests by the Catholic Church, on behalf of abused victims.[42]

A number of comedians appeared as guests or regulars on his show including Charlie Pickering, Peter Helliar, Fiona O’Loughlin, Mick Molloy and regular contributors Glenn Robbins, Corinne Grant, George McEncroe, Andrew Goodone and Shaun Micallef.[43]

Vizard's radio show received 3 nominations at the 2011 Australian Commercial Radio Awards including Best Talk Presenter in Australia.[44]

Personal life [link]

Vizard married Sarah Wilmoth in 1988 and they have five children.[45]

In 2006 Vizard’s Toorak mansion set a real estate record for Melbourne when it sold for $17.75 million after Vizard received an unsolicited knock on the door offering to buy the landmark home.

Earlier in 2006, Vizard chased three burglars who had broken into his Orrong Rd Toorak Mansion. Vizard was awakened at 3am by his 16 year old daughter who had seen an intruder in her room, and Vizard pursued the intruders into the street in the nude where he was nearly driven over by the getaway Alfa Romeo. The robber, Richard Lovett who had a lengthy list of 93 prior convictions, was arrested later that day after becoming involved in a fight in which he stabbed a man in the chest, puncturing his lung, and was subsequently sentenced for the robbery to four years by the County Court of Victoria.[46]

Vizard's younger brother, Andrew Vizard, is Professor of Veterinary Science at the University of Melbourne and an expert on animal health having served on numerous boards including Animal Health Australia Ltd,, The Zoological Parks and Gardens of Victoria, and the Australian Wool Corporation.[47]

From 1990, Vizard and his family owned and ran the rural Western District station, Roxby Park, which they operated as a successful superfine wool Merino sheep stud. In 2002, Vizard sold Roxby Park to South Australian Tuna fishing magnate, Tony Santic, the owner of three time Melbourne Cup winning horse, Makybe Diva, who renamed the property Smytzer's Lodge, and uses it as the home of his Makybe Diva breeding and bloodstock operations.[48]

References [link]

  1. ^ a b Beck, Chris (23 August 2003). "What I've learnt". Melbourne: The Age. https://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/22/1061474624281.html. 
  2. ^ https://www.pngaa.net/Vale/vale_mar94.htm#Vizard
  3. ^ Beck, Chris (2003-08-23). "What I've learnt". The Age. https://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/22/1061474624281.html.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Staff writers (23 August 2003). "The life and times of Steve Vizard". Melbourne: The Age. https://www.theage.com.au/news/national/the-life-and-times-of-steve-vizard/2005/07/15/1121422838420.html. 
  5. ^ https://www.must.unimelb.edu.au/?p=8004
  6. ^ The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 August 2011. https://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/profile-paul-grabowsky-20110823-1j77m.html. 
  7. ^ "Riding the wild waves". The Age (Melbourne). 5 February 2004. https://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/04/1075853933583.html. 
  8. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092662/
  9. ^ a b https://books.google.com.au/books?id=mcuN_T1ptCsC&pg=PA269&lpg=PA269&dq=MSO+vizard+carnival+of+the+animals&source=bl&ots=bql4uMbcc2&sig=PJ8r2ZWr1A92af_ASDpYAGv-wj4&hl=en&ei=9b6zTq7RL-KyiQK95dBd&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=MSO%20vizard%20carnival%20of%20the%20animals&f=false
  10. ^ https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2011/season/25-years/
  11. ^ Zoglin, Richard (24 June 2001). "Letterman Uber Alles". Time. 
  12. ^ a b c https://books.google.com.au/books?id=mcuN_T1ptCsC&pg=PA174&dq=vizard+artist+services&hl=en&ei=Ob-zTrbpPMX4mAXQzsXfAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=vizard%20artist%20services&f=false
  13. ^ Australian Entertainment Services. "Steve Vizard". https://www.austentertainmentservices.com.au/act.php?id=95. Retrieved 10 July 2007. 
  14. ^ Network Ten. "Meet the creators behind Wedgedale, The Wedge". https://www.thewedge.com.au/behind.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
  15. ^ Steve Vizard at the Internet Movie Database
  16. ^ https://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/foxtel-insider/dannii-minogue-launches-style-queen-on-fox-8-115022.htm
  17. ^ a b Telstra Corporation Limited (20 September 2000). "Mansfield announces Telstra board changes". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070929141505/https://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media/mediareleases_article.cfm?ObjectID=9381. Retrieved 12 June 2007. 
  18. ^ https://www.accidentlawyer.com.au/legal-news/2001/4/3/man-of-many-parts-moves-on/
  19. ^ https://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/1999/11/22/2255997.htm
  20. ^ a b Gill, Raymond (27 May 2004). "Vizard to step down from NGV role". The Age (Melbourne). https://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/26/1085461837601.html. 
  21. ^ https://www.must.unimelb.edu.au/?p=8034
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h Bedwell, S: "Vizard Uncut: The Full Story", Melbourne University Press, (2007), (ISBN 9780522854749)
  23. ^ The 7.30 Report, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (17 August 2005). "Roy Hilliard recounts his version of the Vizard affair". https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1440170.htm. Retrieved 12 June 2007. 
  24. ^ Australian Securities and Investments Commission (4 July 2005). "ASIC commences civil proceedings against Stephen Vizard". https://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf/byId/PMIDE8BC0E28A45B6EA8CA257034000E6BAF?opendocument. Retrieved 12 June 2007. 
  25. ^ a b c [2005] FCA 1037 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Vizard
  26. ^ a b c d e f Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (28 July 2005). "Media Release: Stephen Vizard". https://www.cdpp.gov.au/Media/Releases/20050728mr.aspx. Retrieved 12 June 2007. 
  27. ^ Melbourne Health (2 January 2005). "Accommodation Information for Country Patients, Relatives & Escorts". Archived from the original on 12 May 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070512083431/https://mh1.mh.org.au/patientsandvisitors/PDF/ACCOMMODATION_GUIDE.pdf. Retrieved 12 June 2007. 
  28. ^ a b c University of Melbourne. "Vizard Foundation – Collection of Antiquities". Retrieved 2007-06-12
  29. ^ Boland, Michaela; Madden, James (26 March 2010). "Sidney Nolan's marksman hits a record price". https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/sidney-nolans-marksman-hits-a-record-price/story-e6frg6nf-1225845528139. 
  30. ^ Government of Australia. "Australian Honours Database, Steve William VIZARD". Retrieved 2007-07-10
  31. ^ Governor-General's acceptance of resignation
  32. ^ Vizard hands back Order of Australia, The Age, 6 May 2008
  33. ^ The Sheppard Centre. "History of the Award, Australian Farther of the Year". Archived from the original on 22 March 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070322193820/https://www.fatheroftheyear.com.au/content/view/15/41/. Retrieved 10 July 2007. 
  34. ^ Mitchell, Lisa (13 June 2005). "Roll out the honours". The Age (Melbourne). https://www.theage.com.au/news/Education-News/Roll-out-the-honours/2005/06/10/1118347603957.html?from=moreStories. 
  35. ^ The Jesters
  36. ^ IMBD
  37. ^ Kim Duthie Interview
  38. ^ Herald Sun
  39. ^ TV Tonight
  40. ^ How a boozy lunch turned into a new beginning for Steve Vizard. Herald Sun (2010-02-27). Retrieved on 2011-05-17.
  41. ^ Profile Talent Management
  42. ^ Profilet Talent Management
  43. ^ Profile Talent Mangement
  44. ^ https://www.commercialradio.com.au/acras/current-1028.cfm
  45. ^ https://books.google.com.au/books?id=mcuN_T1ptCsC&pg=PA307&lpg=PA307&dq=sarah+vizard&source=bl&ots=bql4uMb8d4&sig=GoVlUU__MWOdev9oEFOlgUmKOzI&hl=en&ei=cb2zTr_UFquPigKWv8l5&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFEQ6AEwCTgU#v=onepage&q=sarah%20vizard&f=false
  46. ^ <https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/vizard-mansion-thief-get-two-years/story-e6frf7kx-1111115112401
  47. ^ https://research.vet.unimelb.edu.au/staff.php?staffID=1319
  48. ^ "Charity continues at home for Vizard's kindly vision". The Age (Melbourne). 12 September 2002. https://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/09/11/1031608270930.html. 

Further reading [link]

  • Bedwell, S: "Vizard Uncut: The Full Story", Melbourne University Press, (2007), (ISBN 9780522854749)
  • Wood, Leonie. Funny Business. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 2007. ISBN 1-74175-329-5

External links [link]

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Craig McLachlan
for Neighbours
Gold Logie Award
Most Popular Personality on Australian Television

1991
for Tonight Live With Steve Vizard
and Fast Forward
Succeeded by
Jana Wendt
for A Current Affair

https://wn.com/Steve_Vizard

Podcasts:

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