Darrell Eastlake

Darrell Eastlake (born 11 July 1942) is a former Australian television presenter. He started his career as a Qantas baggage handler. Later, he began making surfboards and ran a surf shop. His career in media began in the 1960s when he gave surf reports on Sydney radio station 2UW.[1]

During the mid-1970s, Eastlake also dabbled in touring car racing when he [infrequently] drove a Leyland P76 in the Australian Touring Car Championship.

Eastlake had been calling rugby league for NBN-3 in Newcastle before he began working for the Nine Network in 1982, commentating on the weightlifting at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. Eastlake also provided colour commentary for Ch.9's State of Origin telecasts for a decade from the mid-1980s working with others such as Mike Gibson, Ian Maurice, 'Supercoach' Jack Gibson, Ray "Rabbits" Warren and former players Mick Cronin, Peter Sterling and Paul Vautin.[2]

During his media career, Eastlake was noted for his over-the-top voice and loud antics aimed at raising the excitement of listeners or viewers, providing commentary for weightlifting and motorsport where he is mostly remembered for joining forces with former Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion Barry Sheene for Ch.9's broadcasts of the 500cc Motorcycle World Championship races.[2] This trait was parodied by Billy Birmingham in his The Twelfth Man sporting commentary impersonations, including his Eastlake signature of (with a rising voice) "taking the voice back up to the threshold of pain".[3]

Eastlake retired from the media in 2005 and became very ill in 2010 suffering from Alzheimer's disease, dementia and emphysema brought on by years of being a heavy cigarette smoker.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Rothfield, Phil (8 July 2010). "This Origin Legend Won't Die Quietly". Daily Telegraph Online. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  2. 1 2 Eastlake larger than life – Hill
  3. ↑ Billy's box set

External links

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