Darrell Eastlake
{{Short description|Australian television presenter}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|07|11|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|04|19|1942|07|11|df=y}}
| death_place = Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia
| nationality = Australian
| other_names =
| occupation =
| years_active = 1965 – 2005 (retirement)
| known_for = Sports broadcasting (radio and television), Journalist
| notable_works = Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing
State of Origin
}}
Darrell Eastlake (11 July 1942 – 19 April 2018) was an Australian radio and television presenter, commentator and sports journalist, best known for his long association with the Nine Network. Prior to his media career, Eastlake worked as a Qantas baggage handler, before making surfboards and running a surf shop. His career in broadcasting began in the 1960s when he gave surf reports on Sydney radio station 2UW (now known as KIIS 106.5).{{cite news|last=Rothfield|first=Phil|title=This Origin Legend Won't Die Quietly|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/this-origin-legend-wont-die-quietly/story-e6frexnr-1225893348949|accessdate=17 April 2011|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=8 July 2010}}
Motor racing
During the mid-1970s, Eastlake dabbled in motor racing when he drove a Leyland P76, infrequently, in the Touring Car category .
Broadcasting
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 colourful commentary for Nine's Wide World of Sports and its coverage of events including State of Origin telecasts for a decade from the mid-1980s working with others such as Ken Sutcliffe, Ray Warren, Mike Gibson, Ian Maurice, and 'Supercoach' Jack Gibson as well as former players Mick Cronin, Peter Sterling and Paul Vautin.
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. 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".[http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/music/articles/2009/11/10/1257615040009.html Billy's box set] He is best remembered for presenting broadcasts of the 500cc Motorcycle World Championship alongside former Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion Barry Sheene, and for presenting Formula One races with former Formula One World Champion Alan Jones. He also presented the British Open Golf championships.[http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/eastlake-larger-than-life-hill/story-e6frfgh6-1225893354051 Eastlake larger than life – Hill]
Personal life
In 1993 (aged 54) Eastlake suffered a heart attack while commentating at Kurrawa on the Gold Coast for the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships. He was revived at the scene by Surf Life Savers and transported to hospital, where he suffered a second attack.{{Citation|title=Sydney Morning Herald – The day Big Daz died... then wanted to get straight back on the mike|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/the-day-big-daz-died-then-wanted-to-get-straight-back-on-the-mike-20180419-p4zalu.html|publication-date=19 April 2018|last=Webster|first=Andrew|date=19 April 2018 |access-date=2021-12-02}}
Eastlake retired from the media in 2006 and fell ill in 2010 with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and emphysema brought on by years of being a heavy cigarette smoker.
On 19 April 2018, Eastlake died in a nursing home where he lived on the New South Wales Central Coast.{{cite news | title = Channel Nine legend Darrell Eastlake dies | url = https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/04/19/07/59/darrell-eastlake-dies-channel-9-sports-rugby-league | publisher = 9News | date = 19 April 2018 | accessdate = 19 April 2018 }}{{cite web | title = Legendary Nine sports commentator Darrell Eastlake dies aged 75 | url = https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/04/19/08/23/darrell-eastlake-dies-legendary-nine-sports-commentator | publisher = Wide World of Sports | date = 19 April 2018 | accessdate = 19 April 2018 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=2267684|name=Darrell Eastlake}}
- {{Cite web| url=http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/MCs_Facilitators/Darrell_Eastlake/Biography| title=Darrell Eastlake| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312113756/http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/MCs_Facilitators/Darrell_Eastlake/Biography| archivedate=12 March 2011}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120501235626/http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=7944751 Darrell Eastlake] interview of A Current Affair
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastlake, Darrell}}
Category:Australian television presenters
Category:Motorsport announcers
Category:Australian rugby league commentators
Category:Australian golf commentators
Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in Australia