Don Burke#Sexual misconduct allegations
{{short description|Australian television presenter, author, and horticulturist (born 1947)}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Don Burke
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|OAM}}
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Donald William Burke
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1947|07|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| death_place =
| occupation = {{hlist|Television presenter|producer|author|landscaper}}
| known_for = Burke's Backyard host
| spouse = Marea Burke
| children =
| website =
| years active = 1987–2013
}}
Donald William Burke {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (born 16 July 1947){{cn|date=September 2023}} is an Australian television presenter, television producer, author and horticulturist. He is best known as the longtime host of Burke's Backyard, a lifestyle program produced by his wife's company CTC Productions, which ran for 17 years from 1987 to late 2004 on the Nine Network. He was also responsible for the creation of garden makeover program Backyard Blitz, starring former colleague Jamie Durie.
Career
In 2004, Business Review Weekly listed Burke among its top 50 entertainers list, saying he earned an estimated A$7.2 million in 2004.{{cite news |title=Australia's 50 richest entertainers |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Entertainment/Australias-50-richest-entertainers/2005/04/06/1112489552646.html |access-date=22 November 2015 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Fairfax Media |date=7 April 2005}}
Burke is a professional horticulturist and former board member of Landcare Australia and has been active in a number of other public roles. Burke spent 20 years working on his own home and garden.{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1370065.htm|title=Enough Rope interview with Andrew Denton|website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=16 August 2016}} He has been an outspoken critic of numerous environmental advocacy groups. From July 2005 to late 2008,{{cite web |last1=Mahosey|first1=Jennifer |title=Don Burke Retires as Chair of the Australian Environment Foundation |url=http://jennifermarohasy.com/2008/09/don-burke-retires-as-chair-of-the-australian-environment-foundation/ |website=jennifermarohasy.com |access-date=22 November 2015 |date=23 September 2008}} Burke was the Chair of the climate-change-denying Australian Environment Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://www.aefweb.info/|title=Australian Environment Foundation|website=aefweb.info|access-date=28 November 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525135639/http://aefweb.info/|archive-date=25 May 2017}}
Burke was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on 26 January 2010 for service to conservation and the environment through advisory roles, to the horticultural industry, and to the media as a television presenter.{{cite web|title=Don Burke OAM|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1141900|publisher=Australian Honours Database|access-date=26 January 2010}}
Burke appeared on A Current Affair in July 2015, with his wife Marea, discussing her health battles including arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and breast cancer.{{cite interview |last1=Grimshaw |first1=Tracy |author-link=Tracy Grimshaw |title=Don and Marea Burke |url=http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/9012704/don-and-marea-burke |work=A Current Affair |access-date=22 November 2015 |date=28 July 2015 |type=Interview: video |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122115729/http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/9012704/don-and-marea-burke |archive-date=22 November 2015 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Don and Marea Burke's secret fifteen-year battle |url=http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/07/28/19/16/don-and-marea-burkes-secret-fifteen-year-battle |access-date=22 November 2015 |publisher=9news.com.au |date=28 July 2015}}
Sexual misconduct allegations
An investigation started when journalist Tracey Spicer announced on Twitter that she was investigating the sexual harassment by powerful men in the Australian entertainment industry. Spicer said, "One name kept recurring – Don Burke".{{cite web| url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-australian-media-industry-operates-a-protection-racket-for-men-like-don-burke-20171127-gztgu3.html| title=The Australian media industry operates a protection racket for men like Don Burke| date=28 November 2017| last=Spicer| first=Tracey| author-link=Tracey Spicer| website=smh.con.au| access-date=28 November 2017}}
On 26 November 2017, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and The Sydney Morning Herald published a joint investigative piece containing claims that Burke had sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, and bullied women throughout his television career. The report quotes alleged female victims, as well as both female and male witnesses, including David Leckie{{mdash}}the former head of the Nine Network, on which Burke's programs aired{{mdash}}comparing Burke to American producer Harvey Weinstein.{{cite news|last1=McClymont|first1=Kate|title='A high-grade, twisted abuser': Don Burke a sexual harasser and bully, claims series of women|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/a-highgrade-twisted-abuser-don-burke-a-sexual-harasser-and-bully-claims-series-of-women-20171126-gzt6d2.html|access-date=27 November 2017|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=27 November 2017}} Kate McClymont, Lorna Knowles, Tracey Spicer and Alison Branley received a Walkley Award for their investigation.{{cite web| url=http://www.walkleys.com/awards/walkleys/award-winners-2018/| title=Award Winners – The Walkley Foundation| date=22 November 2018| website=walkleys.com| access-date=23 November 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123023104/http://www.walkleys.com/awards/walkleys/award-winners-2018/| archive-date=23 November 2018| url-status=dead}}
Other former Channel Nine executives went "on the record" to comment on the allegations.
Sam Chisholm said, "Don Burke was a disgrace because of his behaviour internally and externally. This precluded him from ever becoming a major star."
Peter Meakin said, "There was gossip about inappropriate language and he was incredibly demanding. If someone fell short of the mark, he would excoriate them. He was unforgiving."
In response to the allegations, Burke released a lengthy statement which said he was "deeply hurt and outraged at the false and defamatory claims" and suggested the "baseless" claims were from former employees who "bear grudges against me". Burke also stated that he has had a "life-long opposition to sexism and misogyny".{{cite news|title='He was trying to take my top off': Don Burke accused of sexual harassment|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-27/don-burke-accused-of-sexual-harassment-indecent-assault/9188070|access-date=27 November 2017|work=ABC News|date=27 November 2017|language=en-AU}}
Burke claimed to have self-diagnosed Asperger's syndrome and, in a media interview{{cite news|title=Don Burke admits affairs, blames Asperger's|url=https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/don-burke-affairs-aspergers/3276338/|work=The Morning Bulletin|date=27 November 2017|language=en-AU}} following revelations about his alleged misconduct, said that these "genetic failings" were to blame for some of his conduct. In response, Autism Awareness Australia stated that Burke's claim was "beyond appalling" and "gobsmacking".{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/head-of-autism-awareness-australia-blasts-don-burkes-appalling-aspergers-excuse-20171127-gzu2pg.html|title=Head of Autism Awareness Australia blasts Don Burke's 'appalling' Asperger's excuse|first1=Anthony|last1=Colangelo|first2=Ebony|last2=Bowden|date=28 November 2017|access-date=28 November 2017|via=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
In the following days, many celebrities came forward to recount their observations of Burke's sexist and offensive behaviour, including Susie O'Neill,{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/olympic-swimmer-susie-oneill-flabbergasted-at-don-burke-comments-it-was-crude-and-it-was-belittling-20171127-gztw2n.html|title=Olympic swimmer Susie O'Neill 'flabbergasted' at Don Burke comments: 'It was crude and it was belittling'|first=Kate|last=McClymont|date=27 November 2017|via=The Sydney Morning Herald}} Kerri-Anne Kennerley,{{cite web|last1=Weir|first1=James|title=Inside the Channel 9 boys' club|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/inside-the-channel-9-boys-club/news-story/ef24cb5ffe32c01524ae952c10e68b30|website=news.com.au|date=1 December 2017}} Di Morrissey, Debra Byrne, Tottie Goldsmith, Amity Dry and Mike Carlton.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/in-their-own-words-women-speak-up-against-don-burke-20171201-gzx4eq.html|title=In their own words: Women speak up against Don Burke|first=Kate|last=McClymont|date=2 December 2017|via=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
Following the interview on A Current Affair,{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqRn9YcSuIs |title=A Current Affair - Don Burke breaks his silence}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}} one of the women sued Burke for defamation on the grounds that he said she had lied about the sexual harassment allegation and that she made the false allegation as part of a "witch hunt" during the interview. She lost the case on the grounds that Justice David Mossop did not find Burke's denial in the interview was credible, so viewers would not conclude that she was a liar or part of a witch hunt, and thus was not defamed.{{cite news |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6247160/don-burkes-credibility-questioned-in-defamation-case-win/ |date=28 June 2019 |title=Don Burke wins defamation case against woman he allegedly sexually harassed but has credibility questioned |first=Elliot |last=Williams |access-date=2 December 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.mondaq.com/australia/libel-defamation/822576/why-wendy-dents-defamation-loss-is-a-win-for-metoo |publisher=Marque Lawyers |date=5 July 2019 |first=Hannah |last=Marshall |work=Marque Update |title=Why Wendy Dent's defamation loss is a win for #metoo |access-date=2 December 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0121659}}
- [http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/ Burke's Backyard website]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Don}}
Category:Australian environmentalists
Category:Australian television presenters
Category:Australian landscape and garden designers