• Home
  • Articles
    • Front Page
    • General Interest
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Snippets
  • Competitions
    • Do you know Canowindra’s Top Tradie
  • Our Community
    • Our People
    • Question of the Week
    • Be Seen
    • Jobs in The Central West
  • Special Interests
    • Rural Round Up
    • Health & Wellness
    • Loving Local Living
    • My Place
    • Real Estate
  • Sports
    • Bowls
    • Canowindra Junior Rugby League
    • Rugby League
    • Cricket
    • Footy Tipping Competition
    • Golf
    • Rugby Union
    • Swimming
    • Touch Football Results
    • Tennis
    • Other
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Testimonials
    • Subscribe to the Phoenix
    • Submit an Article

The Canowindra Phoenix

Your free weekly guide to what's happening in and around Canowindra.

Home » Derek Maitland – An Obituary

Derek Maitland – An Obituary

23 January, 2019 By Canowindra Phoenix Editor

Derek Maitland, who died on January 7th aged 75, was a world traveller who in recent years was happy to call Canowindra his home together with wife Jan. Well known and much liked in the community, Derek in his time had answered many callings – journalist, author, TV producer and reporter, philosopher and most recently artist. Recent exhibitions in Canowindra and Hong Kong featured his critically acclaimed battle action photographs of the Vietnam War – a conflict which was to affect him psychologically to the end of his days.

Born in Essex, England in 1943, Derek emigrated to Australia in 1956. Aged 18 he went straight from high school to Channel 7 in Sydney as a trainee journalist and in the following years worked on various newspapers and Channel 10 news. He saved the boat fare to Hong Kong, arriving in the Colony with 25 pounds. A skilled and resourceful reporter, he earned enough to move on to Vietnam, his intended destination when first leaving Australia.

Derek signed with the American Copley News Service and went straight into action. “We were a small legion of gung ho journalists who saw their role in the battlefield among the troops themselves instead of diligently covering the U.S. briefings in Saigon.”

Derek was with a patrol which came across 80 dead soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Battalion which had been ambushed by a hardened group of North Vietnamese regulars. While the bodies were being retrieved the ambushers opened fire again and Derek felt bullets whipping through the undergrowth around him.

A best-selling novel came out of his experiences in Vietnam – The Only War We’ve Got. He said: “It was wrong we went into the war. It was the wrong conflict. It was wrong to do that to the Vietnamese people.”

Back in Australia, Derek went to work for Channel Nine News in Sydney and soon his investigative instincts got him and the station in deep trouble. Derek ran to ground a story very unfavourable to major soap powder manufacturers and Nine baulked at putting it to air for practical and commercial reasons. Derek quit Nine, took the story to the ABC where it was aired to cause maximum impact, and the outcome was the biggest public enquiry into the Australian commercial broadcasting industry.

In London, Derek worked for the BBC television news service as a reporter/producer. In 1984, during the Tory Party conference in Brighton, the IRA detonated a bomb inthe hotel where Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was staying. Derek was the duty producer at the time and rushed to the blast
scene. The police tried to hold him back but Derek did a deal with the rescue workers to use his camera lights and he was able to shoot the now-historic footage of cabinet minister Norman Tebbit being pulled from the debris.

With his wife Jan they produced high quality promotional videos for Cathay Pacific, American Express, Hilton Hotels, The Hong Kong Government and KONE elevators. Derek wrote another best seller Breaking Out, a hilarious tale of jail escapees. The Fatal Line charts in gripping detail his battle with Channel Nine and the Australian commercial television system during the soap powder expose.

In the mood to finally settle down, Derek found a welcoming and comfortable home here in Canowindra – where he was to fight his final battle against cancer. He is survived by his wife Jan and two sons, Nick and Luke, from his first marriage.

Filed Under: Articles, General Interest

More News

Why Not Go Dry This July?

23 June, 2022 By Canowindra Phoenix Editor

Dry July is a fundraiser that encourages you to go alcohol-free in July to raise funds for people … [Read More...]

Additional $40 Million For Cowra Hospital Redevelopment

23 June, 2022 By Canowindra Phoenix Editor

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has welcomed today’s 2022-23 NSW Budget announcements, which … [Read More...]

Canowindra Real Estate Are Excited To Offer ‘Clearview’ For Sale

23 June, 2022 By Canowindra Phoenix Editor

'Clearview' offers fertile soils and pasture improved paddocks which are currently utilised in the … [Read More...]

More articles in this section

  • Affordable Preschool Locked In
  • Cabonne Council Meets With New Minister
  • Get Ready For Showtime!

More Food & Wine

ANZAC Treat

23 April, 2020 By Canowindra Phoenix Editor

Caramel ANZAC Slice SLICE • 2 Cups Plain Flour • 2 Cups Brown Sugar • 2 Cups Rolled Oats • 1 … [Read More...]

Enjoy a Cold Christmas Pudding!

16 December, 2015 By Canowindra Phoenix Editor

Ingredients 2.25 litre vanilla ice cream 2 x 125 punnets of pistachio kernels 1 teaspoon … [Read More...]

The Bite…Coffee Culture

8 July, 2015 By Canowindra Phoenix Editor

It is a fair generalisation that Australians are culturally obsessed with their coffee. Across the … [Read More...]

More articles in this section

  • The Bite…Winter Warmers
  • In The Vines…Philip Shaw’s New Cellar Door
  • The Bite…Orange Cafe Culture

More Sport

Men’s Bowls

23 June, 2022 By Ian Nelder

Last Sunday a Major Fours match was played with Nigel Knight, Sparky Wright, Brian McClintock and Ian Nelder against Ben Rooke, Westy Wyburn, Tony Tuimauga and David Crowe. After 15 ends the scores were level at 10 all. On the next end Crowy’s team scored 4 shots. After that Crowy’s team edged away winning the […]

Latest Print Edition

Click here to download the recent issue (688) of The Canowindra Phoenix (2mb PDF) 23rd June 2022

AWARDED 2018 BEST BUSINESS IN CABONNE

Stay Connected

The Canowindra Phoenix would like to thank you, our Facebook friends, for your continued support and readership!

likeusonfacebook

Canowindra Booklet

Click here to download the 2018 Canowindra Booklet – Explore “The Place You Call Home” Like a Local

Central West Rural Round Up Booklet

Click here to download the Central West Rural Round Up Booklet

Search the Phoenix

Recent Articles

  • Snippets… 23 June, 2022
  • Men’s Bowls 23 June, 2022
  • Local News In Your Pocket 23 June, 2022

Contact the Phoenix

Street Address: 84 Gaskill Street Canowindra NSW 2804
Postal Address: PO Box 203 Canowindra NSW 2804
Phone: (02) 6344 1846

Editorial Phone – 6344 1846
editor@canowindraphoenix.com.au

Sales Phone – 0498 202 025
sales@canowindraphoenix.com.au

View our Privacy Policy.
View our Conflict Resolution Process.
View our Ethics and Complaints Policy.
Want to advertise with us?
Information on our Community Promotions.

 

 

 

 

 

Submit an Article

We are always looking for new articles of interest to the local community.

Please feel free to submit an article for possible inclusion in a future issue.

To submit an article, click here to use our online article submission form.

Receive The Phoenix via Email

* indicates required

Copyright © 2022 · Website setup and support: CompleteWPCare