In the late 1980s and early 1990s more than two million Australians would tune in to watch Don Burke share his love of gardening. His hands, black with earth, would wave about as he explained the properties of some flower or fern; one elbow resting on the spade he’d use to dig the hole beside his feet.
As we learned Monday morning, it seems he’d been digging a much larger one all along.
A stunning joint investigation by Fairfax Media and the ABC presented allegations by dozens of men and women that the popular television presenter had sexually harassed, bullied and intimidated employees during his time as host of Channel 9 lifestyle juggernaut Burke’s Backyard.
But why now? Why did it take three decades for rumours to turn into headlines?
Protecting an asset.
At its most basic level, Burke’s alleged behaviour occurred out in near-perfect conditions: he was powerful, he was influential, valuable and, because of that, protected.
At the height of its success Burke’s Backyard was a ratings-winner for Channel 9, and routinely raked in audiences in the high one millions – the kind of numbers we’d expect of a blockbuster Masterchef or My Kitchen Rules finale today. Burke himself was estimated by BRW to have earned $7.2 million in 2004, the same year the show was unceremoniously axed over falling ratings after 17 years on the air.
Popular. Rich. A TV “legend”. An OAM recipient. All worked against anyone who tried to come forward, to suggest that he was anything other than Australia’s beloved garden guru.
According to Kate McClymont, reporter behind Monday’s exposé, several tried. David Leckie, the former chief executive of the Nine Network, conceded that multiple complaints were made about Burke’s behaviour, but no action was taken and Leckie indicated to the Sydney Morning Herald that all complaints he’d heard were “second hand”.