Craig Hamilton farewells the ABC: The story of a coal miner who became a broadcaster and a voice for suicide prevention
ABC Newcastle broadcaster Craig Hamilton has farewelled the airwaves after 23 years. (ABC Newcastle: Bruce Williams)
Craig Hamilton wasn’t always going to be a radio broadcaster.
It’s fair to say that when he was practising cricket with his schoolmates on his parent’s dairy farm in Singleton, NSW, there was no thought of getting behind the microphone and later becoming an important voice in the national conversation around men and mental health.
But that’s what happened. Not straight away, of course.
At first, 'Hammo' worked long days deep underground in coal mines across the Hunter region, dreaming of playing cricket for Australia.
Before his broadcasting career, Craig was a coal miner in the Hunter Valley. (Supplied)
Sixteen years he spent working as a coal miner, supporting his young family and playing cricket on the weekends — until a freak chance came his way.
One fateful weekend, when Craig was playing representative cricket for Newcastle in Canberra against the ACT, a local broadcaster asked if anyone from the team wanted a go at commentating.
"It’s a sliding doors moment. If I went down road A, I may not have had a radio career at all and I would still be a coal miner today," he said.
Craig was first introduced to sports broadcasting as a local cricket player. (Supplied)
"I didn’t really jump up and down at the opportunity, I didn’t volunteer, but all my teammates volunteered me.
"I could do it straight away. That was the natural gift I'd had since I was a kid, I'd always been able to talk."
A few key people were listening to that broadcast and from there, Craig scored an honorary role as a publicity officer for Newcastle Cricket.
"I’d get called by the media, local radio stations, the Newcastle Herald and the ABC."
Craig started as a guest on the ABC’s All in the Game, with presenter and ex-league player Brian Burke.
When Burke left the ABC, Lindy Burns and Craig Hamilton became the co-hosts of All in the Game.
From there, Craig went on to call rugby league games and host his long-standing Saturday show on ABC Newcastle.
Craig Hamilton has been a trusted voice in the world of rugby league for decades. (Supplied)
But for anyone thinking it all just landed in his lap, Craig is quick to correct them.
"You make the opportunities work," he said.
"It took six years from that time in Canberra to when I left coal mining to chase a dream in the media. There was a lot of work in that period of time to get there."
Since then, Craig has been entertaining sports fans and the people across Newcastle for 23 years with his dry wit and great playlists.
He covered national rugby league games, grand finals and State of Origin matches over a 20-year period as a sideline eye and as lead commentator.
His biggest highlight was being on the sideline for ABC Grandstand when Darren Albert crossed in the dying seconds of the 1997 grand final against Manly to give the Newcastle Knights the club's first premiership victory.
Former Newcastle Knights captain Paul Harragon being interviewed by Craig Hamilton on the sideline. (Supplied)
As Craig puts it, he had "the best view in the house".
It will be a bittersweet celebration when he turns his mic on for the last time on Saturday, August 19.
But this is not where the story ends. There’s another important role Craig has come to play, that of mental health advocate.
Not long after achieving his dream of becoming an ABC sports broadcaster, Craig found himself on another rollercoaster ride, this time a journey deep into the depths of mental illness.
In 2000, Craig became severely depressed.
“I got no help, it was the worst thing I could have ever done,” he said.
Within 12 months of being diagnosed with depression, Craig suffered a manic episode, was hospitalised and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
"I thought I could either go down two roads, and that is to be part of the problem, or I could be part of the solution — and part of the solution was to talk and share and I've been doing that ever since."
What was it like to go public with such a private story?
“Difficult. It was a raw story, so to tell it … you don’t know if you’re doing the right thing,” he said.
“In the end, the greater good prevailed and it was the right decision then and it’s the right decision now.”
Craig has recently been the subject of a documentary, The Promise.
It's a suicide prevention documentary that focuses on the important conversation around mental health, blokes and sport — an important step into a space Craig has been spending more and more time in.
For those who have known Hammo well, worked with him over the years, or listened to him on the radio, we will miss him on Saturdays, but can’t wait to see where those conversations take him next.
But now his broadcasting days are almost over, will he miss them?
"I'm going to miss it for sure, I love being behind the microphone. The landscape has changed a lot but the broadcasting bit — I'll never stop loving it."
Craig Hamilton’s documentary, The Promise will premiere in Newcastle, September 20, and will be screened around Australia.