By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
TONY Jones tried calling Brian Naylor at his Kinglake West property but no one picked up.
It was 7 February 2009 and Dandenong born Tony and veteran Channel Nine broadcaster Peter Hitchener were in central Victoria covering the Black Saturday bushfires.
Their close friend and esteemed Nine News anchor Brian Naylor had a property in Kinglake but no one could reach him.
“I’d been trying to ring Brian and it went straight to message bank,” Tony recalled.
“So when we went past his street, the road that he lived in up in Kinglake – Hitch and I were in the same car, we had some production people with us – we just looked at each other and thought… there’s no way.
“But we didn’t know he was up there ’cause he had a farm down at Gippsland.
“So I rang his number again and again it went to a message bank and it was while we were on-air that I remember my boss rang.
“He said ‘look. I know why you haven’t been able to get in contact with Brian’, and I said ‘oh you’re joking… ’”
Tony ran to the police officers nearby seeking confirmation.
“There were all these burnt out cars and everything… it was like a horrible movie set, and the cops said they couldn’t confirm anything but I knew from their tone,” he said.
“And, unfortunately, it was true – Brian and his wife had gone.”
Brian Naylor presented the Melbourne edition of National Nine News for 20 years until he retired in 1998 to be replaced in the role by Peter Hitchener.
“They (Brian and wife, Moiree) were two really special people for this newsroom, and to me and my wife personally, because we would have dinner with them, and also their family was just fantastic,” Tony said.
The Channel Nine sports presenter reflected fondly on Brian’s influence on him, his family, and the newsroom.
And, of that tragic moment up in the mountains when he and Peter’s worst nightmare was confirmed, Tony said: “Hitch and I, we don’t really talk about it – it’s just too confronting.”
