CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL DETAILS

Louise Elizabeth FitzRoy

Ph: 0421 578 969

Email: louise@fitzroymedia.com.au

Websites: www.frompaddocktoplate.com.au / www.fitzroymedia.com.au

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

I am an ABC Radio journalist and presenter and one of the youngest winners of the Walkley Award, Australia’s most prestigious journalism accolade.

In conjunction with my ABC work, I am also a freelance food writer and educator, author, public speaker and photographer.

I own and founded media business, FitzRoy Media, and have established a ‘From Paddock to Plate’ brand, which provides educational resources to teach students about where and how their food is produced.

I live an active and healthy life and practise as a qualified yoga teacher.

I have worked in the journalism industry for more than eight years, at the following organisations:

• 774 ABC Melbourne
• ABC News
• ABC Local Radio
• ABC Rural
• ABC Sport
• WIN Television
• FitzRoy Media
• From Paddock to Plate

2009 – Present

Director – FitzRoy Media

• Presenter of the ‘Great State of Ag’ feature series created by Rural Finance Bank. (Watch the six episodes that feature on the From Paddock to Plate homepage – www.frompaddocktoplate.com.au)
• Master of Ceremonies at international food event ‘Gourmet Escape’, interviewing celebrity chefs such as George Calombaris and Guillaume Brahimi – (www.frompaddocktoplate.com.au/events/gourmet-escape-2013)
• Master of Ceremonies at national events including Australia’s biggest truffle festival, ‘Truffle Kerfuffle’ and the ‘South West Food Bowl Festival’ – (www.frompaddocktoplate.com.au/events/fp2p-at-truffle-kerfuffle-2013)
• Guest speaker at state functions including the ‘Victorian Rural Women’s Network’ and ‘Grampians Grape Escape’.
• Regular guest talking about ‘Feel Good Food’ on ABC Radio’s The Health Club.
• Freelance writer for a range of national and international publications including features in ‘delicious.’, ‘Australian Women’s Health’,’ Scoop’, ‘Jetstar Magazine’ and Malaysian Airlines’ ‘Going Places’ – (www.frompaddocktoplate.com.au/events/from-paddock-to-plate-features-in-delicious-magazine
• Guest blogger for the ‘Love My Salad’ website – (www.lovemysalad.com/en/salad-lover/louise-fitzroy)

2009 – Present

Founder & Director – From Paddock to Plate Publications

• Author of published cookbook, ‘From Paddock to Plate – Recipes from Australian Providores’, published by ABC Books with Foreword by Valli Little of ABC Delicious – (https://shop.abc.net.au/products/from-paddock-to-plate)
• Presenter and producer of the ‘From Paddock to Plate’ video series. (Watch this trailer and more From Paddock to Plate material on the website homepage – www.frompaddocktoplate.com.au)
• Organiser and host of ‘From Paddock to Plate’ stages at major food events in Australia including ‘Gourmet Escape’, ‘The Royal Melbourne Show’, ‘The West Live’ and ‘Melbourne’s Good Food & Wine Show’ – (www.frompaddocktoplate.com.au/events/from-paddock-to-plate-at-the-west-live)
• Founder of the ‘Paddock2Plate’ mobile app available on Apple iTunes
• Ambassador for Oxfam Trailwalker
• Established the first trial of a farmers’ market accreditation program in Western Australia

2012 – Present

Acting Executive Producer, ABC Rural WA

• Coordinated a team of reporters, delegated stories, provided air checks and training (producing, online, presenting, SCOSE, script writing, editing audio), led an interview panel, sourced and trained people for rural reporting positions, provided guidance and editorial advice, instigated new and innovative ideas for reporting, presented outside broadcasts and reported live from the field, as well as chaired and presented specific state-wide rural events on behalf of ABC Rural.
• Chair of the discussion panel for ‘Rural Media Association WA’ at one of their major events.
• Master of Ceremonies at the ‘ABARES Conference’ held in Margaret River, WA.

2011

Field reporter and presenter – flood coverage in Queensland and Victoria, ABC Radio

• Filed packages and presented Q&A’s on ABC radio programs Australia-wide from flood-affected regions of Queensland.
• Presenter of the Victorian Country Hour on 774 ABC Melbourne and ABC Victoria from different locations for five consecutive days throughout flood-affected Victoria.

2009

Presenter – ABC Kinglake Ranges Radio (774 ABC Melbourne)

• Winner of a 2009 Walkley Award for coverage of the February bushfires in Victoria.
• Co-host of a breakfast and morning program from a ‘make-shift’ radio studio established by 774 ABC Melbourne in the Kinglake Neighbourhood House covering the aftermath of ‘Black Saturday’.
• Adapted to various roles including that of a radio presenter, a field journalist and a counsellor to help bushfire-affected Victorians with recovery, relief and rebuilding.
• Basic equipment included a transmitter resting 15 metres high in a local farmer’s cherry picker – this required initiative and practical journalist skills to broadcast with our limited resources.
• Guests interviewed include Chair of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, Christine Nixon, former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd and former Victorian Premier, John Brumby.
• Awarded honorary Kinglake Ranges Citizenship for services to local community radio

2006 – 2011

Presenter – Victorian Country Hour, ABC Rural; Sports reporter – ABC Sport; Producer of Saturday Breakfast program – 774 ABC Melbourne and ABC Victoria; Traffic reporter – 774 ABC Melbourne; Rural reporter – ABC Rural; News reporter – ABC News; Television news reporter – WIN Newsroom, Canberra

• Creator and presenter of the ‘Cold Esky Challenge’ radio series on ABC Rural WA, educating listeners on what seasonal produce is available, where to source it and how to cook with it.
• Individually broke and developed a number of stories that were broadcast nationally and internationally through Radio Australia, which included the equine influenza outbreak and a fatal train disaster, both in NSW.
• Live coverage of the 2009 AFL Grand Final
• Ensured that my stories always maintained a high level of presence on ABC Online.

 

TERTIARY EDUCATION

Bachelor of Sports Media – The University of Canberra

Undergraduate Diploma in Languages specialising in Japanese – The University of Canberra

Certificates 1, 2 & 3 in Spanish

Golden Key International Honour Society member

• Awarded for consistent academic university results.

 

INTERESTS AND SKILLS

Food and agriculture

• I grew up on a sheep and cattle property in northern NSW and have always been passionate about rural issues, promoting Australian farmers and the food that they produce (‘From Paddock to Plate’).

Health and fitness

• Advanced Diploma of Yoga Teaching, Australian Yoga Academy

Travel

• Spent two years travelling around Australia with ABC Radio, broadcasting from regional and remote locations – working in every state of Australia.
• Travelled independently throughout Japan, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, UK, Europe and the US.

Languages

• Undergraduate Diploma in Languages specialising in Japanese, The University of Canberra
• ‘Teach International’ graduate, qualifying me as a teacher of English to foreign English speakers
• Assistant English teacher, Kichijo Girls’ School, Tokyo, Japan
• Certificates 1, 2 & 3 in Spanish

Radio editing skills

• Proficient with Netia, Radio Assist, Dcart, ENPS, News Boss, Audio Editor and Headline.

REFEREES

Referees and references supplied upon request.