Ian Craig Leslie OAM is an Indonesian-born Australian television journalist and corporate communicator.
Ian was educated at Church of England Boys Prep and Toowoomba State High.
Leslie became a cadet journalist in Toowoomba in 1962 with the local newspaper/television group, rising to News Editor. He moved to Sydney in 1972 as a senior reporter with the Ten Network. In 1977, he transferred to the Nine Network to join A Current Affair.
In 1979, the Australian edition of 60 Minutes was launched on the Nine Network, with Ian Leslie, Ray Martin and George Negus as the original reporting team. He remained in that role for the next 11 years, until 1989.
In his time with 60 Minutes, he is best remembered for his compassionate reporting, especially where children were involved, and for his unwavering commitment to expose suffering in Australia and in developing countries.
Leslie covered conflicts in most of the world's major trouble spots: Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lebanon, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Burma, Korea, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.
He is the only Australian journalist to have interviewed the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
He interviewed many other world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Moraji Desai, Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Presidents Ferdinand Marcos (Philippines), Godfrey Beniza, Milton Obote and Yoweri Muzeweri (all of Uganda).
In 1989, he re-joined the Ten Network to manage and produce primetime documentaries and special projects, becoming the Ten Evening News anchor.
In 1990, Ian Leslie formed a production company specialising in corporate communications.
In 2005 he anchored Fox Television's award-winning documentary series Running On Empty.
On a 60 Minutes assignment in the Philippines, a Moro guerrilla pulled a revolver from his holster, put it against Leslie's head, and pulled the trigger. Leslie had no idea the gun was not loaded.
Honours and awards:
Logie Award 1973 Best News Report
Walkley Award 1979 Best Current Affairs Report
Logie Award 1981 Outstanding Public Affairs Report
Logie Award 1985 Reporter of the Year
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2009 for services to the media in current affairs journalism, and to the community.
