In 1960, Mal Walden was 17 years of age when he applied for his first job in radio.

In December 2013, at the age of 70, he stepped down as senior newsreader at Channel Ten.

After almost 10 years in radio and a year in the Middle East, Mal returned to Melbourne in 1970, joining HSV-7, where he hosted the popular game show Jeopardy, before completing a cadetship in journalism.

One of the highlights of Mal's early career was a world scoop as the first reporter to file from the scene of Cyclone Tracey in Darwin in 1974.

He then became the first working journalist to be appointed a TV Newsreader.

Such was the respect on leaving Ten in 2013, that Premier Denis Napthine hosted a State Reception at Parliament House.

Several weeks later, he was awarded the Quill Lifetime Achievement Award by the Victorian Press Council.

Since then, Mal has become a prolific author of 9 books.

His latest, ‘Hidden Headlines’, deals with stories behind some of the biggest news events of his career. His next book, Power of the Voice, is still a work in progress and is expected to be released later this year.

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Join us for this dinner event at Amora Hotel in Richmond on Monday 16 March 2026, cost $40, please RSVP to rotaryclubrichmond@gmail.com by 5pm Thursday 12 March.