Geoff Corke

{{Short description|Australian radio and television presenter (1934–1993)}} {{Infobox person |name=Geoff Corke |image=3DB_Geoff_Corke.png |birth_name=Cuthbert Geoffrey Corke |birth_date={{birth date|1934|12|30|df=y}} |birth_place=Kew, Victoria, Australia<ref name=face/> |death_date={{death date and age|1993|05|01|1934|12|30|df=y}} |death_place= Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |other_names=Corkie; King Corkie, King of the Kids |occupation=radio and television presenter |years_active=1950 to 1970 |known_for=appearing on GTV-9 in Melbourne during the 1950's and 1960's |television=''In Melbourne Tonight'', ''The Tarax Show'', ''Geoff and Judy'', ''Football for the Ladies'' |employer=3DB, GTV-9 |height=193 cm }}

'''Cuthbert Geoffrey Corke''' (30 December 1934 - 1 May 1993) was an Australian radio and television presenter.<ref name=happened>{{cite news |last=Trask|first=Kevin|date=7 March 2018|title=Whatever happened to... Geoff Corke? |url=https://issuu.com/mediaflash/docs/ob180307z|work=Melbourne Observer|page=26|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref><ref name=death>{{cite news |author= |date=2 May 1993|title=Death of Australia's first TV celebrity |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126986091|work=The Canberra Times|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref><ref name=scotch>{{cite news |last=Ashton|first=David|date=24 June 2013|title=Scotch's unsung hero of TV's early days |url=https://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/greatscot/2007mayGS/59.htm|work=Scotch College|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref>

He became one of the first people to appear on television in Melbourne when he introduced GTV-9's test transmissions in 1956.<ref name=death/><ref name=scotch/>

==Early life== Corke was born at St George's Hospital in the Melbourne suburb of Kew on 30 December 1934.<ref name=face>{{cite news |last=Testro|first=Ron|date=24 October 1956|title=Here's the face in your TV |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84393121|work=The Argus|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref> At the age of three months, he relocated with his parents to Papua New Guinea where his father managed a rubber plantation near Port Moresby.<ref name=face/> He and his parents returned to Melbourne when they were evacuated back to Australia from Papua New Guinea after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.<ref name=happened/> After returning to Melbourne, Corke began attending South Auburn Primary School and then Scotch College.<ref name=face/>

==Career== Corke developed a strong interest in the media in his youth.<ref name=face/> Despite initially pursuing engineering work with International Harvester Company, he had a strong desire was to work in radio.<ref name=face/> This led to him applying for a job as an office boy at Melbourne radio station 3DB.<ref name=face/> After working as an office boy, Corke became a turntable operator before hosting his own show.<ref name=face/> In 1954, he was appointed as an assistant to 3DB production manager Norm Spencer.<ref>{{cite news |author= |date=7 January 1954|title=Studio News brevities|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206087852|work=The Age|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref>

Corke was one of many radio personalities to be approached to work for Melbourne's new television station, GTV-9.<ref name=face/> When GTV-9 commenced test transmissions on 27 September 1956, Corke became the first person to appear on the station.<ref name=fine>{{cite news |author= |date=19 January 2017|title=TV at 60: Viewing's fine on GTV9 |url=https://televisionau.com/2017/01/tv-at-60-viewings-fine-on-gtv9.html |work=Television.AU |location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref> During the test broadcast, Corke broadcast live from a temporary studio at the transmitter site on Mount Dandenong where he introduced selected programs including a John Wayne film and a Terrytoons cartoon.<ref name=fine/>

In November 1956, Corke was involved in GTV-9's coverage of the 1956 Summer Olympics which were being held in Melbourne.<ref name=death/><ref>{{cite news |author= |date=19 November 1956|title=We will see all the Games on GTV9 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71766475|work=The Argus|location= |access-date=28 December 2022|quote=The entire Games coverage will be in the hands of an outstanding team of commentators, who will include Eric Welsh, Geoff Corke...}}</ref>

Corke was selected as one of the on air comperes on the night GTV-9 was officially opened on 19 January 1957.<ref>{{cite news |author= |date=18 January 1957|title=Groomed for TV stardom |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71776814|work=GTV9 - New look in television: An Argus souvenir|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author= |date=18 January 1957|title=Governor to open nation's great TV "city" tomorrow |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71776841|work=The Argus|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref> After Victorian governor Sir Dallas Brooks had officially opened the station, Corke and Terry Dear compered the evening's variety entertainment.<ref>{{cite news |author= |date=19 January 1957|title=It's GTV9's big night tonight|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71777094|work=The Argus|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref>

From the program's inception in 1957 until 1959, Corke was a regular on GTV-9's variety show ''In Melbourne Tonight'', where he appeared as an offsider to host Graham Kennedy.<ref name=death/>

During this time, his profile was such that Corke and his fiancé (performer Val Ruff) were the first people to appear on the cover of ''TV Radio-Week'' when it was published for the first time in December 1957.<ref>{{cite news |last=Knox|first=David|date=29 November 2017|title=TV Week marks 60 years|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2017/11/tv-week-marks-60-years.html|work=TV Tonight|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref>

Corke left ''In Melbourne Tonight'' in 1959 upon the arrival of Bert Newton who formed a successful on air partnership with Kennedy.

Following his departure from ''IMT'', Corke replaced Happy Hammond on the children's program ''The Tarax Show'' where he became known as "King Corkie, King of the Kids".<ref name=death/>

In 1959, Corke co-hosted the weekly daytime variety show ''Geoff and Judy''. The following year, he hosted ''Football for the Ladies'', a program GTV-9 produced for female fans of Australian rules football.

Other programs Corke was involved with at GTV-9 included ''Anything Goes'', ''Penalty Box'', and ''Happy Go Lucky''.<ref name=happened/>

==Personal life and death== Corke was known for his tall stature, and with his height reported to be 6ft 4in (193 cm) he was often described as a "gentle giant".<ref name=scotch/><ref name=face/> His voice has also been described as "deep" and "mellifluous".<ref name=scotch/>

In December 1961, Corke was involved in an attempted rescue of a 65-year-old woman who was trapped in a burning unit in the suburb of Toorak.<ref name=fire>{{cite news |author= |date=26 December 1961|title=Trapped in burning flat, woman dies |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105857198|work=The Canberra Times|location= |access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref> Corke, who was passing by at the time, worked with firefighters as they tried to rescue the woman.<ref name=fire/> They attempted to climb through a window but were all forced back by the heat.<ref name=fire/> After a firefighter finally managed to gain entry to the building, they passed the woman down to Corke.<ref name=fire/> Despite their efforts, the woman was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.<ref name=fire/>

Corke retired from television in the late 1960's after he reportedly developed a rare abdominal disease.<ref name=death/>

He died on 1 May 1993 at the age of 58 from a degenerative disease.<ref name=death/><ref name=scotch/>

In 1979, Corke remarried to a woman called Sue.<ref name=happened/> They were still married at the time of his death in 1993.<ref name=happened/><ref name=death/>

He had previously married performer Val Ruff in 1958.<ref name=happened/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/1696832|title=Item HT 25855 - Magazine - Southdown Press, TV-Radio Week, December 1957|author= |date= |website=Museums Victoria|publisher= |access-date=28 December 2022|quote=...GTV Channel 9 personalities Val Ruff and Geoff Corke, who were getting married...}}</ref> They were married for approximately five years, during which time they had a daughter.<ref name=happened/> When Ruff was asked during an interview on 3AW in March 1993 whether there had been pressure being part of a "showbiz marriage", she said she hadn't considered it as "pressure" and that "it was just a lot of fun".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mansfield|first1=Bruce|author-link=Bruce Mansfield|last2=Brady|first2=Philip|author-link2=Philip Brady (broadcaster)|date=7 March 1993|title=Interview with Val Ruff|work=Remember When?|location=}}</ref>

Corke was an uncle to 3AW presenter Simon Owens.<ref name=happened/>

==Legacy== Corke was portrayed by actor Donal Forde in ''The King'' - a 2007 biographical movie about Graham Kennedy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-i1kqsc/the-king|title=Movie Guide: The King|author= |date= |website=Radio Times|publisher= |access-date=28 December 2022|quote=Credits... Geoff "Corkie" Corke - Donal Forde}}</ref>

== References ==  {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corke, Geoff}} Category:1934 births Category:1993 deaths Category:Australian radio presenters Category:Australian television presenters Category:Australian children's television presenters Category:Television personalities from Melbourne Category:Radio personalities from Melbourne