The FHA Blog

Several prominent Australians provided character statements for biologist Jeremy Griffith and mountaineer Tim Macartney-Snape as their defamation trial against the ABC rolled into its 16th hearing day.

Statements from Cranbrook School headmaster Jeremy Madin, Fred Hollows Foundation director Gabi Hollows and Everest mountaineer Michael Groom were among five tendered today relating to the plaintiffs, their reputations and the damage caused by the 1995 Four Corners program.

In his statement, Mr Madin described how he first got to know Mr Griffith when they attended Geelong Grammar School together and during hikes at Corio, Timbertop and in Tasmania.

“He was a person who had an extraordinarily inquiring mind who had a particular interest in natural sciences. He was always keen to explore, he didn’t necessarily accept the received wisdom – he was keen to figure things out himself”, Mr Madin stated.

“Jeremy Griffith has a reputation of being honest about his beliefs, he is thoughtful, he pushes the boundaries and he raises interesting ideas – whether or not you agree with them.

“When I heard about the Four Corners programme I was surprised that someone was impugning his reputation … I have never, apart from the Four Corners programme, heard an impugning thing said about Jeremy.”

The Cranbrook headmaster said Mr Griffith is “considered to be of fine character” within the circles he moved and he marvelled at the biologist’s determination, citing his five year search for the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine which began in the late 1960s.

A witness statement was also filed by Mr Griffith’s long time friend, Queensland-based property developer Ian ‘Rare’ Russell, in which he described how the two became friends while attending the University of New England together in the mid-1960s.

“I immediately liked Jeremy, he was a fellow that everyone liked because he was so gregarious, he was outgoing, he was good at sport, he had a great smile and an engaging personality”, Mr Russell stated.

He went on to say that Mr Griffith “was perceived as idealistic – he was unaffected and young at heart”.

“I do not think people ever questioned his integrity – up until 1995 he had a reputation of having unquestionable integrity.”

“After the Four Corners program old university friends and others asked me if Jeremy was a madman, or if he was running a cult. He was totally misconstrued on that program”, Mr Russell added.

“I have noticed with Jeremy that he is not the same person that he used to be – he seems to me to have been scarred by the Four Corners program. I have seen that friends haven’t stood by him after the program I can tell he has been badly hurt by the program.”

A third statement for Mr Griffith was filed by another long time friend, one of Australia’s most successful furniture designers Bruce Dowse, maker of the Post & Rail and Pacific Green brands.

Mr Dowse recounted how they became friends 25 years ago through their mutual involvement in furniture making when Mr Griffith was based in the Tweed Valley in northern NSW, and later in Sydney where Mr Griffith had a furniture gallery.

“Prior to 1995, Jeremy was known as an honest reputable person who had a tremendous amount of integrity. He was known as someone who really wanted to do good stuff”, Mr Dowse stated.

“I think Jeremy’s ideas are a good thing – whether he is right or wrong; he is giving people the opportunity to understand themselves.

“In 1995 I watched the Four Corners programme. He came over badly in that – a lot of people believed it. I think that the situation is completely the opposite.”

Also filing witness statements were Fred Hollows Foundation director Gabi Hollows and climber Michael Groom.

In her statement, Ms Hollows described how she and her late husband Fred Hollows became good friends with Mr Macartney-Snape in the mid-1980s and how the broadcast had hurt and damaged the mountaineer.

“Prior to 1995, Tim was highly revered by many people – he is an extraordinary man. He was known as strong and steady. He was known as one of nature’s true gentlemen – very respectful of nature and things greater than you”, she stated.

“So many people were thrown by Four Corners. Tim was deeply hurt by it. I am aware that he had friends that would not defend him after the programme. A lot of people were wary of being associated with Tim after that programme. He had previously been on the top of many lists to be guest speaker … the Four Corners programme caused people to raincheck or cancel this invitation.”

In his statement, Everest mountaineer Michael Groom recounted how he first climbed with Mr Macartney-Snape in India in 1982 and again on Annapurna II the following year. Mr Groom went on to successfully summit Mt Everest in 1993 and again in 1996 as part of the ill-fated “Into Thin Air” expedition in which many climbers died.

Mr Groom’s statement detailed how demand for his services as a professional speaker has continued to grow since 1991 and that his diary records showed that he gave over 240 paid speeches from 2000 to 2006.

Earlier in the day cross-examination of the FHA’s Chief Executive Officer Sam Belfield continued as counsel for the defendants, Bret Walker SC, took him through a forensic examination of Mr Griffith’s work, some of the FHA’s newsletters and other material.

The trial resumes in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday, 10 April 2007.