Broadcaster & Social Change Advocate

In a television and radio broadcast career spanning over twenty five years, Tracee Hutchison has become renowned for her passionate dialogue on issues such as social justice, environment, politics, gender, Australian culture and entertainment. She regularly pens often controversial pieces for Melbourne’s Saturday Age Opinion, and continues her debates verbally through the Conversation Hour with Jon Faine on Melbourne’s 774/ABC, and her own weekly radio show, ‘the word’. You’ll also see Tracee on ABC2’s DIG TV, interviewing a host of home grown and international music legends.

She currently presents a national/international rolling news program weeknights on ABC News Radio/Radio Australia – broadcasting throughout Australia/Asia/Pacific.

Tracee has worked extensively nationally/internationally as a presenter for ABC radio; JJJ, Radio Australia, ABC News Radio, 774/Melbourne, 702/Sydney, 8DDD/Darwin and 2NR/Lismore - and on television as a presenter, reporter, producer and writer; 7.30 Report, SBS TV World News & ‘Dateline’ and co-host (with James Reyne) of DIG TV.

Production roles include: Talent co-ordinator/scriptwriter ‘Rockwiz’, Series Producer ‘nomad’ and field producer ‘Getaway’.

Tracee was Program Director at Melbourne community station 3RRR.FM from 2002-2005 and presented a weekly politics/environment/social justice program ‘the word’ for 7 years.

She was an Opinion columnist for the Saturday Age from 2005-2009 and is the author of 3 books: a 1980’s Australian music anthology ‘Your Names on the Door’ and two fundraising cookbooks for the Mirabel Foundation – ‘Rock Chefs for Mirabel’ and ‘Laughing Stock’.

Tracee Hutchison is a proud Ambassador for the Big Issue Women’s Subscription Enterprise and a qualified Civil Celebrant.

Presentation Topics Include

• Master of Ceremonies
  
• Television, radio and print

Testimonials

“I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Tracee at the Social Enterprise World Forum. Across our time together Tracee seamlessly wove together her questions with just the right dose of insight, honesty and candour. And as a highly perceptive interviewer she has an ability to gently coax vulnerability or disarmingly pinpoint truths. Our hour together felt more like sharing a cup of tea with a friend rather than being interviewed in front of a large audience". 
CEO, Streat (Social Enterprise World Forum '09 delegate)

“After taking part in almost too many panels in various academic and practitioners’ conferences around the world, participating in a panel orchestrated by Tracee was a refreshing surprise. Not only did she know about the topics almost as much as the panellist themselves (obviously the result of deep, good old-fashioned journalistic research), but she also approached the issues from new and insightful angles and did so with a perfect combination of curiosity, seriousness and grace. When one adds to all this Tracee’s profound menschlichkeit and empathetic sense of humour, one probably starts to understand why both the panellist and the audience wanted this experience to go way beyond the allocated 90 minutes." 
Managing Director, Ashoka Israel (Social Enterprise World Forum '09 delegate). 

“Tracee Hutchison asks the difficult questions where others fear to tread! I have engaged Tracee as a moderator/MC on four different occasions since 2002 when I established the City of Melbourne’s program of free talks – Melbourne Conversations. Over that time the program has established a reputation for being the premier event for popular discussion and debate for Melbournians and their concerns. Tracee was humorous and tuned into Melbourne’s street scene when she hosted Café Culture - Are we still the café capital? In 2008 we saw the social engagement side of Tracee’s caring personality during the Homeless World Cup. Tracee MC’d three talks for me and navigated the very sensitive topic of homelessness over three days. I have very high standards and loved working with Tracee – she delivers".
Melbourne Conversations, City of Melbourne

“Tracee Hutchison was the perfect MC for the 2006 World Environment Day Rally for Victoria's forests - warm, engaging, adaptive, on message. MC'ing this rally was extremely challenging, Tracee had to coordinate 150,000 people through the streets of Melbourne from the back of a truck, then leading a march and finally at Fed Square. She had to handle celebrities, musicians, campaigners and fundraisers. No rally ever goes exactly to plan, and Tracee's ability to adapt calmly and happily to changing circumstances was brilliant".
Wilderness Society

“As a long time supporter of the Mirabel Foundation, Tracee Hutchison was the perfect choice by the author and publisher to launch my biography 'The Damage Undone' - both from a personal and professional perspective. Tracee's deep understanding of social issues combined with her compassion, integrity and ability to engage any audience made for a heartfelt tribute which set the tone for a wonderful evening".
The Mirabel Foundation

"I highly recommend Tracee Hutchison as a keynote speaker. Her energy, passion, sense of social justice and humour delighted the audience at a recent Southern Women's Action Network (SWAN) meeting as well as provoking much debate about maintaining integrity and idealism in the media".
SWAN

“Tracee Hutchison was our guest speaker at a Melbourne Girls' College dinner for International Women's Day in March 2007. Tracee spoke with enthusiasm to a very mixed audience of mothers, girls from 13 to 18 years of age, grandmothers and teachers. She managed to enthral the audience with her interesting tale of the challenges and delights in her career and personal life. The audience responded to Tracee's honesty in her portrayal of the events that had shaped her career. Her great sense of humour and her fantastic presence meant that all members of the audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I have had great feedback about the evening from many members of the College community".
Principal, Melbourne Girls' College

“A superb effort, the evaluations were all very positive and the working group was very impressed.
“Tracee was terrific to work with, a true professional who is so easy to converse with".
Bendigo Mens Health Week

“We were delighted to have Tracee host the 2009 Annual Earthwatch Dinner and Oration.  This was the first time the event had featured an MC and Tracee’s knowledge, warmth, humour and consummate stagecraft ensured our decision was the correct one - it was a spectacular success.  We look forward to working with Tracee again“.    
Executive Director, Earthwatch Institute

"Tracee is one of the best prepared and well researched presenters I have worked with.  She has a warm, engaging style which puts interviewees at ease and the fact that she has a deep understanding of her subject as well as the non-profit sector is clearly evident.  We had some terrific feedback from Tracee's sessions at Social Enterprise World Forum, SEWF09, and she worked well in the team to help deliver an outstanding event."
Director, Social Ventures Australia