| Paul Lyneham | |
| Birth Date: | 13 August 1945 |
| Birth Place: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Death Place: | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
| Education: | Australian National University |
| Occupation: | Political journalist |
| Years Active: | 1969–2000 |
| Spouse: | Dorothy Horsfield |
| Children: | Chloe Lyneham Joel Lyneham Mathew Lyneham |
| Credits: | The 7.30 Report 60 Minutes |
Rodney Paul Lyneham (13 August 1945[1] – 24 November 2000[2]) was an Australian newspaper journalist, commentator and radio and television presenter.
Lyneham was born in Melbourne[3] in 1945, growing up there and in Canberra[1] where he graduated from the Australian National University.[1] During his time as a student he was the lead vocalist in the band The Bitter Lemons which recorded the independently released single "Canberra Blues" in 1965.[4] [5]
He worked as a journalist at The Australian and The Canberra Times newspapers before joining the ABC in 1969 and spending a period of time as London, UK correspondent.[3] Whilst in London, Lyneham met the author Dorothy Horsfield, with whom he went on to have three children.[6] Lyneham joined commercial television, working for Channel Seven as a foreign correspondent including reporting on the Falklands War. After returning to Australia while living in Canberra Lyneham worked on Sydney radio station 2BL in a segment with his close friend Andrew Olle; they were a double act conversing about politics with Lyneham playing the role of the funny man.[7] [8] He also reported for The 7.30 Report before joining Channel Nine and 60 Minutes.[1]
Lyneham died of lung cancer on 24 November 2000[2] in Canberra.[1] On 20 February 2002 then-Federal Treasurer Peter Costello launched the biography of Lyneham, Paul Lyneham – A Memoir, written by his widow Dorothy Horsfield,[9] at the National Press Club, Canberra.[10] Annually since 2002, the National Press Club has also awarded the Paul Lyneham Award for excellence in journalism with only members of the federal parliamentary press gallery being eligible for the award.[11]