logo
Channel Seven star's heart-breaking Anzac Day message after her brother tragically died serving Australia: 'Forever 33'

Channel Seven star's heart-breaking Anzac Day message after her brother tragically died serving Australia: 'Forever 33'

Daily Mail​25-04-2025

The family of a Special Forces soldier who died in a parachuting accident has joined thousands of Australians commemorating those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Channel Seven reporter Grace Fitzgibbon - with her father Joel, a former Labor minister - took to social media on Anzac Day to pay homage to her brother Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon.
Jack, 33, was performing a 'routine' drill in March last year at an RAAF base in Richmond, in Sydney 's northwest, when it is understood his parachute failed to open.
He suffered critical head injuries and was taken to Westmead Hospital in Sydney's west, where he died.
On Thursday evening, Ms Fitzgibbon documented her attendance of Sydney's Harbour Sunset Tribute, writing on Instagram: 'Sunset tribute for my brave brother.'
She then shared photos with her father and boyfriend, Az, at North Bondi RSL Club on Anzac Day - the latter was a good friend of Jack's and one of the pallbearers at his funeral.
Mr Fitzgibbon also posted on LinkedIn the same day, honouring his son with a caption: 'Forever 33. Lest we forget.'
'Today, tomorrow and forever we will love you and miss you,' he said.
The former Labor minister addressed the hundreds gathered at the RSL club, honouring the 'Australian soldiers [who] had given their life to our country'.
The family has also set up '14 for Fitzy' on social media, a running community brought together to celebrate Jack.
Ms Fitzgibbon previously paid tribute to her brother in a pre-recorded eulogy at a funeral service at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Cessnock in March last year.
Hundreds of people including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Defence Minister Richard Marles, attended Jack's funeral service.
Soldiers also lined the streets of Cessnock to pay tribute to the Lance Corporal.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Huge ‘Jack & the Beanstalk' tree towers over our homes – it's grotesque & irresponsible… but council won't chop it down
Huge ‘Jack & the Beanstalk' tree towers over our homes – it's grotesque & irresponsible… but council won't chop it down

Scottish Sun

time17 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Huge ‘Jack & the Beanstalk' tree towers over our homes – it's grotesque & irresponsible… but council won't chop it down

The oak has been placed under a protection order TREE-FI-FO-FUM Huge 'Jack & the Beanstalk' tree towers over our homes – it's grotesque & irresponsible… but council won't chop it down A GIANT "Jack and the beanstalk" tree is ruining locals' lives - but the council won't chop it down. Residents in Winchester, Hants, slammed the "grotesquely irresponsible" and "ludicrous" 45 foot high oak. 9 A huge "Jack and the beanstalk" tree is ruining locals' lives - but the council won't chop it down Credit: Solent 9 Locals called the council "grotesquely irresponsible" Credit: Solent 9 The oak is under a protection order Credit: Solent They say the tree was planted around 50 years ago by a previous homeowner on Canon Street who just "wanted something to do". But now it has branched into an "out of proportion" eyesore which overshadows the gardens of nearby properties - where the average house price is more than £600,000. However, the council have refused to cut it down and placed it under a protection order. The authorities said residents from a neighbouring street "appreciated" the tree. The decision has sparked outrage among locals who are actually dealing with the daily repercussions of such an overwhelming tree. Orla Williams, 40, moved into her terraced Grade II Listed home with her partner around two years ago. The doctor said after moving in, several residents went to her about the oak. She explained: "They were concerned that it is getting very large and that it could cause damage to their properties and potentially harm to people if it gets any larger, so they wanted it to be taken down. "We applied to the council to have it removed and someone came to look at it. "[The tree officer] said that they want to put a tree protection order on it." The mum-of-two also told how an "awful lot of detritus" falls from the tree in autumn and winter. She added: "We appreciate that the tree is beautiful but it's the wrong tree in the wrong place. "It is quite sad to remove something like that but it is only going to get bigger and potentially cause damage to lots of properties which is the main concern. "The council said they were concerned about removing it because it's one of the only trees in the area. 9 Orla Williams stood in her back garden with the tree Credit: Solent 9 Residents fear the tree poses safety risks Credit: Solent 9 Mark Pocock slammed the council's decision to protect the tree as "ludicrous" Credit: Solent "All of the local residents seem to be of the opinion that unfortunately, it's the wrong tree in the wrong place." According to a council report, the tree officer visited Orla after receiving notice from the couple that it was due to be felled. But he found the tree met the criteria for a provisional protection order, which was issued in February of this year. A Winchester County Council meeting will take place next week to decide whether the tree status will change or not. There are nine residents in total who have objected to the order. Mark Pocock, a retired resident living on Canon Street, slammed the council's decision to protect the tree as "ludicrous". He said: 'As trees grow older they become more brittle. "If it were to fall and damage properties or persons, I would say the responsibility would be entirely with the council – not the owners of those properties. "I think putting a tree protection order on is grotesquely irresponsible of the council. 'It could be a danger to property and life." Nick Goff, 80, said he fears if the tree continues to grow, the roots underneath will damage a medieval wall in his garden, which was built in the Tudor era. The retired British Airways pilot said: "The issue is that in 10 years time, that will be double the height and double the width. 'It put on six feet last year it it's going to put on another six feet this year." He commissioned an independent report from a tree consultancy business. The report stated while the tree, which is still a "teenager" is in "good physiological condition". But the officer also found it is "a large sized tree in a very small area" and so the tree protection order is "unjustified". The report also stated "the possibility of longer term damage to the retaining walls and footings of the adjacent properties as entirely foreseeable". "Some guy planted this as something to do 40 years ago," Mr Goff continued "Now, we have got Jack and the Beanstalk. "It's not a historic tree – it's a silly mistake." However, the council report issued ahead of next week's meeting claimed these concerns were "speculative" and the tree "contributes meaningfully to local biodiversity and visual amenity". It added: "It is also the last significant tree in an area of land between Canon Street and St Swithun's Street, enhancing the character of the conservation area." Retired resident Graham Rule, 62, blasted the decision as "irresponsible". He said: "We all love trees but that shouldn't be there. "The people who want the protection order, they don't live here – its totally irresponsible." Winchester County Council was contacted for comment. 9 Nick Goff said "it's not a historic tree – it's a silly mistake" Credit: Solent 9 A decision will be made over the protection order at a meeting next week Credit: Solent

Housemates of missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop charged with murder
Housemates of missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop charged with murder

The Independent

time2 days ago

  • The Independent

Housemates of missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop charged with murder

The housemates of missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop have been charged with murder three weeks after she disappeared. James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, were on Thursday charged with one count each of murder and two counts each of interfering with a corpse, Queensland Police said. Ms Bishop, 17, was last seen on her way to Bundaberg airport in Queensland on 15 May. Police believe she was supposed to board a flight at 8.30am to Brisbane and then onto Perth to meet with her boyfriend, but CCTV footage showed she did not enter the terminal at the airport. In a statement, Queensland Police said that her body had not yet been located. Both Mr Wood and Ms Bromley will appear at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday.

The Project 'set to be AXED' as Network Ten prepares to launch new current affairs show to take its place
The Project 'set to be AXED' as Network Ten prepares to launch new current affairs show to take its place

Daily Mail​

time2 days ago

  • Daily Mail​

The Project 'set to be AXED' as Network Ten prepares to launch new current affairs show to take its place

After years of sliding ratings, it appears the end is finally near for The Project, with new reporting claiming that Network Ten preparing to pull the plug on the once-flagship current affairs program. Industry insiders have revealed to TV Blackbox that a brand new current affairs show is in development to replace The Project, with a major format overhaul already in the works. Unlike its predecessor, the new program will reportedly air only four nights a week from Monday to Thursday - effectively scrapping the low-performing Friday night edition. The Sunday edition of The Project, which has aired since 2017, is also expected to be axed, leaving a noticeable gap in Ten's early evening lineup. Sources have revealed that the replacement program is being quietly prepared for a launch as early as July or August. It's a significant shift not only in tone but also in volume - with the new show to run just 30 minutes per episode, down from The Project's six-hour-per-week live broadcast format. That's a dramatic cut to Ten's primetime output, with some questioning how the network plans to fill the additional airtime and whether the savings from winding down the show's production - currently managed by Roving Enterprises – will be reinvested elsewhere. It comes amid a significant reshuffle at the network. As previously reported by Daily Mail Australia, Ten has poached several high-profile journalists from Channel Seven - including veteran reporter Denham Hitchcock, 7News Sydney's Bill Hogan, and award-winning former foreign correspondent Amelia Brace – to front its soon-to-be-launched investigative unit. Hitchcock confirmed the news on Instagram earlier this week, calling it a full-circle moment. 'Well here we go. I've switched channels. But also in a way – I've come full circle,' Hitchcock began. 'I grew up watching my father on Channel Ten News every night. I had a bunk bed with Eyewitness News stickers all over it – and can still sing the theme song.' He added: 'So I'm delighted to start work here today – joining the network to help with its plans for the future.' He also shared a throwback photo of his father, veteran Ten journalist Kevin Hitchcock, sporting a classic 1980s moustache and captioned it with some amusing words: 'Not sure I could pull one of those off – but there's still time.' The move comes just days after The Australian reported that Hitchcock, along with 7News Sydney's Bill Hogan and award-winning former foreign correspondent Amelia Brace, had all resigned from Seven to join Ten. The trio are believed to have signed on to front a new current affairs program backed by Ten's head of news, Martin White. Brace and Hitchcock left Seven's Sydney newsroom within hours of quitting and began work at Ten on Monday. Hogan is expected to start in three weeks. The departures fuel speculation that Ten is preparing to launch a prime-time news magazine show to take on Nine's 60 Minutes, Seven's Spotlight, and ABC's Four Corners. Industry sources say the new program will focus on long-form investigative stories and is currently assembling what's been described as a 'crack team' of reporters and producers. A Ten spokesperson confirmed the shake-up to Daily Mail Australia, saying: 'Following the continued growth and success of our news brand, 10 News, we are investing in an investigative unit that will work on long-form stories.' For Hitchcock, the move comes just three months after returning to Seven following a break from TV journalism to live on a catamaran with his wife Mari and their young children. He had originally helped launch Spotlight in 2019 and led the network's coverage of major crime and current affairs stories, including last year's Who Killed Marea? documentary on Sky News. Despite his short return to Seven, Hitchcock appears ready to dive back into serious reporting at Ten – and has called on viewers to help feed him stories. 'To everyone who keeps sending me stories to look into – keep them coming. I read every message,' he wrote. Ten's new current affairs program is expected to launch later this year. Hitchcock departs only three months after having returned to Seven after a couple of years off living on a catamaran with his young family. 'I'm back. It's time to wash some of the salt out - and get back to what I do best,' he wrote on social media.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store