Melbournians braved a cold Sunday evening to gather in the city’s famous Federation Square to watch Lee Lin Chin present her final SBS World News bulletin.
Chin announced her resignation from SBS on Thursday after nearly 30 years behind the news desk, and a Facebook event was quickly set up urging Australians to tune in for her send-off.
Fans armed with handmade signs and strips of tinsel let out a cheer as Chin’s final SBS bulletin began.
Fans watch the bulletin broadcast live at Federation Square. Source: SBS
Tim Vega, who dressed in a flowing white dress in reference to an outfit Chin wore to the Logie awards in 2015, said Chin’s departure from SBS marks “the end of an era”.
“I think everyone’s aware of the significance Lee Lin has brought to the broadcast [over] 30 years in the gig. She’s done a remarkable job,” he told SBS News.
Laura Wooton, who is studying journalism at university, said she will miss seeing Chin on SBS every weekend.
“It’s a hard industry to break into, particularly thirty years ago if you were of a different race [and] if you were a woman,” she said. “I really appreciate somebody else giving it a go and doing it as well as she has.”
People gather at Federation Square for Lee Lin Chin's final bulletin for SBS World News. Source: SBS
Alistair Birch said he has been a fan of Chin’s since moving to Australia from the UK in 2001.
“She’s our face to the world. She represents everything that’s good in our society,” he said.
Another fan, Yasmin Cook, summed up her admiration for Chin in three short sentences.
“She is an Australian icon. She’s herself. She’s a legend.”
Those who turned up to Federation Square were divided over what they will miss most following Chin’s departure from SBS.
Some said her “bold, asymmetrical fashion sense” and “self-claimed raw sexuality”, while others said her “pure monotone news delivery”.
