Trailblazing Channel Seven star Marion Leyer died late last month, aged 84, after suffering a medical emergency behind the wheel.
Leyer was a beloved figure in Australian television whose career spanned decades at Perth’s Channel Seven and Ten, starting in 1960 when she was 18 years old.
A family friend shared the heartbreaking news of her death on social media, revealing that Leyer suffered an aortic dissection while driving in Perth.
Although she managed to stop the car and call an ambulance, she passed away the following morning.
Born in Europe in 1941, Leyer arrived in Perth with her family in 1954 when she was 12 years old.
She began her career at TVW 7 in 1960 as a secretary and swiftly advanced in her career.
Trailblazing Channel Seven star Marion Leyer (right) died late last month aged 84, following a medical emergency while driving
Her exceptional work ethic quickly propelled her into television production, where she became a highly respected producer and director of many of Channel Seven’s most iconic shows of the era.
Leyer’s credits included the variety show Children’s Channel 7, which featured talent quests, quizzes and games, as well as the game shows It’s Academic and Post Office.
From 1971 to 1975, she directed the national children’s variety program Stars of the Future, which won four Logie Awards across the decade.
She also played a key role in launching TVW’s inaugural Channel Seven Christmas Pageant in 1972.
Her husband John’s company built nearly all the float bases, while Leyer worked behind the scenes to ensure the event’s success.
Between 1976 and 1979, she produced major events including the 24-hour Telethon programs, Christmas Pageants, the weekly teenage show Hey Jude and many one-off specials.
She also contributed to historic broadcasts such as the introduction of colour television, the opening of the Perth Entertainment Centre and the 1978 American TV special Bob Hope Down Under.
A woman of many talents, Leyer also translated technical manuals from German for the engineering department when TVW acquired Fernseh cameras for outside broadcasts.
Leyer was a trailblazing figure in Australian television whose career spanned decades at Perth’s Channel Seven and Ten, starting in 1960
She later produced Celebrity Challenges and was appointed TVW Production Manager in October 1979, a role that cemented her reputation as a formidable presence in an industry still male-dominated at the time.
After 25 years at Seven, Leyer moved into consultancy with the Australian Olympic Federation, helping to produce Olympathon for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, before becoming Director of Production at the newly established NEW Channel Ten in Perth.
Those who worked with her remember her calm, steady presence and unwavering professionalism.
‘There are people over your lifetime you never forget because they saw something in you, or took a chance,’ wrote one former colleague.
‘Marion had a calm, almost Zen presence and a steadfast belief in herself that no blustery bloke could shake. She was brilliant with presenters, with a sixth sense and plenty of wisdom.’
‘She was an amazing and truly wonderful mentor to me. I’m truly shocked and saddened,’ a second person added.
Leyer is remembered as a pioneering, dedicated and deeply respected figure in Australian television.
