Ian Henschke is the former Chief Advocate for National Seniors Australia.[1] He took up the position in February 2017 and finished in November 2023.
In October 2019 he took up the additional role of Spokesperson for the Alliance for a Fairer Retirement System. This was after Professor Deborah Ralston vacated that position when she was appointed to the federal government's three person Retirement Income Review panel.
In September 2022 he was elected by the alumni to the University of Adelaide Council for a two year term.He was re-elected in August 2024 for a further two year term.
He is a former South Australian television and radio journalist. He reported for 7.30 Report in the 1980s and 1990s and in the late 1990s worked for ABCTV's Landline.
His 4 Corners in 1999 was a documentary on global warming. It won the Jury Prize at the 2000 Grenoble International Film Festival.
https://thoughtmaybe.com/emission-impossible/
He hosted the ABCTV's SA Stateline from 2001 to 2010, ABC radio 891 Mornings from 2011 to 2015, and Drive in 2016. He retired from the ABC in December 2016. He was a regular columnist for The Advertiser's Saturday supplement, SA Weekend (Feb 2009-Nov 2021) He was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal. He was twice named "TV Broadcaster of the Year" in the SA Media Awards, in 2004 and 2009. He was a Walkley Award Finalist (twice), winning a High Commendation for his coverage of the Westpac Letters in 1991.[2] He was named "Radio Broadcaster of the Year" in the 2015 SA Media Awards.
He originally trained as a teacher and returned to secondary teaching as a relief teacher in 2024.
In August 2024 his 25 minute documentary film “The GoldenMile” about 1960 Olympic 1500m champion Herb Elliott and his coach Percy Cerutty was selected as part of the Run Nation Film Festival. It was screened across Australia and New Zealand, the UK and USA.