There are broadcast journalists, and then there are the reporters who seem to have had a front-row seat to history. Michael Usher is very much the latter.
Across more than three decades in television news, Usher has reported from war zones, royal weddings, election campaigns and some of the biggest global moments of the modern era – from the chaos of 9/11 in New York to the Iraq War, the London bombings and the death of Pope John Paul II.
Somewhere in between, there have also been Olympic Games, political showdowns, and the small matter of helping shape Australian current affairs television as viewers know it today.
But long before the international headlines and the polished studio lights, there was a teenager in Western Australia who already knew exactly where he was heading.
“I was one of those kids in school who had a focus on what I wanted to do from a young age,” Usher told Mediaweek’s Newsmakers.
“I knew that I wanted to be a journalist from about the age of 15, and I got focused on that.”
It’s a striking admission from someone whose career has often looked almost improbably wide-ranging – foreign correspondent, 60 Minutes reporter, breaking news anchor, documentary host and one of the defining faces of Seven’s news coverage.
But listening to Usher reflect on those early years, there’s a sense that the foundations were laid well before he ever stepped in front of a camera.
“The closest DNA I have to anyone in the family having an interest in journalism is that we have a lot of storytellers,” he said.
“There are a lot of teachers in my background. My parents, in particular, had a very wide view of the world and an enjoyment of history.”
That fascination with people and history would eventually take him from regional Western Australia to some of the biggest stories on earth. But first came Kalgoorlie.
His first job in journalism was in the mining town, more than 11 hours from home – a baptism by fire that, by his own account, taught him everything he needed to know about the business.
“It was the best thing I ever did, and I got a fast, hard course in journalism and getting going in this business,” he said.
Kalgoorlie, he explains, was relentless.
“Kalgoorlie was a rough town, a 24/7 mining town. So seven o’clock on a Monday morning in Kalgoorlie is as busy as a Friday night.”
And yes, there was even an unexpected run-in involving a local pubgoer and an on-camera appearance gone sideways.
“One day, this particular female took a dislike to me being on the camera,” he recalled.
“She came up to me and went, ‘Hey, you’re the bloke on the television’, and I said, ‘I am’, and then she punched me.”
Usher has now become known for his composure, particularly when covering traumatic events, including the Bondi terror attack.
“I’m really mindful of being in that role when those events happen,” he said.
“I guess I see my job as being in the eye of the storm, but I am the calm part.”
It’s a philosophy that says a lot about why audiences have trusted Usher for so long – and one that sits at the heart of this conversation.
Main image: Michael Usher