BBC News has appointed Jon Donnison as the new Australia correspondent, commencing early August 2013. Donnison has been the BBC’s Gaza and West Bank correspondent for the past three years. 

Based in Sydney, Donnison will report on the latest political, cultural and business news from Australia for international news channel BBC World News and BBC.com, as well as covering stories for the BBC’s news services within the UK.

Donnison has spent 15 years working in broadcast journalism and this year was awarded the Silver Sony Award for Radio Journalist of the Year for his coverage of Gaza in 2012.

Richard Porter, Controller of English, BBC Global News said “Jon Donnison is a very experienced, award-winning journalist who has spent the last three and a half years immersing himself in the story of Gaza and the West Bank. In what is an important election year for Australia, I know he’ll bring the same enthusiasm and dedication to delivering the country’s big stories to BBC audiences around the world.”

Donnison comments, “Sydney is certainly going to be a change of scene from Gaza, although they do have the beach and the ocean in common. The patch is a little bit bigger mind you. The whole of Gaza would fit inside Australia around 21000 times! I’m really looking forward to the new challenge and the sheer variety of stories in Australia – from the elections to The Ashes to the environment to the economy.”