Community
7 June, 2025
‘Macca’ farewells radio
AFTER 42 years on Cairns’ airwaves, iconic 4CA presenter John ‘Macca’ Mackenzie has signed off for the final time, bidding farewell to loyal listeners during his last broadcast last Friday.
Known as the ‘Voice of the North’, Macca has been informing and entertaining Cairns audiences for four decades with hundreds of remarkable interviews with prime ministers, celebrities and artists, sharp reporting and stories to spare every morning.
On Friday, May 30, he had his last show where his listeners got to share anecdotes and stories from 40 years in Cairns radio and accompanied by 4CA colleagues who wished him well with a standing ovation.
“It’s been very emotional,” he said.
“The people that are calling in, sometimes are people who were calling in back in the 80s and they’ve been listening to the program all those years.
“The last show was really emotional because some of the people calling in have been on and off the program. I mean, Cameron Dick called in, and he was obviously very potent as a Labor voice for years, and he would call into the studio and here was this hard-nosed politician with a beautiful sense of humour.
“I’ve had lots of tough people coming through and as soon as they’re off the microphone you hit the funny side of them, the human side, that’s what I’ve loved about this program.”
Mr Mackenzie said that 40 years accompanying the mornings of Cairns residents had been a dream.
“I’ve been so fortunate to meet so many really important members of the Australian community who’ve contributed wonderful things for the future of the people of this country,” he said.
“One example is Joh Bjelke-Petersen, he was a very powerful leader in Queensland, he didn’t like me to start with and then we became good friends. Prime Minister John Howard was fabulous, he was just the most wonderful, honest, caring leader, and he introduced the rifle bans in Australia. People could no longer just go out and buy a rifle and commit atrocities.
“It has all been wonderful, I’d think the only challenge of my job was getting up every day at 5am.”
Mr Mackenzie said he was unsure of what was next, but the world was wide open for him to explore.
“What do I think about the months and years to come?,” he said. “People say, ‘Do a podcast, you know so many people, you know so many issues in North Queensland’, maybe that’s an answer, we’ll have to see. What I’ll miss the most is the good friends you make, more than half of my friends I’ve met through the talkback radio show and they’ll stay on as friends.
“Hopefully I’ll get a whole heap of new friends but as far as this city is concerned, how lucky was I to – back in 1983 – arrive in a city that I visited as a teenager and fallen in love with, and at last I found the home of my dreams and it’ll be until the day I die.”
