Ian Crawford, producer, director and former Crawford Productions managing director, has died. He was 91.
The nephew of orchestra conductor and media titan Hector Crawford, Ian Crawford joined Crawford Productions aged 20, just before television was introduced in Australia.
Up until then, his uncle and mother, Dorothy Muriel Turner Crawford, had produced a number of musical dramas on radio under the previous banner of Hector Crawford Productions before going overseas to learn television production techniques, and establishing a training facility at the St James Old Cathedral in West Melbourne upon their return.
The younger Crawford held jobs such as cameraman, delivery boy, rodeo boy, script editor, and script printer, before eventually working his way up to direct and produce many of the titles Crawford Productions became known for, even serving as an executive producer of all the company’s drama output at one point.
His producer credits include The Sullivans, All The Rivers Run, Homicide, Matlock Police, Division 4 , Cop Shop, Bluey, Skyways, Carson’s Law, The Flying Doctors, The Henderson Kids, and Zoo Family.
He also served as a director on multiple series, helming 125 episodes of Division 4, 41 episodes of Matlock Police and 26 episodes of The Last of the Australians.
In 1980, Crawford became the company’s managing director, a post he held until he and Hector sold their shares in the company toward the end of the decade.
Friend and former colleague Garry Hardman described the late producer as a “technical whiz” that enjoyed the company of others.
“He was the ‘go-to’ for a lot of technical advice, in regards to audio or video,” he said.
“Ian was the one who found the Homicide theme music, hidden away in the Crawfords recorded music library.
“Ian loved Crawford reunions and social events, never missing one unless there was something important that required his attention.”
He is survived by his wife Carol.