Philippa 'Pip' Courtney

Philippa ‘Pip’ Courtney has worked for the ABC for 31 years on radio and television. Pip joined Landline as a reporter 23 years ago, and has been host since 2012.

The daughter of well-known print journalist and editor Michael Courtney, Pip grew up in Tasmania and studied politics and English at University. On graduating she joined ABC news in Hobart in 1986.   At school Pip tossed up between two careers - wool classing and journalism. With assorted aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins on the land her interest in agriculture led her to study ag science, but when it came to choosing a career journalism won out. In 1993 she combined her two interests when she joined Landline.  

In 2007 Pip and former Landline presenter Sally Sara were named Queensland Journalists of the Year for a feature on depression called "Black Dog".   In 2009 Pip won the Queensland Rural Press Club's Excellence in Rural Journalism Award. The prize was a trip to the USA to attend an international agricultural journalism conference. A blog about her trip called "Saddle Up" was the ABC's most popular online blog for three months.  

In 2011 Pip's two-part feature on the coal seam gas industry in Queensland won her the Queensland Media Award's Excellence in Rural Journalism Prize, the Rabobank Star prize for rural broadcasting (Qld), the National Rabobank Star prize and the International Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting.   In 2018 Pip was inducted in the Queensland Press Club’s Rural Journalism Hall of Fame.  

Pip is a professional and natural presenter who has MC'd and hosted numerous Conferences, Dinners and awards ceremonies throughout Australia. With finely tuned journalistic skills of a national TV presenter and the empathetic nature of country person, Pip easily hosts the most demanding events.