Meteorologist, oceanographer, Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant and weather presenter! ABC’s News Breakfast’s Nate Byrne is also an LGBTIQ favourite. At this year’s Mardi Gras he sparked even more interest, but homophobic slurs can’t bring down our Nate! I recently caught up with Australia’s favourite weatherman.
When Nate Byrne left his job as a Naval Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy to present the weather on ABC’s News Breakfast it was a dream come true. In fact, it was the beginning of a surprising whole new chapter. Since 2017 the boy from Mullaloo has been a familiar face to millions of early risers tuning in for their fill of morning news, sport and of course, weather!
Having obtained a bachelor degree in biophysics, Nate joined the Royal Australian Navy to steer warships while studying meteorology. On top of that he also toured regional Australia presenting science shows to outback kids, while earning a Master of Science Communication (Outreach). When you weigh it all up, it’s easy to see how the popular presenter made the News Breakfast cut, but the role of presenter did seem his fate. After all, it was his childhood dream job.
“When I was around five, I told my mum I wanted to be a weatherman,” says Nate.
“I knew I had to have a job and thought, “Well that dude does five minutes of work a day!” (Laughing) It morphed onwards from there, as I got more interested in science, and eventually the weather. When I applied for the News Breakfast job, they were looking for an experienced journalist with presentation skills and an interest in meteorology, whereas I’m an experienced meteorologist with some presentation skills and an interest in journalism. It was an exact flip of what they were looking for. In a way, not aiming to be a weather presenter weirdly gave me the job.”
Nate Byrne has been presenting ABC’s News Breakfast weather since 2017
Many would say landing a dream job comes down to luck, but there’s also the adage that you create your own luck. Given his diverse background, Nate certainly developed an advantageous set of skills and experience.
“It comes from putting your hand up for a lot of stuff,” he says.”
“I’ve said yes to a lot of things, even more so these days. You don’t know what’s going to rear its head, if you haven’t put yourself in its path. I think if I actually tried to get where I am, I probably wouldn’t have. The reason I probably got the job was because I’ve got such a weird mix of stuff.
For Nate, following the path of destiny began with a beachside childhood at Mullaloo, a northern suburb of Perth, Western Australia.
“When mum and dad built the house they were living on the outskirts of civilization,” he says.
“There was no freeway and Mullaloo Beach was somewhere people would camp for their holidays. Now those suburbs go on forever. We weren’t in a beachside million-dollar mansion, just a typical Perth home, but all of my childhood photos are of playing on the sand dunes, because that’s what WA is – sand everywhere!”
“Because I was on the ABC float, it made me feel a responsibility to call out the homophobia.”
Growing up seaside would be outright fun for any youngster, and given Nate’s eventual future in the Royal Australian Navy, there surely must have been some correlation?
“It evolved in a weird kind of way,” he says.
“My grandad was in the Royal Navy in the UK, which is the only family connection I had to the Navy. He didn’t push it onto me, but as a kid for some reason, I was really keen on being a scout. I think I had read too many Enid Blyton books about boys tying knots and all that fun outdoors stuff! My local scout mob was actually sea scouts, so I started there and got interested in sailing. As I outgrew that, my grandad would take me to see the Navy marching. They had better boats and I was used to being in a uniform, so I became a Navy cadet. Then somewhere in my mid-teens the Navy just sort of became my future. It would pay for university and I could become an actual meteorologist – in the Navy. I discovered I could do what I enjoyed, involving the weather, being on the ocean and it was good job security. Win!”
From novels and movies, to songs and popular culture, the Navy has endured many depictions, but how was the sailor life for Nate?
“I loved being in the Navy, and still love it. I have nothing bad to say about the Navy and nothing would stop me from going back, other than how much I love my current job! In the Navy you’re surrounded by a bunch of people who are collegial and friendly, and you have to live together. It’s challenging but I love following rules. In fact it took me a while to become a little less rigid, but I’m okay with it now (laughing). On News Breakfast I’ll get told I have two and half minutes on camera, but it may actually be about twenty seconds, and no one’s checking up to see if what I say is right. It’s more like, “Go for it! You’re the expert, crack on!” So the Navy helped prepared me, even for telly!”
Previously, Nate was a Naval Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy
This year saw Nate joining colleagues such as Annabel Crabb, Kerry Stanley and Dolly Diamond on the first ever ABC Mardi Gras float. Dancing and cheering their way up Oxford Street, they were clearly a crowd favourite. However, homophobia did raise its ugly head when a social media slur appeared on Nate’s social media. Calling it out for what it was, our newest Mardi Gras hero received masses of positive messages, including his News Breakfast team where presenter Michael Rowland said they could “go back under their rocks.” Unfortunately, another person later tweeted a much more abusive rant, but as Nate points out, it would take a lot more to bring him down.
“It was next level and different again,” he says.
“It was tweeted publicly and was basically somebody showing off, looking for a reaction. But I don’t think that was the intent with the other personal DM I got. I don’t think she was looking for me to make a post about it. I think it was just a hatred that spilled over, and she somehow felt the need to express it to me personally. I don’t think she wanted to make a splash, but rather tell me her honest beliefs, which is incredibly sad. She’s popped up again a few times on my social media, but I chose not to block her. If I did, there’s no way to ever reach out to her, or for her to reach out to me and apologise. Not that I expect that will ever happen. It’s interesting that she chose to post publicly and that other people can respond. I don’t need it to be a ‘teaching moment’ for her, but if it does become one, that would be awesome.”
As for the other social media rant, Nate believes it was more the case of a radical troll looking for a rise, not that it really eventuated.
“I think that was very much an attention seeking shot in the dark,” he says.
“I’ve looked at his account and it’s all trolling and about supporting Donald Trump. That’s a person with a viewpoint wanting to make a splash. People always have opinions and some really feel the need to express them. Some aim directly, which I find so odd, because I wouldn’t do that. I think it comes from a place of absolute privilege, and I don’t mean in terms of wealth or status, it’s more that their opinion is absolutely the most important thing ever, and they have zero regard for anyone else. Fear plays a part too, and it’s really quite profound, but you could call me a faggot all day long, and I’m not going to lose sleep over it. You’ve got to try a lot harder than that! I do worry though, for people who don’t have the hide that I have. I’ve been to war. I’ve served my country and I’ve got medals on my chest.”
“The Navy always had really good policies to protect gay people.”
Having served in the Navy for over twelve years, Nate still embraces the institution, which along with other national defence services has embraced diversity and equality. Defence force members have been proudly marching in Mardi Gras since 2008.
“When I was serving, I remember if you were in a gay relationship, you could have it recognised in the same way as a straight de facto relationship,” says Nate.
“There were all the same rights as a straight married relationship such as housing, postings and provisions, regardless of your gender. It was quite amazing. The Navy always had really good policies to protect gay people. Did I run into homophobes? Absolutely, yes. Were they ever an issue for me? No. Generally it was that low level homophobia, like “backs to the wall boys”. I know this is really hard to articulate, particularly in 2020, but that sort of thing is done with love – in a weird way. It’s like a term of endearment where they’re saying, “I don’t get your lifestyle but we’re all good!” When you’re in the military you can’t afford to not get along and not operate and work together. I’m not saying that it’s perfect by any means, but from my experiences, I rarely ever saw that go unchecked. If someone was particularly problematic, I never saw it left to lie. It undermines your ability to operate in the unit, so it’s stomped on relatively quickly.”
There’s no doubt this year’s Mardi Gras was an up-front opportunity for Nate, but was it his intention to publicly come out?
“No, I treat my sexuality the way I’d like other people to treat it. I’ve never really had a coming out in my life, ever. I didn’t come out to my parents in a big sit down, hey, guess what? Neither did I in the Navy. It just sort of transitioned, and for the most part it hasn’t really been anybody’s business. This year was more vocal than normal because of the way it was done and with my position. Because I was on the ABC float, it made me feel a responsibility to call out the homophobia, in a way that I might not have done before. It was new territory for me.”
And it wasn’t just Nate who called it out. Support came from the LGBTIQ community, straight allies, ABC viewers and of course, the close-knit team at News Breakfast.
Nate at work in the Royal Australian Navy
“They’re amazing! Without the bat of an eyelid, Michael Rowland jumped straight on it, and I had supportive messages from the entire team. It wasn’t just the News Breakfast team but media crew and bosses checking in to make sure all was okay, which was great! It’s not what I was looking for, as I don’t personally feel I need the support, but it was good especially when it’s public. It’s my genuine hope that there’s a kid somewhere who sees that post, with the flood of positive messages, and takes something from it. They would see that their community or ‘tribe’ is out there waiting.”
To Nate, his television co-presenters are a notable influence, with the News Breakfast family being exactly what it seems. Like most, he finds a great support and mentorship within the workplace, as well as being inspired by others in the LGBTIQ community.
“Michael Rowland and Lisa Millar are huge role models for me,” he says.
“In fact everyone is on Breaky! I look at them and think “Wow!” They all do things better than me, or in a way that I could learn from. In fact, I haven’t bumped into anybody at the ABC who hasn’t been generous with their time. Speaking more broadly, I’ve always looked up to someone like Magda Szubanski for her strength, voice and passion. Benjamin Law also, for his ability to really deliver an insightful and well thought-out queer message. Then there’s Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. I love the way he thinks and communicates.”
Socially, Nate spends time with News Breakfast host Georgie Tunny, her boyfriend Rob Mills and the wonderful Dolly Diamond aka Michael Dalton, whom he was to perform with until the Coronavirus outbreak cut Australian theatre short.
“You could call me a faggot all day long, and I’m not going to lose sleep over it.”
“Virginia Trioli, Rob Mills and myself were all going to be part of Dolly Diamond’s Melbourne Comedy Festival Show, but of course it’s now delayed. It may end up being a bit different, but Dolly has been amazing in joining with other performers and coming up with ideas to survive over the next few months. Georgie’s a champion too. She should be everybody’s best friend! There’s not a job on News Breakfast she hasn’t done or can’t do. She’s like the little Swiss army knife of TV news! She’s also funny and amazingly stunning, and you won’t find a more delightful man than Rob Mills. They are so perfect for each other it’s annoying (laughing). I’m recently single myself, so I’m rediscovering that life in a different way. When I first came to the ABC I really focused on News Breakfast and neglected my social life a bit, but Georgie is enforcing me to go out and do things.”
While Nate lists Jewell, Pink, The Waifs and Frente! as his favourite music, he’s also been known to jump around various hobbies, though the weather somehow always wins out.
“I tend to listen to podcasts more than songs, he says.
“I’m a bit of a hobby nomad. I actually have a thing for knitting and every year for some reason, I’ll knit a big square and then move on. I’m a video gamer too, but I spend a lot of my time hanging out on the bureau of meteorology website. That’s how much I love it, which is so sad!”
But rain, snow or shine, Nate not only understands the weather, he manages to explain it to us every morning, with great optimism and a cheeky smile. You’d expect nothing less from a seafaring sailor, meteorologist and oceanographer who loves his work. Mind you, presenting on air is not without its hiccups. In his first whirlwind week, Nate went from wearing a uniform to standing in front of a quarter-million viewers, only to receive a baptism by fire.
“Here I was in my new dream job, ready for my first ever live-cross, and my phone alarm went off! I panicked, but cracked on through. I thought, “Well that’s that! I’ve stuffed it and they’re going to fire me. It’s back to the Navy!” But they all teased me about it and we had a good chuckle. It was actually great because that moment got me into the team straight away. I started to relax and knew I was in the same space!”
Catch Nate Byrne on News Breakfast Weekdays from 6am on ABC1
Follow Nate on Instagram and Twitter @SciNate
Matt Myers catching up with Nate Byrne
