Lisa Millar’s face is one Australians have seen on screens for decades — whether reporting from the White House lawn or chatting with farmers on Back Roads. But behind the professional milestones lies a personal story of career reinvention, divorce, and a new relationship that’s far less scripted.
Full name: Lisa Joy Millar ·
Born: 19 February 1969 ·
Nationality: Australian ·
Profession: Television news presenter, journalist ·
Known for: ABC’s Back Roads, Muster Dogs, former foreign correspondent ·
Notable award: Gold Logie nominee
Quick snapshot
- ABC journalist for more than 30 years (ABC News)
- Former Washington correspondent and London bureau chief (ABC listen)
- Host of Back Roads and narrator of Muster Dogs (The Guardian)
- Divorced from journalist Sid Maher (Now To Love)
- Exact identity of her current partner not publicly confirmed by Millar
- Whether she is in a publicly acknowledged relationship as of 2025
- Details of the end of her marriage beyond public statements
- 1993: Joined ABC (ABC News)
- 2001: Became Washington correspondent (ABC listen)
- 2015: Appointed London bureau chief (ABC listen)
- 2019: Returned to Australia to host Back Roads (ABC News)
- 2024: Left ABC News Breakfast (ABC News)
- Continuing with Back Roads and Muster Dogs on ABC
- Potential new documentary projects
- Public appearances and media commentary
The table below summarizes the key biographical details of Lisa Millar’s life and career.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Lisa Joy Millar |
| Date of birth | 19 February 1969 |
| Occupation | Television presenter, journalist |
| Employer | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) |
| Notable programmes | Back Roads, Muster Dogs |
| Years at ABC | Since 1993 (ABC News) |
| Previous roles | Washington correspondent, London bureau chief, North Queensland correspondent |
| Education | Began career at The Gympie Times (ABC listen) |
| Marital status | Divorced (The Australian Women’s Weekly) |
| Children | None (per her own statements) (The Australian Women’s Weekly) |
| Published work | Memoir: Daring to Fly |
| Gold Logie | Nominee |
Who is Lisa Millar?
Lisa Joy Millar (born 19 February 1969) is an Australian television presenter and journalist who has spent more than three decades at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She grew up on a dairy farm in Kilkivan, Queensland, the fourth of five children of Dorothy and Clarrie Millar (The Australian Women’s Weekly).
Lisa Millar’s career timeline
Millar started her journalism career at The Gympie Times before joining the ABC in 1993 as a North Queensland correspondent (ABC listen). She moved to the US in 2001 to become the ABC’s Washington correspondent, a role she held until 2015, when she was appointed London Bureau Chief (ABC listen).
Six facts from her career, one pattern: a steady rise through reporting ranks to hosting prime-time regional documentaries.
- 1993: Joined ABC as reporter (ABC News)
- 2001–2015: Washington correspondent (ABC listen)
- 2015–2019: London Bureau Chief (ABC listen)
- 2019: Returned to Australia to host Back Roads (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- 2020–2024: Co-host of ABC News Breakfast (The Guardian)
- 2024: Left News Breakfast to focus on documentaries (ABC News)
Lisa Millar’s role at the ABC
Millar currently hosts the regional travel series Back Roads and narrates the farming documentary series Muster Dogs. Her move from hard-news foreign correspondence to lifestyle and regional storytelling has been a deliberate shift. In a 2024 interview with ABC News, she said leaving News Breakfast would allow her to “continue telling the stories of regional Australia.”
Millar swapped a foreign-correspondent career that put her at the centre of US politics for a slower, camera-focused life in rural Australia. For viewers, the shift means more intimate, place-based storytelling — but less daily national news exposure.
Who is Lisa Millar’s partner?
Millar’s current relationship status has been the subject of public curiosity, especially after her divorce from journalist Sid Maher. As of 2025, she has not publicly confirmed a new partner. However, a 2026 profile in The Guardian reported that Millar is in a relationship with Simon Carless, a pilot. According to the article, they met 17 years earlier and the relationship took a romantic turn in 2023.
How did Lisa Millar meet her partner?
The Guardian profile stated that Millar and Carless met through mutual friends. The timeline suggests they knew each other for well over a decade before becoming romantically involved. Millar has not publicly commented on the relationship beyond the profile interview.
Is Lisa Millar’s partner Simon?
Only one source — the 2026 Guardian story — names Simon Carless as Millar’s partner. No other major Australian outlet has confirmed the relationship independently. Millar’s social media accounts do not feature a partner publicly. As with many public figures, the line between verified reporting and speculation is thin.
The Guardian profile is the sole detailed source for Millar’s current relationship. Without confirmation from Millar herself or a second major outlet, readers should treat the information as a single report rather than established fact.
What this means: public interest in Millar’s partner is high, but the available evidence is thin. The Guardian’s profile provides a name and a story, but it has not been corroborated by other news organisations. Until Millar or her representatives confirm the relationship, the question remains partially open.
Has Lisa Millar been married?
Yes. Millar was previously married to Sid Maher, a journalist. Multiple sources, including Now To Love and IMDb, list Maher as her spouse, with the marriage ending in divorce. Millar herself has spoken about the divorce in media interviews.
Lisa Millar’s previous marriage
Millar and Maher married during her time as a foreign correspondent. The couple kept their personal life largely private. According to The Australian Women’s Weekly, Millar described herself as a “divorcee” in a 2024 profile.
How did her marriage end?
Millar has not provided a detailed public account of the separation. In a 2024 interview with ABC listen, she spoke broadly about the emotional impact of divorce, saying it was “a difficult period” but that she has “come out the other side.” The timeline suggests the divorce occurred around 2018–2019, coinciding with her return to Australia.
The pattern: Millar’s divorce is a rare area where she has been publicly open, but she has chosen not to share granular details. This suggests a deliberate boundary between her professional persona and private life.
Does Lisa Millar have children?
According to Millar’s own statements, she does not have children. The Australian Women’s Weekly reported in 2024 that Millar “has said she does not have children.” A 2025 profile in New Idea also states she has no children.
Lisa Millar’s family life
Millar grew up on a dairy farm in Kilkivan, Queensland, as the fourth of five children. She has spoken fondly of her rural upbringing in interviews, noting that it shaped her interest in regional storytelling. Her parents, Dorothy and Clarrie Millar, raised the family on the farm. In her memoir Daring to Fly, Millar writes about her family background but does not discuss having children of her own.
The implication: the common internet search “Lisa Millar daughter” appears to be a misunderstanding. There is no public evidence that she has a daughter. The confusion may stem from her warm, maternal on-screen presence in shows like Back Roads or from her mentorship of younger journalists.
What is Lisa Millar’s background?
Lisa Millar’s story begins in small-town Queensland. She was born on 19 February 1969 and raised on a dairy farm in Kilkivan, a rural community north-west of Gympie. She is the fourth of five children (The Australian Women’s Weekly).
Early life and education
Millar attended local schools and began her journalism career at The Gympie Times, a regional newspaper. She later moved to the ABC, where she would spend the bulk of her career. Her first role at the broadcaster was as a North Queensland correspondent for ABC TV News (ABC listen).
Career as a foreign correspondent
Millar’s 12 years in ABC’s Europe and US bureaux were the making of her reputation. She became the Washington correspondent in 2001, covering the Bush and Obama presidencies, and later ran the London bureau. The Sydney Morning Herald described her as having “a rare combination of hard news chops and regional warmth.” In 2019, she returned to Australia to host Back Roads, a show that takes her to remote communities. The role allowed her to combine her journalism skills with her personal connection to country life. She also wrote a memoir, Daring to Fly, published in 2022, which chronicles her career and personal journey.
The pattern: Millar’s background is a classic Australian story — from a dairy farm to the White House press corps, then back to the land. The through-line is a commitment to storytelling that serves the public, whether in global news or local communities.
Timeline signal
Seven key dates trace Millar’s trajectory from regional reporter to national broadcaster.
- 1969 — Born in Queensland, Australia
- 1993 — Joined ABC as a reporter (ABC News)
- 2001 — Became Washington correspondent (ABC listen)
- 2015 — Appointed London Bureau Chief (ABC listen)
- 2019 — Returned to Australia to host Back Roads (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- 2024 — Left ABC News Breakfast (ABC News)
- 2026 — Guardian profile names Simon Carless as partner (The Guardian)
The implication: the timeline reveals a correspondent who shifted from global breaking news to deeply local storytelling, with personal milestones aligning closely with professional transitions.
Clarity section
Confirmed facts
- Lisa Millar has been an ABC journalist since 1993 (ABC News)
- She was married to Sid Maher and is now divorced (Now To Love)
- She has said she does not have children (The Australian Women’s Weekly)
- She hosts Back Roads and Muster Dogs (The Guardian)
- She left ABC News Breakfast in 2024 (ABC News)
What’s unclear
- Exact identity of her current partner — only one source names Simon Carless
- Whether she is currently in a publicly acknowledged relationship
- Details of how her marriage ended
- Whether she will take on new documentary roles beyond Back Roads
The pattern: the confirmed facts rest on multiple independent sources, while the unclear items rely on a single report or no public statement at all.
Quotes
“I constantly have butterflies. It’s a lovely feeling.”
— Lisa Millar, speaking about her relationship with Simon Carless in a 2026 Guardian profile (The Guardian)
“I’ve come out the other side. It was a difficult period, but I’m grateful for where I am now.”
— Lisa Millar, on her divorce, in an interview with ABC listen (ABC listen)
“She has a rare combination of hard news chops and regional warmth.”
— The Sydney Morning Herald, describing Millar’s career (The Sydney Morning Herald)
“Millar’s departure from News Breakfast is a loss for the program, but a gain for regional storytelling.”
— The Guardian, on Millar’s career move (The Guardian)
The takeaway: Millar’s own words reveal a journalist comfortable with vulnerability, while external commentary underscores her unique blend of serious journalism and regional warmth.
For the ABC, Millar represents a rare asset: a journalist who can deliver hard news from Washington and then pivot to intimate stories about rural communities. The network’s willingness to let her shape her own path — from foreign correspondent to breakfast host to documentary presenter — signals a flexible approach to talent retention. For viewers, the payoff is content that feels both authoritative and warm.
en.wikipedia.org, nowtolove.com.au, womensweekly.com.au, newidea.com.au, dailymail.co.uk
For those wanting to learn more about her early career and personal milestones, a detailed biography of Lisa Millar provides an in-depth look.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lisa Millar do for a living?
She is an Australian television presenter and journalist, currently hosting Back Roads and Muster Dogs for the ABC.
How old is Lisa Millar?
She was born on 19 February 1969, making her 56 years old as of 2025.
Does Lisa Millar have any siblings?
Yes, she is the fourth of five children, raised on a dairy farm in Kilkivan, Queensland.
Where is Lisa Millar from?
She is from Kilkivan, Queensland, Australia.
Is Lisa Millar still on ABC?
Yes, she left ABC News Breakfast in 2024 but continues to host Back Roads and Muster Dogs for the ABC.
What book did Lisa Millar write?
She wrote a memoir titled Daring to Fly, published in 2022.
What is Muster Dogs about?
Muster Dogs is a documentary series that follows dogs and their owners as they work on Australian cattle stations. Millar narrates the series.
James Mitchell is Editor-in-Chief at Southern Focus, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.