US-born filmmaker Bill Leimbach, who emigrated to 47 years ago, has died.
His sons, Louis Leimbach, 35 and Oliver Leimbach, 37, of the Aussie band Lime Cordiale, took to Facebook to announce the sad news on Saturday.
The pair did not share any details of their father’s passing, including his age, but did confirm that he died on August 5, surrounded by his family.
Best known for his documentaries, Bill worked on the much-loved Channel Seven series The World Around Us (1979-2000) with famed British natural historian Sir David Attenborough.
He was also a producer who made the highly acclaimed n war drama Beneath Hill 60 starring Brendan Cowell (Love My Way) in 2010.
Born in San Diego, California, Bill was a surfer in his youth, and later trained as a filmmaker in London, and entered the film industry there in the 1970s.
US-born filmmaker Bill Leimbach (pictured), who emigrated to 47 years ago, has died
His sons, Louis Leimbach, 35 and Oliver Leimbach, 37, of the Aussie band Lime Cordiale, took to Facebook to announce the sad news on Saturday. Pictured: Oliver and his brother Louis Leimbach in 2021
He worked for the BBC and the British Film Institute, where he met visiting n filmmakers like Peter Weir (The Last Wave), Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant) and Phil Noyce (Dead Calm).
Deciding he ‘loved’ ns and impressed by the new films being made Down Under in the 1970s like Picnic at Hanging Rock, Bill moved to Sydney in 1978.
Bill also won acclaim for his camera work on the French-produced Oscar-nominated documentary Raoni (1978).
His first major film was a documentary about Indigenous film star David Gulpilil, Walkabout to Hollywood (1980).
He later made the popular travel series Outback Adventures (1998-1999) and the acclaimed history documentary, Gallipoli: The Unknown Stories (2005).
In a career spanning over five decades, Bill also made films for National Geographic, PBS, SBS, the ABC and the BBC.
He also worked for the Nine, Seven and Channel 10 networks.
‘Not many people can say they had a dad like Bill,’ his sons shared on their father’s own Facebook page.
Best known for his documentaries, Bill worked on the much-loved Channel Seven series The World Around Us (1979-2000) with famed British natural historian Sir David Attenborough
His first major film was a documentary about Indigenous film star David Gulpilil, Walkabout to Hollywood (1980). Pictured: Bill pictured with Gulpilil
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‘He was a filmmaker, a grandpa, a husband, a Yank-turned-Aussie, and a huge presence.’
Elsewhere in their tribute, the Leimbach brothers shared little-known family history.
‘By the time the hippie movement was in full swing, Dad was into photography and had started travelling,’ they said.
‘When he was conscripted to fight in Vietnam, he fled to South America. Eventually, they caught him – so he faked insanity and was institutionalised. The plan worked, but after they let him out, he left the States for good,’ they wrote.
His sons also shared intimate details about their relationship with their father.
‘He pushed us sons hard – but almost in the same breath, he’d tell us to take a f***ing break,’ they said.
‘He knew how to turn a holiday into a tax deduction.
‘Dad never grew up. He was a cheeky bugger with an infectious giggle, always trying to shock you with something inappropriate. It’s a lesson for all of us. Be carefree and don’t take life too seriously because one day you’ll be dead.
‘You’d hardly ever see Dad without our merch on.
‘He was our best mate, and we were always trying to impress him. We’ll miss you, Dad.’
They concluded: ‘Written by his sons, but sending love from the whole family.’
Bill shares two daughters, Carli and Tania, with his first wife.
After separating, he met his second wife, Karen, a music teacher, with whom he shares sons Oliver and Louis, who formed Lime Cordiale in 2009.