Mary Kostakidis

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Mary Kostakidis

Mary Kostakidis (born 1954) is an Australian newsreader for the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), working at the network for over fifteen years. She was born in Thessaloniki, Greece and immigrated to Australia with her family two years later.

Kostakidis attended Fort Street Girls' High School, and the University of Sydney, where she studied Modern Greek, Philosophy, French, German and Italian. She was also a founding member and first President of the University's Greek Society. She went on to complete a Diploma of Education in order to prepare for a career as a teacher. Kostakidis won a post-graduate scholarship to study at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.

Before joining SBS Kostakidis worked as a tutor at the University of Sydney, as a research officer for the Departments of Health and Young and Community Services in New South Wales and as a Court interpreter. She once worked for ABC Radio news.

Kostakidis joined SBS as part of the original management team in September 1980 and worked to set up the Subtitling Unit. She became Director of Program Preparation where she was involved in developing policies of censorship and classification.

She co-hosts the main SBS World News at 6.30PM weekdays with Stan Grant.

Kostakidis is active in the community and has a long standing interest in social justice issues. She is a member of the Drug and Alcohol Council, the Order of Australia Honours committee, the Sydney Olympic Cultural Organising Committee and was a member of the Breast Cancer Council Advisory Committee. She was appointed as a member to the Constitutional Centenary Foundation and to the Republic Advisory Committee. In August 1997 she was appointed to the Advertising Standards Board.

Kostakidis is regularly voted one of the most stylish women in Australia.^{[citation needed]}