Ray Martin has spent five decades in the public eye, but the woman who has stood beside him through it all has remained deliberately out of the spotlight. That’s exactly how Dianne Martin wanted it.
For a television icon who has interviewed everyone from Madonna to Tom Cruise and won five Gold Logies, Ray Martin’s personal life has always been remarkably private. At the center of that quiet world is his wife of more than 55 years, Dianne Martin. Their enduring marriage offers a rare glimpse into the life of a man who has been a fixture in Australian living rooms since the 1970s.
Who Is Dianne Martin?
Dianne Martin is the wife of legendary Australian television presenter and journalist Ray Martin. The couple married in 1968, shortly before Ray’s career took them overseas for a decade. The pair went on to have two children, Luke and Jenna, and built a life together that has weathered the unique pressures of fame and long periods apart.
Unlike many celebrity spouses, Dianne has maintained an intensely private existence. She has rarely given interviews, avoided red carpet events, and kept a low profile throughout her husband’s decades in the public eye.
How Ray and Dianne Met
The story of how one of Australia’s most recognizable television personalities met his match is surprisingly modest. It happened at a squash club, not a glamorous media event.
Ray Martin recounted the details of their first meeting in a 2014 interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, describing how he first noticed Dianne playing on the courts next to his.
“I used to perve on her on the next-door courts,” he admitted. “She was a long-legged blonde and I took every opportunity I could to watch her play. She was a better player than me, and a class above me in terms of style and character, and I thought I didn’t have much prospect there.”
The breakthrough came at a club awards night. Dianne, shy by nature, had won several awards and asked Ray to walk across the floor with her to collect one of them. From that moment, the pair became inseparable.
Their relationship deepened quickly. When Ray’s career as an ABC journalist took him to Perth, he lasted only six weeks before asking Dianne to join him. She did, and they married in 1968, launching a partnership that would take them to New York and back before settling into Australian television history.
The Secret to a 55-Year Marriage
What has kept the Martin marriage strong through decades of demanding work and long absences? Ray has been remarkably candid about the answer: space, independence, and mutual respect.
“The secret to our marriage is that she’s a woman who likes her own company,” Ray told The Sydney Morning Herald. “She’s not dependent on me, which means I’ve been able to run my own life as a journalist without her saying, ‘I wish you were home.’”
During his years with the iconic 60 Minutes program, Ray spent roughly half of each year traveling the world. Rather than resenting his absences, Dianne embraced them. As Ray put it: “If I was home for too long, she’d say, ‘Isn’t it time you went away again?’”
Ray also credits the example set by Dianne’s family. Her parents were married for 55 years, and all of her siblings have maintained their marriages. “Seeing people around you like that probably rubs off,” he reflected.
But perhaps the most telling insight into their bond is Ray’s refusal to take it for granted. “The other secret is I don’t take anything for granted,” he said. “It could all be over tomorrow.”
A Life Built Together
The Martins have shared a remarkably full life. When Ray was appointed ABC’s New York correspondent in 1969, Dianne moved with him, and they spent a decade in the United States before returning to Australia. Those years laid the foundation for Ray’s extraordinary career, which would see him become one of the founding presenters of 60 Minutes in 1979, host of Midday with Ray Martin from 1985 to 1993, and anchor of A Current Affair across two stints.
Through it all, Dianne remained his constant. Even at his 2023 “living wake” for the SBS documentary Ray Martin: The Last Goodbye, one of the ten most meaningful photos he chose to display was from his wedding to Dianne, his wife of more than 55 years.
Where the Martins Are Today
In 2025, Ray and Dianne quietly sold their Sydney home of 34 years for more than $8 million. The Waverton property, which they purchased in 1990 for $900,000, was where they raised Luke and Jenna and built their life together.
The couple also sold a Sunshine Coast property in 2022 for $2.65 million, having bought it for $250,000 in 2001, further cementing their savvy approach to real estate.
Now in his late seventies, Ray has spoken openly about mortality. At 78, he noted that statistically he was “four years short of when the average man in Australia dies”. Yet his reflections on life consistently circle back to Dianne and their family.
For a man who has interviewed presidents, prime ministers, and Hollywood royalty, Ray Martin’s most enduring partnership has been with a woman who wanted no part of the spotlight. Their 55-year marriage stands as a testament to the power of independence, respect, and the quiet strength of a spouse who was never in it for the fame.
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