Veteran broadcaster Richard Morecroft, best known for ABC News and Letters and Numbers, has died.
Veteran broadcaster Richard Morecroft, best known for ABC News and Letters & Numbers, has died, aged 70.
An Instagram post read, “Sadly, our beloved Richard died today, at a time of his choosing, on the south coast of NSW.
“He was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and was grateful to go peacefully, with his partner of 36 years, Alison Mackay, beside him.
“We are devastated to lose such a warm, generous and caring human and hope that all those who knew him, if only through their TV screens, will remember him fondly.”
Morecroft presented ABC’s 7pm news bulletin from 1983 to 2002.
With his melifluous speaking voice he was originally hired as an ABC radio announcer and later transferred to work in television, hosting the 7pm Adelaide bulletin.
He moved to Sydney in 1982 and took over the ABC News NSW bulletin in July 1983, as well as presenting Behind the News. In 1985, he and Geraldine Doogue co-hosted The National, the ABC’s short-lived hour long experiment.
From 2010 to 2012 he hosted Letters & Numbers on SBS alongside David Astle & Lily Serna, which drew a huge audience outcry when it was axed.
Morecroft even appeared as a news reporter in Police Rescue, The Roly Poly Man, Wildside and Red Hill.
ABC statement:
All at the ABC will be saddened to hear of the death of Richard Morecroft.
He was a great friend, an admired colleague, and a firm favourite with audiences.
Richard was best known for presenting the ABC’s NSW 7PM News bulletin for almost two decades, from 1983 to 2002, always with calm authority and gentle humour, a trusted and reassuring voice.
His other roles at the ABC included presenting Behind the News, co-hosting The National and leading election-night broadcasts.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Richard’s loved ones.
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks: “Richard Morecroft was one of the great broadcasters of his generation.
“His intelligence, warmth and professionalism, beamed into homes across Australia for almost two decades, made him a trusted presence in the lives of Australians and an enduring part of the ABC’s history.
“Our thoughts are with his family, friends and former colleagues.”
ABC presenter Leigh Sales: “To those of us who worked with him in the Sydney ABC TV newsroom of the 1990s Richard Morecroft was not only a consummate presenter, he was a true gentleman – generous and courteous to a fault.
“His kind nature revealed itself in many ways — from the baby possum he nurtured inside his suit jacket for a period while reading the news, to the way he would seek out newly arrived junior staff to welcome them to the team. He was universally admired and respected.”
Jeremy Fernandez said, “Richard was a model of how to wear success and popularity with grace and humility. He didn’t let the business of news and media dim his love and enthusiasm for people, art, the environment, and the world. I’m so deeply saddened by his passing.”
Michael Rowland said, “He was the newsreader’s newsreader. When he said something, you absolutely believed him because it was heartfelt and that was something that he took with him until his final days. You put Richard Morecroft in front of a TV camera, and you didn’t have to worry because he was the voice of authority.”
Statement by SBS Managing Director, Jane Palfreyman, “SBS is deeply saddened by the passing of Richard Morecroft, one of Australia’s most respected and familiar broadcasters.
“Richard brought warmth, intelligence and a dry wit to SBS’s Letters and Numbers. From 2010 to 2012, he hosted the much-loved quiz show alongside David Astle and Lily Serna, introducing a generation of viewers to the joy of words and numbers across a remarkable 450 episodes. These episodes continue to be repeated today, reflecting Richard’s enduring appeal.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Richard’s family, friends and former colleagues, and pay tribute to his wide and varied contribution to Australian television.”
Source: ABC News
Updated.