Richard Morecroft, one of the most familiar and trusted faces in Australian broadcasting, has died aged 70 after a cancer diagnosis earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Best known for presenting ABC News NSW for nearly two decades, the English-born Australian broadcaster died on Tuesday on the NSW south coast, according to a statement shared on Instagram.<\/p>\n
\u201cSadly, our beloved Richard died today, at a time of his choosing, on the south coast of NSW,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and was grateful to go peacefully, with his partner of 36 years, Alison Mackay, beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
ABC journalist Leigh Sales was among the first to pay tribute, describing the broadcaster as an \u201cabsolutely divine human being\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was pure class in every way,\u201d Ms Sales told the ABC.<\/p>\n
\u201cI consider myself a lucky person indeed to have been his friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember I started in the Sydney newsroom as a junior reporter … and he went out of his way to welcome me … touch base with me and to make sure that I was going OK.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was full of life, he adored nature, he loved art, he loved people, he was just kind and caring, through and through,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She said she saw Morecroft about a month ago when he was \u201cdealing with bad news in a very stoic way and dignified manner\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a big loss,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For many Australians, Morecroft was a steady and reassuring presence on television each night, delivering the news with calm authority for almost 20 years.<\/p>\n
Born in Market Harborough, England, in 1956, he moved to Adelaide with his family as a child and later studied English and drama at the University of Adelaide. <\/p>\n
He began in campus radio before joining the ABC, where he built his career first behind the microphone and then in front of the camera.<\/p>\n
After presenting the Adelaide News bulletin, Morecroft moved to Sydney and in 1983 took over the ABC News NSW desk from James Dibble. <\/p>\n
He remained in the role until 2002, becoming one of the national broadcaster\u2019s best-known and most respected newsreaders.<\/p>\n
He later returned to television as host of SBS\u2019s Letters and Numbers, where his warmth and intelligence introduced him to a new generation of viewers.<\/p>\n
Morecroft\u2019s career extended far beyond the studio. He was deeply involved in conservation and animal welfare, holding roles with organisations including WWF Australia, WIRES, the Taronga Foundation and the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales.<\/p>\n
Away from broadcasting, he was also an author and photographer, producing work that ranged from wildlife writing and memoir to children\u2019s books, often in collaboration with his partner Alison Mackay. <\/p>\n
ABC managing director Hugh Marks said Morecroft was \u201cone of the great broadcasters of his generation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis 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\u2019s history,\u201d Mr Marks told the ABC.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur thoughts are with his family, friends and former colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Richard Morecroft, one of the most familiar and trusted faces in Australian broadcasting, has died aged 70 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