Beloved Australian broadcaster Richard Morecroft has died aged 70 following a cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
The veteran journalist and newsreader, whose calm and reassuring presence made him one of the most familiar faces on Australian television, died peacefully on the NSW south coast with his partner of 36 years, artist Alison Mackay, by his side.
A spokesperson for Morecroft’s family confirmed his death on Tuesday night, saying he had died “at a time of his choosing”.
“He was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and was grateful to go peacefully, with his partner of 36 years, Alison Mackay, beside him,” the statement said.
“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.”
For generations of Australians, Morecroft was one of those rare broadcasters who felt less like a television personality and more like a familiar visitor to the lounge room.
He joined the ABC in the 1970s and went on to become one of the national broadcaster’s most recognisable faces, including a stint presenting the children’s current affairs program Behind the News.
But it was behind the news desk that he became a household name.
Morecroft presented the ABC’s flagship 7pm television news bulletin in Sydney from 1983 until 2002, calmly guiding viewers through almost two decades of major Australian and international events.
His measured delivery and warmth earned him the trust of viewers, and his departure from the nightly bulletin marked the end of an era for many longtime ABC audiences.
Morecroft later returned to television in a very different role, hosting the much-loved SBS quiz show Letters and Numbers from 2010 to 2012.
Away from broadcasting, Morecroft and Mackay made their home on the NSW south coast, where he remained involved in the arts and local community.
News of his death prompted heartfelt tributes from across the Australian media industry, with ABC presenter Michael Rowland remembering him as both an exceptional broadcaster and a kind colleague.
“Richard was a superb newsreader and a lovely man,” Rowland wrote.
For the countless Australians who welcomed Morecroft into their homes night after night, his was a voice synonymous with an era of television news – steady, thoughtful and reassuring.
He leaves behind not only a remarkable broadcasting career, but the affection of generations of viewers who felt they knew him, even if they had only ever seen him through a television screen.
