Richard Morecroft | |
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| Born | (1956-01-20)20 January 1956 (age 69) Market Harborough,Leicestershire, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1981−present |
| Known for | Host ofBehind the News; the 7pmABC News New South Wales bulletin;Letters and Numbers |
Richard Morecroft (born 20 January 1956)[1] is anEnglish-born Australian radio announcer, TV newsreader and presenter, and conservationist. He presented theAdelaide News bulletin, before becoming the long-running host of the nightly bulletin ofABC News NSW from 1983 until 2002.[2] Between 2010 and 2012, he hosted the quiz showLetters and Numbers.
Morecroft was born inMarket Harborough in the EnglishMidlands.[3][4] His father Peter and mother Phyll moved the family toAdelaide in 1966 for the benefit of his brother Andrew's respiratory problems; Peter set up a dentist's practice there.[3]
Morecroft studied English and Drama at theUniversity of Adelaide with thoughts of becoming an actor or teacher.[3] He became involved in the university radio station and auditioned for the ABC before completing his degree.[3] He was hired as a radio announcer and later transferred to work in television, hosting the 7pm Adelaide bulletin for a couple of years before being approached to replaceJames Dibble who had presented the bulletin since it began in 1956.[3][5][6][7]
He moved to Sydney in 1982 and took over the 7pm Sydney bulletin in July 1983, as well as presentingBehind the News. In 1985, he andGeraldine Doogue co-hostedThe National, the ABC's short-lived experiment with an hour-long nightly news service, combining news and current affairs, withMax Walsh andRichard Carlton as chief reporters.[3] Also during his time with the ABC, Morecroft participated with the ABC's Natural History Unit in the production ofRaising Archie, about aflying fox which he raised and used to keep under the news desk while at work.[3] Morecroft presented the 7pm Sydney news bulletin until 2002, and also hosted election-night broadcasts and educational programs.[2][3][6][7] He would always sign off by saying "And that's the news to this minute."
Morecroft became such a widely recognizable Australian newscaster that he appeared as himself in many Australian movies and television shows during and after his career. Including:Police Rescue (1991–1996),The Roly Poly Man (1993),Wildside (1997–1998) andRed Hill (2010).
He left the ABC in 2002, being replaced byTony Eastley, and underwent asea change, moving to a property nearJervis Bay with his partner, artist Alison Mackay. He said he was not retiring, but wanted to work in a different way.[3][6][8][9][10][11]
Morecroft returned to the ABC to hostRichard Morecroft Goes Wild in 2002, drawing on his passion for environmental issues.[2][10][12]
In 2010, it was announced that he would hostLetters and Numbers onSBS Television, an Australian version of the Frenchgame showDes chiffres et des lettres, on which the British game showCountdown is based.[13][14] The first program aired on 2 August 2010.[15] Morecroft was joined bycrossword compilerDavid Astle and mathematicianLily Serna.[15]
Morecroft is a governor of the Taronga Foundation and a director of theZoological Parks Board of New South Wales.[2][3] He is a trustee of theWorld Wide Fund for Nature and is a patron ofWIRES.[2]
His book20 Years from the Waist Up was published in 2002.[2][16]
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| Preceded by | ABC News NSW presenter 1983–2002 | Succeeded by |
Before I answer that question, I just want to say, 'Happy Birthday!'.
This was when I was a child growing up in England.
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| Other | |
