A beloved Australian newscaster has died. Richard Morecroft, who presented the news on Australia’s ABC, died at the age of 70.
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The announcement of his death came via Instagram on Oct. 6.
“Sadly, our beloved Richard died today, at a time of his choosing, on the south coast of NSW,” the post read. “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.”
According to The Senior, Morecroft chose to end his life through voluntary assisted dying. To be eligible for voluntary assisted dying, the New South Wales government health page says a person “must have an advanced and progressive disease, illness, or medical condition that is expected to cause their death within six months (or 12 months for neurodegenerative diseases like motor neurone disease).”
Additionally, they “must also be experiencing suffering that can’t be relieved in a way that is acceptable to them.” The eligibility requirements include being in a “decision-making capacity in relation to voluntary assisted dying,” and having “an enduring request for voluntary assisted dying.”
Morecroft was born in England, but moved to Australia when he was 10. He began broadcasting the nightly news in NSW for the ABC in the 1980s, and stayed until the early 2000s. He also hosted Letters and Numbers on SBS from 2010 to 2012.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Morecroft “a beloved part of Australian life…as the face and the voice of the news of the ABC.”
“Combining a consummate professionalism with an unyielding humanity, Richard was a figure of absolute trust, a warm and familiar presence who guided us through the good times and bad,” he continued. “He loved the arts and was deeply passionate about our natural environment.”