Vale: Geoff Raymond

Former Melbourne newsreader Geoff Raymond has died in England after a sudden illness, aged 89.

Raymond had a 30 year career presenting news at Seven (1956–1969), ATV-0 (1970-1972) and ABC (1973–1984).

“Geoff had a great sense of humour,” said former newsreader David Johnston.

“During the disappearance of Harold Holt… Geoff was on air and he said accidentally that everything had ‘come to dead halt’. [That is] one of the things he was remembered for.

Johnston also paid tribute to him as a mentor.

“We all tried to follow in his footsteps and I don’t know if we ever quite got there, but he was a very good example for us young newsreaders.”

In recent years he pursued interests in running accommodation in Fiji, notably making the news again during a tropical cyclone, Ireland and the UK.

Raymond also wrote the travel book Footprints in Fiji.

He is survived by his wife, two children and four grandchildren.

Source: ABC, Nine News.