Geoff Raymond

Geoffrey Sinclair Raymond (1921 or 1922 – 4 January 2011) was an Australian television news presenter.^[1]

Geoffrey Raymond
Born	1921 or 1922
Died	(2011-01-04)4 January 2011 England
Occupations	television presenter tourist resort manager publican
Years active	1946–1984
Known for	reading television news bulletins
Television	HSV-7 News Take it East The Raymond Report ABV-2 News

He is best remembered for his work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation where he anchored ABC News in Melbourne from 1973 to 1984.^[2][3]

Career

Raymond began his career as a copy boy for Melbourne newspaper The Herald.^[3] He then joined radio station 3DB in the 1940's as a newsreader where his profile grew.^[3][4][5]

In 1956, Raymond was working at 3UZ as chief announcer where he was instrumental in establishing the station's news service.^[6]

After a brief stint at the BBC in England, Raymond returned to Melbourne to read the news on television station HSV-7 after Eric Pearce left the station to join GTV-9.^[3] At HSV-7, he also hosted the discussion program Answer Please.^[3] He also co-hosted a HSV-7 program called Take It East with Nehama Patkin.^[7]

He then joined ATV-0 where he read the news from 1970 and also hosted his own weekly current affairs program The Raymond Report in 1971.^[3]

Raymond then joined the ABC as its chief newsreader on its Melbourne television station ABV-2 in 1973.^[3]

Raymond was also a keen photographer. In June 1980, photographs that had been taken by Raymond during two trips to Israel, Egypt and Jordan in 1979 formed part of an exhibition at the B'nai B'rith Centre in Sydney which was officially opened by Senator Peter Baume.^[8] Raymond said he hoped that his photos would in some way help relations between Israel and Egypt.^[8] He had first displayed the photos in Melbourne in 1979 at an exhibition officially opened by Roger Shipton.^[9]

While at the ABC, he also appeared at various events such as the National Book Council awards dinner in St Kilda in 1980 and the Carols by Candlelight event at Caulfield in 1981.^[10][11]

Raymond retired from television in February 1984.^[12]

The appointment of Ralphe Neill as Raymond's successor was met with opposition from ABC staff and led to a 12-day strike.^[13] Thirty-four staff from ABC Television walked off the job on 13 July 1984 in protest of the way Neill had been appointed to replace Raymond, claiming the normal procedures for such appointments had not been followed.^[13][14] Staff from ABC Radio joined the strike a week later.^[13] The strike ended on 25 July 1984 when it appeared an agreement had been reached between staff and management although the ABC Staff Association refused to divulge details.^[13] ABC management later said Neill's appointment had been eventually accepted by staff.^[14]

After leaving television, Raymond moved to Fiji to manage the Tabua Sands Hotel tourist resort.^[15] In 1986, Raymond returned to Australia to manage the Ferntree Tavern near Mount Wellington in Tasmania.^[16]

Raymond died in England at the age of 89 on 4 January 2011.^[17] His death prompted various tributes from television identities including former colleague David Johnston.^[2]

References

1. "Former ABC TV newsreader dies". The Age. 8 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
2. "Long-serving ABC newsreader dies". ABC News. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
3. Bayley, Andrew (7 January 2011). "Obituary: Geoff Raymond". Television.AU. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
4. "Good Friday Appeal for Hospital". The Sporting Globe. 13 April 1946. Retrieved 5 January 2023. 3DB's popular announcers - Eric Pearce, Eric Welch, Monty Blandford, John Stuart, Derek Prentice, Dick Cranbourne, Geoff Raymond and others...
5. "Radio stars at football". The Sporting Globe. 8 June 1946. Retrieved 5 January 2023. Other well-known radio stars in the game will be Dick Cranbourne, Geoff Raymond, Max Reddy...
6. Brooke, Geoff (8 September 1956). "NEWS - as it breaks". The Argus. Retrieved 5 January 2023. Chief announcer, ex 3DB-er Geoff Raymond will be the man in charge and on-the-spot descriptions and news interviews within range will be handled by him personally
7. Kleerekoper, Victor (28 May 1999). "Nehama Patkin celebrates a mileston". The Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
8. "Egyptian and Jewish communities combine for photo exhibition". The Australian Jewish News. 5 June 1980. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
9. "Middle East on show". The Australian Jewish News. 1 June 1979. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
10. Steele, Colin (26 October 1983). "'Too little publicity' for book awards". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 5 January 2023. The ABC's news presentator in Melbourne, Geoff Raymond, read selected extracts but apparently was not a TV draw for his colleagues
11. "Spirit of holidays". The Australian Jewish News. 11 December 1981. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
12. "In Brief... Newsreader retires". The Canberra Times. 12 February 1984. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
13. "ABC strike finished". The Canberra Times. 26 July 1984. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
14. "Confirm announcer". The Australian Jewish News. 10 August 1984. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
15. Davis, Ian (25 May 1987). "Taking stock: Australian interests closely involved in racial divisions behind coup in Fiji". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
16. "Raymond Tas. host". The Australian Jewish News. 18 July 1986. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
17. Knox, David (8 January 2011). "Vale: Geoff Raymond". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 January 2023.