Noted sports writer, broadcaster, dies

Press, 30 April 1981, Page 36

Noted sports writer, broadcaster, dies

PA Wellington A well-known sports .writer and broadcaster, Mr • Wally Ingram, died in Auckland on Monday, aged 76. Mr Ingram’s sports journalism career spanned more than 40 years, most of them in Wellington. Walter Frederick Ingram was born and educated in Gisborne and began work in the capital as the athletics writer for the weekly publication, the “New Zealand Sportsman.” He was editor of its successor, “Sporting Life,” from 1936-37. During the Second World War Mr Ingram was a public relations officer for the Air Force, and he served as a sports advisory officer and also in the Pacific. Mr Ingram joined the Labour Party’s daily newspaper, the “Southern Cross” when it

was founded in 1945 and was its sports editor until the paper ceased publication in 1951. From 1951-56 Mr Ingram was assistant editor of the “New Zealand Motor World” and was sports editor of the weekly, the “New Zealand Free Lance,” from 1956-60. From 1961-69 he was cditor-in-chief of Organ Bros, Ltd’s racing and sporting publications. Mr Ingram also wrote a sports column for the “New Zealand Listener” for some years. On radio, Mr Ingram had a Sunday morning half-hour session, “The World of Sport” on station 2ZB from 1940-60, compiling more than 1000 programmes. Mr Ingram served for seven years on the New Zealand Amateur Athletic

Association’s council and for three years on the national Olympic and Commonwealth Games association, and was also a national cycling administrator. He was also a former president of the Wellington Journalists’ Association. Mr Ces Blazey, chairman of the New Zealand Amateur Athletics Association and of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, yesterday praised Mr Ingram’s contribution to sport. “I always held Wally Ingram in high regard. In my opinion he adopted a very fair approach in his writing. He was an astute judge of sportsmen and always endeavoured to help people along. He had a great knowledge of sport.” Mr Ingram is survived by his wife, Dulcie, and a daughter, Lorraine.