Peter Cundall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

Peter Cundall AM (born 1st April 1927 in Manchester, England) is a horticulturalist and television personality in Australia. He currently lives in Tasmania's Tamar Valley, and at the age of 80 continues to be a presenter of the ABC TV program Gardening Australia.

Amongst the gardeners of Australia, Peter Cundall has gained idol like popularity and is a household name. The TV show and Magazine Gardening Australia Peter represents has a devoted audience of both younger and older gardeners and admirers. At Gardening Australia Live shows (gardening exhibitions in Australian capital cities) Peter Cundall's presentations attract so many viewers that thick crowds form, aisles fill, and no seats are left empty. Peter's presentation of the joys of gardening, both on stage and television, are truly exciting. His enthusiasm for gardening, especially in the vegie patch using organic principles, is infectious. Peter Cundall shows viewers that gardening is a vibrant and healthy activity. He shows that it is easy to do and very rewarding. Peter has a hands on approach, he really gets into it and this is part of his appeal.

Contents

[edit] Military career

Near the end of World War II, Cundall joined the British Army's Parachute Regiment, where he was stationed in various countries in post-war Europe (France, Austria, Germany, Italy and Yugoslavia) and the Middle East (Egypt and Israel).

In 1946, Cundall mistakenly wandered across the border into Yugoslavia, and was arrested by Marshal Tito's forces. He was sentenced (without trial) to four years imprisonment for espionage, but was released into Trieste, Italy after six months in Ljubljana after pressure from the British government.

Eager to hasten his emigration to Australia, Cundall enlisted in the Australian Army in 1950. In interviews he has stated that he naïvely believed he was enlisting for a non-combat role as a librarian. However, he was immediately posted to Korea, and once again saw action overseas as a machine gunner during the Korean War.

[edit] Political Career

Cundall was a Tasmanian Senate candidate for the Communist Party of Australia. He also supports many left wing political and environmental groups by speaking at rallies and events. He is a keen environmentalist.

[edit] Gardening career

After leaving the Australian military in 1956, Cundall moved to Tasmania, where he started his own gardening and landscaping business.

In 1967, he started a gardening talkback program on a Launceston radio station. In 1969, he began a long working relationship with Australia's national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Commission (now the Australian Broadcasting Corporation).

[edit] Awards

In 2006, Cundall was named Australian Humanist of the Year.

In 2007, Cundall was made a member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours list for services to the environment and horticulture.

[edit] The Ronnie Johns Half Hour

Comedian, Dan Ilic, impersonates Cundall on the sketch comedy program The Ronnie Johns Half Hour. Illic's Cundall finds himself in problem situations and uses his know-how of manure and compost to solve them. A similar characterisation was made several years earlier by Shaun Micallef.

[edit] External links and references

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../p/e/t/Peter_Cundall_d7c5.html"