John Andrew Durrant Olle (28 December 194712 December 1995), always known as Andrew Olle, was a radio and television presenter on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...

, beginning his career in 1967 as a news cadet and, until his death, working in a wide variety of programs, including The 7.30 Report

The 7.30 Report

The 7.30 Report is an Australian nightly television current affairs program, that was shown on ABC1 and ABC News 24 at , Mondays–Thursdays...

, ABC Radio 2BL, Sydney

2BL

2BL may refer to:*2BL , an Australian radio station 702 ABC Sydney*Block 2BL, a Russian rocket stage....

, Nationwide, Four Corners and A Big Country.

Andrew Olle died in 1995 from a brain tumour (glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans, involving glial cells and accounting for 52% of all functional tissue brain tumor cases and 20% of all intracranial tumors. Despite being the most prevalent form of primary brain tumor, GBMs...

) which was not diagnosed until he was rushed to hospital following a massive stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

 and collapse. He never regained consciousness and died within a week, on 12 December. On 13 December, in the NSW State Parliament, the Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr

Bob Carr

Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...

, himself a former ABC journalist, moved a formal condolence motion on Olle's death. For his Memorial Service in the Sydney Town Hall

Sydney Town Hall

The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...

 on 22 December, Peter Sculthorpe

Peter Sculthorpe

Peter Joshua Sculthorpe AO OBE is an Australian composer. Much of his music has resulted from an interest in the music of Australia's neighbours as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of native Australian music with that of the heritage of the West...

 wrote a special arrangement for cello and piano of his 1947 work Parting, dedicated to Olle, which was played by Nathan Waks and Kathryn Selby

Kathryn Selby

Kathryn Selby is an Australian classical pianist. She is often known as Kathy Selby.She grew up in Sydney. She entered the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the age of seven. She followed this with study with Béla Síki at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 1976 she was awarded a...

.

Legacy

The Andrew Olle Memorial Trust was established to raise money for brain cancer and neurosurgery research. The Andrew Olle Media Lecture

Andrew Olle Media Lecture

The Andrew Olle Media Lecture was established in 1996 by the presenters and staff at 702 ABC Sydney to honour the memory of ABC Radio broadcaster Andrew Olle, who died in 1995 of a brain tumour.The Andrew Olle Lecturers have been:...

is an annual lecture held by the ABC in his honour.

Sources

• About Andrew Olle, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 15 October 2003 http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2003/10/15/285463.htm
• Helen Pitt, A cancer with still no cure in mind, Sydney Morning Herald, 12 December 2005 http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/a-cancer-with-still-no-cure-in-mind/2005/12/11/1134235951361.html