Veteran broadcaster Mike Pritchard to retire after 31 years with the ABC
Mike Pritchard broadcasting recently at the Scone Race Club. (ABC Upper Hunter: Jake Lapham)
Whenever you tell a local that you work at ABC Upper Hunter, the conversation will quickly divert to Mike Pritchard.
They'll likely dub him a local legend, reminiscing about a time he interviewed them, or maybe someone they know.
They'll often describe waking up to Mike's voice each morning on the alarm clock radio.
Perhaps they'll share a memory of saying g'day at the livestock markets at midday, before seeing Mike back on the job recording interviews at a local charity event the same evening.
Or fondly recall how on his last show of each year, before the Christmas break, they know they'll hear Mike's favourite poem: 'The Small One' by Bing Crosby.
Eventually, the conversation gets to something along these lines:
"The day Mike retires, things just won't be the same around town."
Mike Pritchard on the opening day of the ABC's Muswellbrook office in August, 1990. (ABC archives)
Now, after 31 years with the ABC, and even longer in other local media, Mike Pritchard will hang up his headphones and embark on an exceptionally deserved retirement.
"I've been privileged to have had the opportunity to report on and share the stories of those in our region for so long, and also privileged to have had the opportunity to do it under the banner of ABC," he said.
"The decision to bring the ABC to the Upper Hunter was probably a gamble in 1990, but it has long since proved its worth by employing three permanent employees to cover such a diverse region.
"I'll not miss the 3.30 alarm but I'll no doubt struggle with having to leave a story idea alone."
A master reporter
Michael Condon, the presenter of the New South Wales Country Hour, and who worked with Mike for 20 years, said there were few people who had the sort of impact that Mike had.
"He will come across a story that nobody has heard of, way ahead of everybody else.
"Particularly in the coal industry and in the thoroughbred breeding industry, he has a real finger on the pulse there."
Bruce Reynolds (left), Michael Condon (centre) and Mike Pritchard (right) were nominated for a Walkley award their for coverage of the 2007/2008 Equine Influenza outbreak. (Supplied)
Michael said Mike's flair was essential in the recent drought period.
"He was pivotal with our drought coverage, because the Hunter was one of the first areas to really go severely into drought," he said.
"Mike was like a warning bell for us about what was likely to happen across the state."
For Michael, it was their Walkley-nominated work on the 2007-2008 Equine Influenza outbreak which he thinks was the beacon of an example of Mike's rural news vigour.
"A lot of our stories on the outbreak were driven from his original stories, around the lockdown of the Hunter," he said.
"He's just so self-effacing, and he really knows the story.
"If he's got a good story, he's not backwards-selling it."
A trusted mentor
Mike patiently nurtured the skills and professional development of many young journalists, taking them under his wing.
Mike Pritchard has mentored countless young journalists, including current Upper Hunter reporters Bridget Murphy and Jake Lapham. (ABC Upper Hunter: Lucia Hill)
One of them was Matt Brann, who grew up in the Upper Hunter and is now a journalist with ABC Rural in the Northern Territory.
Matt's desire to become a broadcaster was born when Mike offered him work experience.
"He's the one that got me going with the ABC back in the day," he said.
"I owe Mike Pritchard everything. Without him, I wouldn't have the job that I do today."
Matt and Mike's mateship formed out of a jested local cricket rivalry.
"He and I were arch-rivals," he said.
"He was a crafty spin bowler from Rouchel, and I was the young opening batsman from Belltrees.
"It was after a game out in Belltrees, I was fiddling around at school and he came up to me and asked 'what are you doing? What do you want to do?'
"I had no idea, and he was the one that said, 'why don't you come and do a little work experience with me?'"
Matt Brann now hosts the Northern Territory Country Hour and recently took over from another ABC legend, Kerry Lonergan, presenting the Markets Report on Landline.
"Mike Pritchard is truly the perfect rural reporter,"Matt said.
A reliable friend
Maria Cameron started working at The Land newspaper around the same time that Mike started at the ABC.
Mike Pritchard will present his final breakfast show on June 4, 2021 after 31 years in the job. (ABC Upper Hunter: Hannah Palmer)
"Mike is just an integral part of the Upper Hunter community", she said.
"That comes from truly living and breathing the Upper Hunter.
"He knows everyone, he has a knack for getting a good story usually before its happened and I think that's because people just feel at ease with Mike.
"It's just like talking to a mate."
Maria now works for Local Land Services in the Upper Hunter and was a regular guest on Mike's Breakfast program for more than six years.
"Mike's got that trust, where people will ring him up and tell him anything," she said.
"He's a real institution, and he'll be a really hard act to follow."
Mike Pritchard's final programs will air on Friday June 4, with the Upper Hunter and New England North West Rural Report at 6:15am, and the Upper Hunter breakfast show from 6:30am to 8:00am.