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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-09 Daily Xml
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Walker, Mr M.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. F. Pangallo:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges the passing of Mr Murray Walker, OBE;

2. Acknowledges his achievements in the broadcasting of motorsport worldwide;

3. Acknowledges his enthusiastic support and promotion of South Australia, in particular motorsport events, including the Australian Formula One Grand Prix between 1985-95 and as a roving ambassador for the V8 Supercars; and

4. Conveys its sincerest condolences to his wife, Elizabeth, and family in the UK on his passing.

(Continued from 26 May 2021.)

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (16:43): I rise to speak to the motion that the Hon. Mr Pangallo introduced to the chamber. Can I take a moment before I go to the formal part of my speech to acknowledge his cooperation in moving this matter to today; in fact, I think it was moved twice, for which the government and I am sure the chamber is grateful.

It is an honour to speak to the Hon. Mr Pangallo's motion on the life of Graeme Murray Walker OBE, who sadly passed on 13 March this year. On behalf of the Marshall Liberal government I wish to express our sincerest condolences to his family. As members are aware, Murray had an extensive career in broadcasting, with many decades spent in commentating an array of sporting events full time, most notably for South Australians, of course, those involving motor sports. Well known for his voice from his commentaries on the Grand Prix globally, I fondly remember listening to Murray whilst watching these spectacular races. I even stood next to him once, when we had the privilege of hosting the Grand Prix in Adelaide. It is my small claim to fame.

Murray always loved coming to Adelaide for the Grand Prix. He loved the track, and he loved the people, placing Adelaide on the motorsport map, so to speak. He was a unique and talented communicator. He was creative and critical, and he was renowned for his mannerisms and unique commentating style. He is even credited for naming the car brand Vauxhall Ventora, as the original name, Ventura, was rejected by General Motors.

As was described by the Hon. Mr Pangallo during his contribution introducing this matter, Murray was famous for certain quotes—his self-professed Murrayisms—that reflected his emotive and spontaneous speaking style, with which all of us would no doubt be familiar. Certainly, he was always describing the atmosphere of a race perfectly, seeking to captivate the audience in a kind of alternate reality where even the most cynical spectator became attentive.

He did this in a way, as Clive James said, sounding 'like a man whose trousers are on fire'. Yet, in the case of a collision or accident he was able to capture true gravitas and sombreness when it was required, where the audience became tense in their seats, awaiting the appropriate outcome. It was indeed the manner in which he approached his craft that made him a significant figure and contributor not only to Adelaide and the state of South Australia, but his voice is renowned around the world.

Murray was also a man of empathy and passion. When Britain's Damon Hill sped across the finish line and became world champion in October 1996 he stopped mid commentary, a teary Murray Walker saying, 'I've got to stop because I've got a lump in my throat.' Concerning many of his coined phrases, David Letterman explained them well, saying they meant 'everything and also absolutely nothing'.

With flashes of the obvious, kind eyes and a cheery smile, he would allow the rush of the moment to drive him. His flabbergasted statements reflected his excitement, his spontaneity and, I may say, his presence. He was either completely oblivious or not caring of the thousands and maybe more who were listening, explaining that, 'Sometimes the words just come out in the wrong order.' He was indeed unique.

His charismatic commentary style was important in developing the next generation of motorsport. Many now famous race car drivers have nostalgically recalled and credited how their love for races began through watching the Grand Prix as a child with Murray's voice. On a Sunday afternoon they listened to the animated and ardent exclamations of Murray Walker. World champion Lewis Hamilton recently paid tribute to Murray, stating how he remembered growing up hearing his voice over the races that made them 'so much more exciting and captivating'. He referred to Murray as being the 'iconic voice' of his sport, and who would disagree with that?

It has been said of Murray that in the high-pressure tension of the moment he was often reluctant to share the single microphone in the booth with fellow commentator James Hunt. Murray once referred to him and his sparring partner as being like oil and water. Apparently, due to the level of friction in the commentary box between the duo, they had to share one microphone between them in order to avoid having them talking over one another. It was this character foil between him and the former race car driver, however, that appeared to electrify every race, no matter how seemingly uneventful.

There are few people who can maintain a passion and zest for something like Murray did, and even if you never watched motorsport or had no interest in it, you could certainly appreciate the way that he loved it. In the words of Sir Jackie Stewart, it was never work to Murray, it was never just commentating, it was simply telling the world about something he loved. He allowed himself not to be the know-it-all commentator, but the fan who, at times, got over excited.

He was certainly known to be genuine and unafraid to make mistakes, often lightheartedly revelling in his errors and making jokes of them himself. Throughout the many years of his professional career, at the mercy of a million opinions, he was unapologetically, unashamedly himself. This made Murray approachable and endearing, traits that magnetically attracted people towards himself and his commentary. He was also, most importantly, regarded by those in the industry as being supportive and kind, and I believe that these qualities alone are noteworthy traits to be remembered for—as well as his outstanding career.

In fond reflection of the life of Murray Walker OBE, I close on this quote from Murray, which I think perfectly epitomises his distinctive style of commentary, 'There's nothing wrong with the car, except it's on fire.'

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (16:49): I wish to thank the Hon. Dennis Hood for the words expressed today and all the other members of the Legislative Council who have contributed their words of condolence for Murray Walker, who died in March this year at the age of 97. The voice of Formula One, as he was known, was regarded as one of the finest sports broadcasters anywhere in the world.

He was much loved around the world and testimony to that was the huge outpouring of tributes, from the royal family to sports royalty to motorsport fans across the globe, not the least in Australia, which he tended to regard as a home away from home when he covered major events here, such as the Formula One and the unique V8 events at Mount Panorama, and from the streets of Adelaide to Phillip Island's MotoGPs. As I mentioned in my speech, motorcycling was also one of Murray's great loves and passions. He was involved with it at a young age.

When he was here, Murray would always be mobbed by people who recognised him wherever he ventured. Murray always took the time to engage with them. On the trips I made overseas and when I was covering Formula One, I caught up with Murray. The same thing would happen there. He would be mobbed by fans and respected by teams and drivers right throughout.

He was the type who never took himself seriously, self-deprecating to the point where he would often send himself up for his gaffs or, as the Hon. Mr Hood mentioned, his Murrayisms. Here is one of them, 'I don't make mistakes. I make prophecies which immediately turn out to be wrong.' There is also the title of his last book Unless I'm Very Much Mistaken…I am Very Much Mistaken!

As I have said, Murray truly loved his experiences in South Australia and of course Adelaide, which he considered the best street racing circuit anywhere in the world. One of his last hurrahs, while he was in his nursing home, was to admonish Premier Steven Marshall for his illogical decision to dump our world-famous V8 street race. He more than did his bit to promote our state, our lifestyle and our love of motorsport to a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions. The value of that cannot be measured or underestimated. I hope his contributions are one day appreciated and honoured by this government, or perhaps the next, in some way in the city he loved so much.

I shall write a formal letter to Murray's family expressing the condolences from the Legislative Council. I thank you all for your contributions.

Motion carried.

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