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Gardening guru Peter Cundall signed off in 2008 after spending 39 years sharing his passion on television, and has died at his adopted home of Tasmania aged 94.

The long-time host of ABC Television program Gardening Australia, Cundall was a self-taught gardener who helped countless Australians design and grow their gardens.

His family said he passed away peacefully on Sunday after a short illness.

"While he was loved by many, as per Peter's wishes, there will be a private cremation and no memorial services will be held," a family statement said.

His family requested that no images of Cundall be published with the announcement of his death.

Cundall was born to an impoverished family in Manchester, England, on April 1, 1927 and left school aged 12.

His love of horticulture started early and he learned pruning techniques, propagation, planting and heated greenhouse management.

Cundall also taught himself paving techniques, mainly using second-hand materials wheeled from derelict buildings in an old pram.

After working as a milk boy and a tram conductor, Cundall joined the British Army near the end of World War ll and was stationed across Europe and in the Middle East.

He arrived in Australia as a member of the Australian Army in 1950, but was promptly posted to Japan during the Korean War, where he continued to learn his craft.

The tireless green finger embraced the opportunity to study Japanese garden design and rock garden construction.

On his return home he began his own garden design and construction business in Tasmania, specialising in large landscaping projects.

Cundall began his long media career in 1967, launching one of the world's first gardening talkback programs for a Launceston radio station and writing articles for newspapers and magazines.

His association with the ABC began in 1969, when he launched a weekly television program first called It's Growing, then Landscape, before settling on its long-time title of Gardening Australia.

Cundall was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1974, which he used to study garden design and organic gardening around the world, and how gardening programs were made for differing climatic conditions.

Cundall's passion for gardening saw him named a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the 2007 Australia Day honours.

After he retired from Gardening Australia in 2008 he told AAP he maintained his robust good health through his life was a direct result of his love of the outdoors.

"I put it down to physical work, doing things in the garden, not sitting on your backside, growing healthy food and eating healthy food," he said.

The father of six lived in Tasmania's Tamar Valley and was also recognised for his services to the environment, particularly the protection of wilderness areas in the island state.

In 2006, Cundall was named the Australian Humanist of the Year while in 2005 he was named Tasmanian Senior Australian of the Year.

Politically active throughout his career, Cundall protested against Australia's participation in the Iraq war in 2003 and was arrested in November 2009 for failing to comply with police directions while protesting against a proposed pulp mill near his home, for which he was found guilty and ordered to pay court costs of $47.

Outside court, Cundall expressed his disappointment at being found guilty.

"We didn't feel that we broke the law. We didn't feel that we did anything wrong," he said, flanked by supporters.

In 2011 Cundall was one of a group of eminent Australians who signed an open letter calling for a carbon tax in Australia to combat climate change.

His many fans will remember him for his trademark sign-off which now seems even more poignant: "...and that's your bloomin' lot!"

© AAP 2021

Australian motorsport legend Jamie Whincup has narrowly missed the podium in his final Bathurst 1000 as a full-time driver.

The seven-time Supercars champion crossed the line at the famous Mount Panorama track in fourth, less than a second behind Erebus' Brodie Kostecki.

Whincup was honoured just minutes before stepping into his Red Bull Ampol Commodore for the last time.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison inducted Whincup into the Supercars Hall of Fame, joining Peter Brock, Mark Skaife and Dick Johnson.

"A big thank you to our prime minister for being here for the biggest day in Australian motorsport," Whincup said.

"I want to thank friends and family, not must my family, but all the families, especially Queensland, who've been away for six to eight weeks, we appreciate the effort to keep the (Supercars) championship going. "

"Thank you to the fan base, everyone who's come out, everyone watching at home but, in particular, I'd like to thank my peers."

Whincup will bow out with the respect of his rivals.

Scott McLaughlin, who won three-straight championships between 2018 and 2020, lauded his former arch-rival from America, where he is now racing in IndyCar.

"J-Dub - grateful to have raced you at your peak," McLaughlin wrote on Instagram.

"The undisputed GOAT of Supercars.

"Thanks for making me a better race driver."

Whincup and co-driver Craig Lowndes started the Great Race from 11th on the grid.

The 38-year-old also finished second in this year's championship standings - only behind winner and teammate Shane van Gisbergen - with two race wins, three pole positions and 15 podium finishes.

Whincup bows out with 124 career race wins, 237 podiums and 92 pole positions - the most by any driver in Supercars history.

He will move straight into management next year when he becomes Triple Eight's team principal, taking over from Roland Dane.

© AAP 2021

New Zealand great Richard Hadlee has recognised the extraordinary feat of spinner Ajaz Patel, who can't believe how "the stars have aligned" for him after he became only the third bowler to take all 10 wickets in an innings in international cricket.

The 33-year-old Patel, who took 10-119 against India in the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium, joined England offspinner Jim Laker (1956, 10-53 against Australia) and India legspinner Anil Kumble (1999, 10-74 against Pakistan) in picking up all wickets in an innings.

"Welcome to the club #AjazPatel #Perfect10. Well bowled! A special effort to achieve it on day one and two of a test match," spin bowling great Kumble, who took 619 Test wickets for India, tweeted.

It was the first time a bowler has taken 10 wickets in an innings in a Test away from home, although, romantically, Patel was playing his first Test in the city of his birth.

Patel, whose parents immigrated to New Zealand in 1996, added six wickets to the four he took on the first day on Friday

"To be honest, it's pretty surreal," he said.

"I don't think you ever believe you're going to achieve something like that. So to be able to do it in my career, it's pretty special."

Patel said he had yet to comprehend the magnitude of his achievement, which bettered the 9-52 legendary allrounder Hadlee took in a win over Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane in 1985.

"Congratulations to Ajaz on a superb bowling performance," Hadlee said in a statement issued via NZ Cricket.

"It was a delight to watch; a well deserved reward, and a great moment for him, New Zealand cricket, and world cricket.

"To be in the great company of Jim Laker and Anil Kumble is very special indeed."

Patel - a left-arm spinner who started his career as a fast bowler - extracted sharp turn and bounce from the pitch and carried the New Zealand bowling on his shoulders to restrict the hosts' first innings total to 325.

After picking up the wickets of Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin in his first over on Saturday, he returned after the lunch interval to take the remaining four to wrap up India's innings.

As Rachin Ravindra pouched a skier from India's No.11 batter Mohammed Siraj to confirm the fall of the final wicket, Patel went down on one knee with a clenched fist before being hugged by his teammates.

He also received a standing ovation from India players in the dressing room and the sparse crowd at the ground overlooking the Arabian Sea.

"I'm very fortunate and I guess the stars have aligned for me to have an occasion like that here in Mumbai," Patel said.

"To be born here and then come back here and achieve something like that, it's pretty special."

© RAW 2021