Alan Waddell Explained

Alan Waddell
Birth Name:Alan Mossman Waddell
Birth Date:24 July 1914
Birth Place:Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia
Death Place:Royal North Shore Hospital
Resting Place:Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney
Occupation:Chartered accountant
Years Active:2003–2008
Spouse:Marjorie Eileen Hume
Children:3 sons
Website:walksydneystreets.net

Alan Mossman Waddell (24 July 1914 – 2 September 2008)[1] was an Australian walker who received national and international media attention for walking every street in over 280 suburbs in Sydney.

Early life

Waddell was born on 24 July 1914, completed his schooling at Sydney Boys High School in 1931 and qualified as a chartered accountant.[2] He served in the Citizen Military Forces during World War 2[3] and married Marjorie Eileen Hume on 30 May 1942.[4]

Walking

When Marjorie died in 2002, Waddell took up walking as a pastime and to combat aneurysms in his legs.[5] After walking every street in his local suburb, he began to venture further in 2003. By 2004, he started to attract interest from the media.[6] This led to further interest from radio[7] and television.[8] Over the next five years, he was a regular feature across print and electronic media. A list of all articles appears on his website.[9]

By the time of his death in 2008, Waddell had walked 5000 kilometres and covered every street in 284 suburbs of Sydney.[10] Over the years, his feat had been covered by media in many other countries, including China,[11] South Africa,[12] Thailand,[13] the United Kingdom,[14] and the United States.[15]

Awards and honours

In 2007 Waddell was presented with the Live Life award by the New South Wales government for promoting health and well-being.[16] He was also an ambassador for the Heart Foundation[17] and the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.[18]

External links

Book

Obituaries

Website

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alan Mossman Waddell (1914 - 2008) . heavenaddress.com . 21 May 2015.
  2. March 2009 . Obituaries . The High Bulletin . 54 . 1 . 20 . 21 May 2015.
  3. Web site: WADDELL ALAN MOSSMAN . naa.gov.au . 21 May 2015.
  4. News: Marriages . 11 July 1942 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 21 May 2015.
  5. Web site: Colourful Sydney Identity: Alan Waddell . O'Brien . Lisa . 17 June 2008 . timeout.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232246/http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/aroundtown/features/1845/alan-waddell . 3 March 2016 . 21 May 2015.
  6. News: Macey . Richard . Streets ahead of us, and he's 90 . 11 August 2004 . smh.com.au . 21 May 2015.
  7. Web site: Radio Northern Beaches 2MWM-FM . 2004 . 21 May 2015.
  8. Web site: 7 TV Network's Today Tonight . 11 August 2004 . 21 May 2015.
  9. Web site: Media Items - Press and Radio . walksydneystreets.net . 21 May 2015.
  10. News: Pollard . Ian . The widower who walked his way into Sydney hearts and history . 12 September 2008 . smh.com.au . 21 May 2015 . Stephens, Tony.
  11. News: Elderly Australian walks into stardom . 28 April 2006 . chinadaily.com.cn . 21 May 2015.
  12. News: Plucky 91-year-old beats odds to keep walking . iol.co.za . 21 May 2015.
  13. News: Coorey . Madeleine . Old Coot Walking . 10 May 2006 . The Nation (Thailand) . 21 May 2015.
  14. Web site: Alan Waddell's Arty Mailboxes . 29 January 2007 . stopjunkmail.org.uk . 21 May 2015.
  15. News: Graham . Tom . WALKING THE WORLD / What started as a simple exercise routine evolved into something wonderfully demanding that compelled them to see more, do more and learn more about themselves and the places they each call home. . 18 December 2005 . sfgate.com . 21 May 2015.
  16. Web site: NSW Government Award . 12 March 2007 . 21 May 2015.
  17. Web site: Love Your Heart - Alan Waddell . villages.com.au . 21 May 2015.
  18. Web site: Mosman harbour walk . 6 April 2006 . getaway.ninemsn.com.au . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150919025523/http://getaway.ninemsn.com.au/fsaustraliansw/sydney/94644/mosman-harbour-walk . 19 September 2015 . 21 May 2015 . dmy-all.
  19. Web site: "It’s going to be a bit of a journey" - Finding out what every Sydney suburb has to offer . Frost . Nicole . 19 May 2019 . Domain . 20 May 2019.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Alan Waddell".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.