Ron Palenski

Ronald Allan Palenski ONZM (31 March 1945 – 22 August 2023) was a New Zealand journalist and sportsman.^[1]

Palenski was born in Dunedin on 31 March 1945.^[2] He started as a journalist with The Evening Star in Dunedin and went on to work with the New Zealand Press Association and The Dominion.^[3] He established the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and administered it from 1998 until illness forced his retirement not long before he died.

In the 2003 New Year Honours, Palenski was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to sports journalism.^[4] In November 2022, he was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.^[5] He wrote approximately 50 books, most of them on sport, but some also on New Zealand history.^[1]

Palenski died of cancer on 22 August 2023, at the age of 78.^[1]

Selected publications

Rugby

Graham Mourie, Captain: An Autobiography (1982; written with Graham Mourie)
Loveridge, Master Halfback (1985)
Lochore: An Authorised Biography (1996; written with Alex Veysey and Gary Caffell)
New Zealand Rugby: Stories of Heroism & Valour (2002)
All Blacks: The Authorised Portrait (2007; edited)
The New Invincibles: How the 2013 All Blacks Created History (2013)
The ALL BLACKography (2014)
1875: When Rugby Became the Game for All New Zealand (2017)
Murdoch: The All Black Who Never Returned (2018)
Our Game: New Zealand Rugby at 150 (2020)
Brutal: The 100-Year Fight for World Rugby Supremacy (2021)

Other sports

Bat & Pad: An Anthology of Writings on New Zealand Cricket (1987; edited)
Champions: New Zealand Sports Greats of the 20th Century (2000; written with Joseph Romanos)
Black Gold: 100 Years of New Zealand at the Olympic Games: A Statistical Record (2008)
Champion: New Zealand's First Olympic Winner (2013)
c Tindill b Cowie: The Story of Bradman and New Zealand (2013)
Joe Scott: The Amazing Story of New Zealand's First World Champion (2018)

Other subjects

Kiwi Milestones: New Zealand's Population through the Millions (2002)
How We Saw the War: 1939–45 through New Zealand Eyes (2009)
On This Day in New Zealand (2010)
Kiwi Battlefields (2011)
The Making of New Zealanders (2012)
Men of Valour: New Zealand and the Battle for Crete (2013)
The Star of the South: A History of the Evening Star Newspaper (2019)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Smith, Tony (24 August 2023). "New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame mourn chief executive-authorjournalist Ron Palenski". Stuff. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
^ "Births". The Evening Star. No. 25453. 7 April 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
^ "New Zealand author, journalist and Sports Hall of Fame chief executive Ron Palenski has died". NZ Herald. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ "New Year honours list 2003". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2002. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
^ "Sports Hall of Fame founder now inducted himself!". Radio New Zealand. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

External links

Obituary in the Otago Daily Times including video of Ron Palenski discussing the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame

[stuff-1] Smith, Tony (24 August 2023). "New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame mourn chief executive-authorjournalist Ron Palenski". Stuff. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

[2] "Births". The Evening Star. No. 25453. 7 April 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 27 August 2023.

[3] "New Zealand author, journalist and Sports Hall of Fame chief executive Ron Palenski has died". NZ Herald. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

[4] "New Year honours list 2003". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2002. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

[5] "Sports Hall of Fame founder now inducted himself!". Radio New Zealand. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

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