Tribute to a veteran of the lens

The Aramoho Rose Garden will be the final resting place for prominent Wanganui professional and news photographer Rob Graham.

The ashes of Mr Graham, who died in Sydney in 2008, and his wife June, who died on the Australian Gold Coast last November, will be interred at Aramoho on Thursday at 3pm.

Friends from as far as Waiheke Island will be attending.

The ashes are being brought over from Australia by son Matthew and daughter Tracey who are coming to New Zealand for a reunion at Massey University.

Mr Graham was born in Levin in 1935 and spent most of his life in Wanganui working as a photographer.

He was chief photographer for the Wanganui Herald and started the popular monthly Wanganui Photo News, a pictorial coverage of topics and events around Wanganui which published 142 editions between May 2, 1959, and December 19, 1976.

He also operated his own Robuck Studios professional photography business, firstly in Ridgway St opposite the old Post Office and then in Victoria Ave near the Regent Theatre.

The Grahams moved to Auckland in early 1980 with Rob moving into public relations and the family later went to Sydney.

Mr Graham started the weekly Kiwi News newspaper in Australia in the mid 1990s.

In the years before his death Mr Graham wrote a weekly column on Australian issues for the Wanganui Chronicle.

June Graham, born in Taihape in 1934, worked in the engineering office at NZ Railways in Wanganui and since 1983 on the office staff of hospitals in Sydney.

Although they last lived in the city 33 years ago, the couple always regarded Wanganui as home. They are survived by sons Matthew and Todd and daughter Tracey, who all live in Australia.