Alan Sayers: New Zealand journalist, photographer and centenarian

Career and innovations

Sayers began his journalism career with The New Zealand Herald and worked there in the years leading up to the Second World War. After the conflict he accepted an invitation to join the Auckland Star, where he achieved a notable milestone: he was among the first reporters in New Zealand to be given a personal by-line. That change reflected a broader professional shift toward recognizing individual reporters and increasing accountability and visibility for newswriting.

Assignments and coverage

Across decades of newspaper work, Sayers covered a variety of assignments typical for a metropolitan reporter: public events, human-interest features and national visits. In 1953 he was accredited as an official journalist on the royal tour of Queen Elizabeth II to the Pacific Islands and New Zealand, a high-profile assignment that underscored his standing in the press corps of the time.

Photography, athletics and style

Alongside reporting, Sayers practised photography as part of his journalistic toolkit. His images accompanied stories and preserved visual records of events from mid‑20th century New Zealand. He was also active as an athlete in his earlier years, a background that informed his understanding of sporting coverage and community events.

Legacy and significance

Alan Sayers is remembered for his long service to New Zealand newspapers and for being part of a generation that professionalised reporting and photojournalism in the country. His career illustrates changes in newspaper practice — from anonymous copy to named by-lines and from single-discipline reporting to combined reporter‑photographer roles — and his work contributes to the historical record of public life in mid-century New Zealand.

Notable facts

• Born in Onehunga, New Zealand, in 1915.
• Worked for The New Zealand Herald before World War II and later for the Auckland Star.
• Among the first journalists in New Zealand to receive a personal by-line.
• Served as an official press representative on the 1953 royal tour.
• Died in Auckland on 19 August 2017 at age 101.