Gardening Australia’s Peter Cundall dies

Tributes are pouring in for a former ABC presenter who died on Sunday following a short illness.

Peter Cundall - who presented Gardening Australia - died aged 94.

The national broadcaster confirmed the news, circulating a statement on Sunday afternoon.

"On Sunday 5th of December, Peter Cundall passed away peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by family," it read.

"Peter's privacy and the privacy of his family is to be respected during this very sad time.

"Peter's family does not wish to be contacted. While he was loved by many, as per Peter's wishes there will be a private cremation and no memorial services will be held."

The well-known Tasmanian hosted the television program Gardening Australia until the age of 81 - His last show aired on July 26, 2008.

He hosted the show from 1990 to 2008, becoming a household name in the gardening realm.

The talented horticulturalist also answered questions on radio talk back from the late 1960s until 2018.

Beyond the vegetable patch Cundall also had a stint in politics.

He was the federal senate candidate in his home state of Tasmania for the Communist Party of Australia at the 1961 federal election.

He also supported many left wing political and environmental groups by speaking at rallies and events.

In 2003 Cundall also marched, with thousands of other Australians, in protest against the nation's involvement in the Iraq war.

He was arrested by police at a separate protest on November 19, 2009 after refusing to obey requests to move from Tasmanian state parliament's front steps.

There, he protested against the Gunns' Tamar Valley pulp mill, a controversial proposed $2.3 billion pulp mill.

Originally published as Gardening Australia's Peter Cundall dies