Peter Bush with his daughter Rachel Bush in 2022. Photo: Bush family collection
Veteran New Zealand photographer Peter Bush has died at the age of 93.
On an Instagram page, his family shared he had died on Saturday morning in Wellington.
"My father was a powerful life force. A man teeming with energy, adventure and laughter.
"A self-made professional with a relentless passion for capturing the perfect moment.
"A lover of the outdoors, a hater of bureaucracy, an epic storyteller and a friend and mentor to so many. Kua haere ia tōna moenga roa. (He has gone to his eternal rest)."
His daughter, Rachel, told RNZ her father loved life.
"He embraced challenges with a sense of adventure," she said.
"He inspired so many people, including young photographers and many All Blacks."
The click of her father's camera was a constant companion in her household, Rachel said.
Her family was celebrating her father's incredible life, she said.
New Zealand's best-known sports photographer, he accompanied many All Black teams on overseas tours, and his photographs formed a history of the game in his time.
His vast image collection portrays royal tours, the Vietnam war protests, the Māori Land March in the 1970s, visits to Aotearoa by people such as the Beatles, Louis Armstrong and Eartha Kitt and famous sports matches.
Land March 1975 Photo: Peter Bush
He was also the only photographer who took photos in colour the day the Wahine sank.
The collection consists of an estimated 300,000 images.
In 2000, the New Zealand Rugby Union acknowledged his contribution to the game by presenting him with a special award that guaranteed him access to the sidelines of any test match in the country.
Stunning career
Born in Auckland in 1931, Bush - known affectionately as Bushy - spent much of his young life on the West Coast.
Queen Elizabeth Photo: Peter Bush
He later returned to Auckland to attend Sacred Heart College. He bought his first camera as a teenager, a second-hand Box Brownie.
After secondary school, he took a cadetship with the New Zealand Herald but set out on his travels before he was 20.
He rode freight cars in the United States, led tours in Canada, and witnessed post-war reconstruction in Germany and appalling poverty in lndia.
On his return to New Zealand, he joined the Gisborne Herald as its first photographer.
During his career, he worked for newspapers, the army, and had a brief stint as a wildlife photographer for the Department of Internal Affairs.
Willie John Mcbride (left) and Keith Murdoch (right) challenge for the ball in an All Blacks vs Ulster game at Ravenhill ground, Northern Ireland, Belfast, on 18 November, 1972. Photo: Peter Bush Collection
But it was his pictures of sporting events, especially rugby, that made his name.
He covered his first test in 1949.
He was awarded the Queen's Service Medal in 1990.
Almost all of his work was live action and he won several awards and an international reputation, respected for his humility as well as his photographic skill.
All Black Captain Colin Meads breaks from ruck supported by halfback Sid Going in an All Blacks vs British and Irish Lions in Dunedin on 26 June, 1971. Photo: Peter Bush Collection
In 1998, his fellow photographers gave him a testimonial dinner and in 2000, the New Zealand Rugby Union acknowledged his work.
A wall at the rugby institute at Massey University, known as Bushy's wall, features a giant montage of his work.
Bush is survived by his wife, Jane Winnie, and two daughters.
All Black Dave Loveridge in a match against Leicester (1979-80). Photo: Peter Bush Collection
