Veteran radio broadcaster Gary O’Callaghan has passed away at the age of 83.

Sydney radio station 2GB announced O’Callaghan’s death on Saturday morning.

O’Callaghan worked for 2UE for almost fifty years, between 1956 and 2003, and later moved to 2SM.

He was well known for his long running and ratings winning brekkie show on 2UE, and earlier in his career for his coverage of the Petrov Affair in the 1950s when Russian spies were found to be operating from the Soviet embassy in Canberra.

With his partner Sammy Sparrow, his alter ego, he was the voice that many school children recognised as they went off to school each morning.

“Saddened to hear of passing of the great Gary O’Callaghan. Loved listening to him & Sammy Sparrow & honoured to be on air with him at 2UE,” 4BC Brisbane operations manager Mark Braybrook said on Twitter.