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Rod Morris
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Rod Morris is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative front row forward, he played club football in the New South Wales Rugby Football League for Balmain, and in the Brisbane Rugby League for Eastern Suburbs (with whom he won the 1977 and 1978 Grand Finals) and Wynnum-Manly (with whom he won the 1982 Grand Final).
Key Information
Playing career
[edit] | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (May 2017) |
Morris was a Brisbane Easts player who first represented for Queensland in 1976 and then Australia in 1977. He signed with the Balmain Tigers in 1979 and was brought to Sydney, thus becoming eligible to play for New South Wales under the selection criterion of the time. In the 1979 interstate series he played against his Queensland resident brother Des Morris. He then played for Queensland in 1980 in the first ever Rugby League State of Origin under the new origin selection criterion.
He was a 1978 Kangaroo tourist playing in two Tests and ten minor tour matches. He played in all three Tests of the 1979 domestic Ashes series which Australia won 3–0.
Morris made a return to Brisbane club football in 1982 and captained Wynnum-Manly at the age of 32 to a Brisbane Rugby League premiership title which was Wynnum-Manly's first ever. He put in a man-of-the-match performance in the 2nd game of the 1982 State of Origin series before making his last representative appearances in that year's Kangaroo Tour, playing in four tour matches and contributing to the Invincibles' unbeaten tour record, being the only player in the team, however, to not score a try on the tour.
Morris is also remembered for his short-lived "Deer in the headlights" style when making his Channel Nine debut as a commentator for the 1989 State of Origin series.
He is one of a number of players to have represented both Queensland and New South Wales and one of those rare foundation Origin representatives whose NSW appearances were bookended by selections for Queensland.
Business career
[edit]Rod Morris is also a successful McDonald's franchisee owner who currently possesses ownership of two McDonald's Franchise's situated in Cannon Hill and Morningside, Queensland, Australia. In March 2021, he expanded his business ventures by acquiring and constructing an additional location in Morningside, which is also known as McDonald's Colmslie Business Park.
According to Mr. Morris, 'This location will generate more than 100 new jobs and will employ 120 locals from the area including a mix of, full-time, part-time, and casual roles including crew, management, baristas and maintenance.' Mr Morris, has also been able to provide eight employees from his Cannon Hill store with an opportunity to step into managerial roles.[1]
Rod Morris initiated his franchising journey back in 1985 with the establishment of McDonald's Cleveland stores.[2] Eventually, he made the decision to pass the restaurant to his son, Steven Morris, by selling the Cleveland franchise to him.[3]
In late January 2025, Rod Morris retired from Franchisee duties after 40 years, selling his two stores (McDonalds Cannon Hill and McDonalds Colmslie Business Park) to his son, Steven Morris.
Sources
[edit]- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
References
[edit]- ^ wpmaster (23 July 2021). "New McDonald's at Rivermakers business park, Morningside, will create 120 jobs". Rivermakers. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ https://image.isu.pub/160627225718-1172091e3d31526f23eeba0a05e49c94/jpg/page_22.jpg[permanent dead link]
- ^ "McDonald's Brisbane: Fast food chain to add 20 new stores | The Courier Mail". Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
Rod Morris
View on GrokipediaEarly life
Birth and background
Rod Morris was born in 1951 in Auckland, New Zealand.[1][2] He grew up in the Waikato region. Limited public information is available on his immediate family background.Early influences and education
Morris developed an interest in wildlife and photography from a young age. At age 12, he began photographing animals using his father's box brownie camera during a trip to Auckland Zoo and later his own Kodak Instamatic camera, experimenting with slide film and flash techniques.[3] At age 14, he joined the Hamilton Junior Naturalists Club, where he learned about native birds, invertebrates, and unusual plants, and was inspired by a presentation on subantarctic wildlife to pursue a career with the New Zealand Wildlife Service.[4] He worked as a zookeeper at Auckland Zoo, caring for animals including leopards and puma, before joining the New Zealand Wildlife Service in 1970. There, he participated in conservation efforts including searches for kākāpō in Fiordland, takahē recovery, and Chatham Island black robin work until 1976. During this period, he developed interests in photography and writing for children, contributing to the School Journal.[1][4] No detailed information is available on formal education beyond these early experiences.Career
Rod Morris began his professional involvement in natural history and conservation in the early 1970s. After early roles as a zookeeper at Auckland Zoo and a school teacher, he joined the New Zealand Wildlife Service in 1970. Over six years, he participated in recovery efforts for endangered species including the kākāpō in Fiordland, the takahē, and the Chatham Island black robin, while developing skills in photography and writing for children.[1]Entry into film and television
In 1980, Morris joined TVNZ's Natural History Unit (later NHNZ) in Dunedin, initially as a researcher on children's series such as Wildtrack. He soon advanced to directing and producing roles, contributing to long-running programs including Wildtrack (1981–1991) and Wild South (1981–1997). His work focused on New Zealand's unique island ecosystems and bird species.[5]Producing and directing credits
Morris produced and directed numerous award-winning documentaries on endangered New Zealand birds, including Kākāpō – Night Parrot (1982), The Black Stilt (1983), The Black Robin – A Chatham Island Story (1989), and Kea – Mountain Parrot (1993). Other notable works include Ghosts of Gondwana (2001), a co-production with the National Geographic Channel focusing on nocturnal forest species, and contributions to series such as Wild South. His documentaries have won awards at international wildlife film festivals, including multiple honors for Kākāpō – Night Parrot and The Black Stilt. Since 2003, he has reduced television work to concentrate on still photography and writing.[5][1]Key collaborations and projects
Morris collaborated with National Geographic Channel on Ghosts of Gondwana and contributed photography and writing to over 30 books, including wildlife guides co-authored with Alison Ballance. His work has appeared in publications such as New Zealand Geographic and Forest & Bird. In recognition of his contributions to documentary filmmaking, natural history, and conservation, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2019. He continues to focus on photographing lesser-known species and threatened environments, and advocating for conservation.[1][4]Notable works
Rod Morris has directed, produced, and provided cinematography and still photography for numerous natural history documentaries, with a focus on New Zealand's endangered birds and ecosystems. He has also co-authored and photographed books on wildlife.Documentaries
- Kākāpō: Night Parrot – Directed by Morris; received multiple awards at the International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula, USA. [1]
- The Black Robin: A Chatham Island Story (1989) – Producer and director, documenting Chatham Island black robin conservation. [1]
- The Black Stilt – Gold Award winner at the New York International Film & TV Festival. [1]
- Kea: Mountain Parrot (1993) – Directed; won three awards at wildlife film festivals in France. [1]
- Dragons of Komodo – Emmy-nominated. [1]
- Ghosts of Gondwana – Director and cinematographer for a Natural History New Zealand/National Geographic Channel co-production. [1]
Books
Morris has contributed as author, co-author, or photographer to over 30 books on New Zealand wildlife.- Wild South's Living Treasures of New Zealand (1996) – Co-authored with Peter Hayden; finalist in the Montana Book Awards. [1]
- Wētā: A Knight in Shining Armour (2003) – Photographs by Morris, text by Joy Cowley; finalist in the NZ Post Children's Book Awards. [1]
Personal life
Family and personal interests
Rod Morris maintains a low public profile regarding his family and personal life, with no verified details about a spouse, children, or hobbies widely appearing in credible sources. His personal interests outside of wildlife photography, filmmaking, and conservation are not documented in available reliable records.Residence and later years
Rod Morris was born in Auckland and grew up in the Waikato region of New Zealand.[1] He is based in New Zealand and continues his work in wildlife photography and related activities. Little additional information about his later personal life is publicly available.Recognition
Awards, nominations, and industry reception
Rod Morris has received several awards, nominations, and honors for his contributions to wildlife documentary filmmaking, natural history, and conservation photography. In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to documentary filmmaking, natural history, and conservation.[6] His documentaries earned multiple international awards and nominations, including:- Kākāpō: Night Parrot, which received several awards at the International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula, USA, and was named runner-up for best film of the festival.
- The Black Stilt, which won a Gold Award at the New York International Film & TV Festival.
- Kea: Mountain Parrot (1993), which won three awards at specialist wildlife film festivals in France.
- Dragons of Komodo, which was nominated for an Emmy Award.