Peter Cundall, Taswegian of the Year.

Retired Gardening Australia host Peter Cundall has been named Tasmania’s Australian of the Year winner for 2009.

The ABC stalwart was presented the award by Premier David Bartlett at a ceremony in Hobart last night.

Cundall, 81, began working in television in 1969. Prior to that he hosted a gardening talk back program on a Launceston radio station, while running his own landscaping business.

An active environmentalist, last month Cundall hit out at Don Burke after he was hired by timber company Gunns to help win support for its northern Tasmanian pulp mill.

Cundall recently signed off from Gardening Australia after 39 years on ABC Television.