Kate Delaney asked me to share the following message. Kate and her late husband Gordon McIntyre were among the first to record Alistair's songs and to bring his work to the attention of Australians.

"Fatima rang me from Scotland this morning and sadly Alistair had died a couple of hours before - I think about 6.30 am our time. It turned out he had cancer and under the circumstamces his death was very sudden. She told me that there will be a memorial in Sydney in a couple of months or so - she will most likely come here for it. She will also, obviously, be sending out an email.

"Needless to say I'm devastated by the news - Gordon had known him since he was 19 and he was very much a part of our lives - as I know he was for many others in Australia and worldwide.He, his music and his passion for social justice will be sorely missed."