Seven News Brisbane sportscaster Pat Welsh farewelled viewers on Monday after 47 years at the network.

The veteran journalist, 65, is retiring after joining the station in 1975.

Ben Davis will be taking over the sports desk, reports TV Tonight.

An emotional Welsh paid tribute to his viewers and colleagues as he signed off for the last time.

'I started this job in the mid '70s as a young reporter with one ambition: to tell sports stories and hopefully cover them in a way you, the viewers, wanted to watch,' he said.

'I leave hoping in some small way that I've done that.'

Welsh, known for his robust and cheerful style, continued: 'For a rusted-on sports fan, I've lived a charmed life. 

'To my darling wife Ceci, my extended family, the hundreds of work colleagues over the decades and our brilliant Seven News viewers, thank you. I've had a ball.'

An institution in his home state of Queensland, Welsh's Seven News colleagues gave him a 10-minute video tribute for his send-off.

Welsh, who joined Seven Brisbane as a news reporter in 1975 at age 18, was also well-known for his Olympic Games coverage over four and half decades, including in Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing and Rio.

He also called 75 State of Origin rugby league matches during his time on Seven's sports desk.

A well-known punter, Welsh presented the Melbourne Cup and also called the Bathurst 1000 motor race.

He earned the nickname 'Whispering Pat' for his coverage of golfing tournaments.