Legendary television current affairs journalist George Negus has tragically passed away at the age of 82 after a health battle.
Negus, one of the original 60 Minutes reporters when the show launched in Australia, was diagnosed with dementia about five years ago and since late 2021 has been living in an aged care facility in Sydney.
Legendary television current affairs journalist George Negus has died
Negus was diagnosed with dementia about five years ago and since late 2021 was living in a Sydney aged facility. He is pictured with 60 Minutes reporter Liz Hayes
Brisbane-born Negus was a high school teacher until his late 20s when he began writing for newspapers including The Australian, followed by a stint on the ABC’s ground-breaking This Day Tonight.
Negus served as press secretary to attorney-general Lionel Murphy during Gough Whitlam’s short-lived Labor government and was handpicked by Stone to help establish 60 Minutes.
He worked on the program until 1986, sharing reporting duties with Leslie, Martin, Wendt and near the end of his tenure Jeff McMullen.
Negus was the first host of the ABC’s international current affairs show Foreign Correspondent, fronting the program from 1992 to 1999.
He presented George Negus Tonight, previously known as New Dimensions, on the national broadcaster from 2002 to 2004.
The next year he began hosting Dateline on SBS before becoming a regular panellist on Ten’s The Project, followed by presenting 6.30 with George Negus on the same network.
Negus was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2015 ‘for significant service to the media as a journalist and television presenter, and to conservation and the environment’.
Advertisement