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 had been living in an aged care facility in Sydney.
Just months before his death, his Ned posted a touching Father’s Day tribute on social media to the man he calls ‘Negsy’ after a family outing to the beach.
The post was accompanied by a photo of a frail Negus, wearing a cap and sporting his his trademark moustache, warmly embracing his son on September 1.
‘I was hesitant to post this on LinkedIn, as it’s pretty personal,’ Ned Negus wrote.
‘But then realised you’re all humans and there’s always a place for sharing human realities with your professional network.’
Ned, who is chief commercial officer for the A-League soccer competitions, then referred to his father’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease.
‘He’s now non verbal most of the time (mind-blowing for me but also any of you that know him),’ he wrote.
Legendary television current affairs journalist George Negus has died
‘Today is Father’s Day in Australia and we had a walk on the beach together.
‘He was clearly not sure why this particular walk was symbolic and sometimes not sure with whom he was walking.
‘At one point we stopped, he smiled broadly and then hugged me for quite some time.
‘It was sad, but it was uplifting to know that even when you can no longer say what you feel, you can still DO what you feel.
‘Love you Negsy.’
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
Negus made his last notable public appearance at the November 2020 memorial service for television trailblazer Gerald Stone after the inaugural 60 Minutes executive producer died aged 87.
Stone had chosen Negus, Ray Martin and Ian Leslie to front the news program in 1979 when Kerry Packer imported the format from the United States to air on his Nine Network.
At its peak in the 1980s, 60 Minutes was a ratings juggernaut, with a third or more of the national television audience tuning in at 7.30 on a Sunday evening.
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.
The Negus presentation style became so familiar to television audiences that Paul Hogan sent him up with a George Fungus character on his eponymous show. He is pictured on assignment
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.
Stone had chosen Negus, Ray Martin and Ian Leslie to front the news program in 1979 when Kerry Packer imported the format from the United States to air on his Nine Network.
At its peak in the 1980s, 60 Minutes was a ratings juggernaut, with a third or more of the national television audience tuning in at 7.30 on a Sunday evening.
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’.
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