George Negus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Negus
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Negus in October 2011
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| Born | 13 March 1942 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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| Died | 15 October 2024 (aged 82) Sydney, Australia
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| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
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| Years active | 1967–2021 |
| Known for | 60 Minutes (1979–1986) Today Australia (1986–1990) Dateline (2005–2010) The Project (2009–2011) 6.30 with George Negus (2011) |
George Edward Negus AM (born March 13, 1942 – died October 15, 2024) was a famous Australian journalist and TV presenter. He was known for making big world issues easy to understand. George Negus worked on many important TV shows. These included 60 Minutes and Foreign Correspondent. He was also an author and radio presenter.
Negus was a pioneer in Australian TV news. He had a direct way of interviewing people. This sometimes led to interesting moments, like with Margaret Thatcher. He wanted people to understand why wars were senseless. He even called himself an "anti-war correspondent." For his great work, he won a Walkley Award. This is a top award for journalists in Australia.
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Early Life and Education
George Negus grew up in Brisbane, Queensland. He went to Inala State High School. Later, he also attended Indooroopilly State High School.
After high school, he went to the University of Queensland. There, he studied arts and journalism. This helped him prepare for his future career.
A Career in Journalism
Before becoming a journalist, George Negus was a high school teacher. He then started writing for newspapers. These included The Australian and The Australian Financial Review.
He also worked for a short time in politics. He was a press secretary for Attorney-General Lionel Murphy. This was during the Whitlam government.
Starting in TV News
George Negus became very well known on TV. He was a reporter for This Day Tonight. This was a new kind of news show on the ABC. It started in 1967.
Later, he helped start the Australian version of 60 Minutes. He worked on this show from 1979 to 1986. After that, he co-hosted Today Australia until 1990.
In 1981, he had a famous interview with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He asked her some very direct questions.
Reporting on the World
From 1992 to 1999, Negus was the first host of Foreign Correspondent. This ABC show focused on news from around the world.
He took a break from TV from 1999 to 2001. During this time, he lived in Italy and wrote a book. The book was called The World from Italy: Football, Food and Politics.
In 2002, he returned to the ABC. He hosted a show called George Negus Tonight. This program looked at trends and issues across Australia.
From 2005, Negus hosted Dateline on the SBS network. This show also covered international news. Later, he hosted 6.30 with George Negus on Network Ten in 2011.
Books by George Negus
George Negus wrote several books. One was about his time living in Italy. He also wrote a series of children's books with his partner, Kirsty Cockburn.
His last book, The World from Down Under, came out in 2010. His popular book The World from Islam was published in 2003. In this book, he explored the Islamic world based on his travels. He wanted to show the diversity of Islam.
Personal Life
George Negus lived on a farm near Bellingen. This is on the northern coast of New South Wales. In late 2021, he moved to a nursing home in Sydney due to health reasons.
His partner, Kirsty Cockburn, was also a journalist. They worked together on many projects. They had two children. Their son, Serge, even appeared in a movie called Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. George Negus loved association football (soccer). He was once on the board of Soccer Australia.
Honours and Awards
In 2015, George Negus received a special award. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. This was for his important contributions to media, conservation, and the environment.
