Legendary broadcast current affairs journalist George Negus was never at a loss for words during his celebrated career, but he has now been virtually silenced by the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Negus, one of the original 60 Minutes reporters when the show launched in Australia, was diagnosed with dementia about five years ago and has been living in an aged care facility in Sydney since late 2021.
The 82-year-old’s son, 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 signature mustache, warmly hugging his son on Sept. 1.
“I was hesitant to post this on LinkedIn because it’s quite personal,” Ned Negus wrote.
“But then I realized that we are all human and there is always a place to share human realities with your professional network.”
Ned, who is the commercial director for the A-League football competitions, then spoke about his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
“He doesn’t talk most of the time now (which is mind-blowing to me, but also to anyone who knows him),” she wrote.
Legendary television news reporter George Negus has been virtually silenced by the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease. He is pictured with his son Ned Negus on Father’s Day
‘Today is Father’s Day in Australia and we are walking together on the beach.
‘He clearly wasn’t sure why that particular walk was symbolic, and at times he wasn’t sure who he was walking with.
‘At one point we stopped, he smiled broadly and then hugged me for a long time.
‘It was sad, but encouraging to know that even when you can no longer say what you feel, you can still DO what you feel.
“I love you Negsy.”
The photograph was taken by Ned’s mother, Kirsty Cockburn, an award-winning journalist, author, documentary filmmaker and Negus’ partner for almost 40 years.
“(Mom) is by his side almost every day, helping him get through it, helping him remember (even the smallest thing) and feel,” Ned wrote. “A big thank you to her too.”
Negus made his last notable public appearance at the November 2020 memorial service for television pioneer Gerald Stone after the inaugural 60 Minutes executive producer passed away at age 87.
Negus was diagnosed with dementia about five years ago and has been living in a Sydney aged care facility since late 2021. He is pictured here with 60 Minutes journalist Liz Hayes.
Negus’ son Ned posted this touching Father’s Day tribute on social media to the man he calls “Negsy” after an intimate family outing to the beach.
Stone had chosen Negus, Ray Martin and Ian Leslie to host the news programme in 1979 when Kerry Packer imported the format from the United States to broadcast on his Nine Network.
At its peak in the 1980s, 60 Minutes was a ratings juggernaut: A third or more of the national television audience tuned in at 7:30 on Sunday evening.
Negus became a household name as he traveled the world, often reporting from war zones, his bushy moustache and open-collared shirts contributing to a striking image.
Negus’s presenting style became so familiar to television viewers that Paul Hogan cast him in a George Fungus persona on his eponymous show.
Stone once said of its creation that 60 Minutes made its mark by bringing big foreign stories to Australia, which meant sending its star talent around the world to tell what they had seen.
“People may not care what happened in Nicaragua, but they may care what George Negus did in Nicaragua,” Stone said.
Before Negus’s health deteriorated to the point where he needed full-time care, he and Cockburn had lived on the mid-north coast of New South Wales since the late 1980s.
Negus (right) was one of the three original 60 Minutes reporters when the program launched in Australia on the Nine Network in 1979, along with Ray Martin (left) and Ian Leslie (centre).
Ned’s younger brother Serge, a producer at 60 Minutes, revealed his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis to Daily Mail Australia in February 2022.
“As a family, we are sharing the new journey we are on as George faces the realities of his Alzheimer’s dementia diagnosis,” Serge said.
‘We continue to share wonderful family moments and are grateful for the care and support we have received from our family and friends over the past few years, who understand our challenges.
“George continues to give and receive love and respect from all of us. We appreciate all the well wishes coming in from near and far at this time.”
Jana Wendt, who joined 60 Minutes in 1982, said that after her former colleague’s plight became public, the last time she saw Negus was at the wake following Stone’s funeral.
“In this situation, I know he has the support of a family who truly loves him and that counts for a lot,” Wendt told Daily Mail Australia.
“Of course we can only wish him and, of course, his family the best.”
Before Negus’ health deteriorated to the point where he needed full-time care, his partner Kirsty Cockburn had lived on the mid-north coast of New South Wales since the late 1980s. The couple are pictured here.
Leslie said she learned of her longtime friend’s condition with “deep sadness.”
“In a way it’s like losing a family member,” he said.
“But I am sure that, given George’s enormous strength of character and sharp mind, he will be here for a long time.
‘Somewhere you’ll know what’s going on and remember the life you’ve lived.’
Brisbane-born Negus was a secondary 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’s style of presentation became so familiar to viewers that Paul Hogan sent him up with a George Fungus character on his eponymous show. He is pictured here at a job
Negus served as press secretary to Attorney-General Lionel Murphy during Gough Whitlam’s brief Labor government and was hand-picked by Stone to help set up 60 Minutes.
He worked on the show until 1986, sharing reporting duties with Leslie, Martin, Wendt and, near the end of his tenure, Jeff McMullen.
Negus was the first host of ABC’s international current affairs program Foreign Correspondent, hosting the program from 1992 to 1999.
He presented George Negus Tonight, formerly known as New Dimensions, on the national broadcaster from 2002 to 2004.
The following year he began presenting 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 appointed 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”.