George Negus Contemplates Life As A Grey Nomad

Well, George Negus isn’t exactly planning on packing up a caravan and travelling around this big old country of ours, but he is beginning to consider winding down his workload in anticipation of old age, or something.

As he marks a milestone of 40 years in the media, veteran Australian journalist George Negus says he’ll consider winding down “in the next few years”.

“I certainly don’t want to be wheeled into the studio in a wheel chair,” Negus said. With his two sons now adults, Negus says he and wife Kirsty Cockburn will look at a “gear shift” and possibly enjoy time with family overseas. “Maybe not next week or next month but certainly in the next few years,” he said.

Negus fell into journalism while he was a school teacher in Queensland in the late 1960s. He was writing a text book for low IQ children when his publisher recommended he study journalism to help his writing.

No doubt that text book he was writing would have helped him immensely if he was still working on 60 Minutes these days.

The good news is, George is feeling as fresh and relevant as ever after forty years in the biz!

While feeling privileged, he hasn’t wanted a big fuss made and instead chose a small intimate gathering of 30 close friends, including ABC journalist Kerry O’Brien, for a celebration at a Sydney restaurant this week.

“I can’t believe I made 10 (years) let alone 20 and 30 and 40,” Negus said.

“I don’t even feel my age let alone that I’ve been around that long.”

Good for you, Mr Negus. Australia salutes you.

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