Legendary tv present affairs journalist George Negus is affected by dementia.
The 79-year-old, who was one of many three authentic reporters on 60 Minutes when the present launched in Australia, has been recognized with Alzheimer's illness.
His household made the tough determination late final yr to offer Negus with the elevated care he wants in a Sydney nursing residence.
'As a household, we're sharing the brand new path we stroll as George faces the realities of his prognosis of dementia from Alzheimer's illness,' son Serge Negus informed Each day Mail Australia.
'We proceed to share great household instances and are grateful for the care and assist we have now had from prolonged household and pals over the previous few years who perceive our challenges.
'George continues to offer and obtain the love and respect of us all. We respect all the great needs from close to and much presently.'
Negus and his associate of greater than 35 years, Kirsty Cockburn, had lived on the New South Wales mid north coast for the reason that late Eighties.
Household assertion in full
Each day Mail Australia understands Cockburn, herself an award-winning journalist, creator and documentary filmmaker, had been involved about her husband's security as his well being declined.
His situation had reached a degree the place the 65-year-old was not in a position to take care of him by herself.
The couple's sons Ned, 34, and Serge, 32, are serving to their mom cope along with her new circumstances.
Negus made his final notable public look on the November 2020 memorial service for tv trailblazer Gerald Stone after the inaugural 60 Minutes government producer died aged 87.
Stone had chosen Negus, Ray Martin and Ian Leslie to entrance the information program when Kerry Packer imported the format from the US to air on his 9 Community.
'Till 60 Minutes most of this nation's worldwide protection got here nearly solely from the US and UK,' Negus stated in a video tribute filmed at his residence.
Negus, who appeared on the display white-haired, full-bearded and seemingly frail, referenced his personal childhood when he described his relationship with Stone.
'I'm not certain if you happen to guys realise my very own father died at 26 after I was solely 4 years previous,' Negus informed an viewers together with Leslie, Martin and later 60 Minutes addition Jana Wendt.
'I by no means actually had a father determine, I did not actually have a grandfather determine both and so for the interval I discovered myself working with Gerald was the closest I felt to being fathered.'
Stone as soon as stated of his creation that 60 Minutes made its mark by bringing massive international tales to Australia, which meant sending his star reporters world wide.
'Folks may not care what occurred in Nicaragua, however they could care about what George Negus did in Nicaragua,' Stone stated.
At its peak within the Eighties, 60 Minutes was a rankings juggernaut, with a 3rd or extra of the nationwide tv viewers tuning in at 7.30 on a Sunday evening.
Negus grew to become a family title whereas engaged on this system as he criss-crossed the globe, usually reporting from warfare zones. There was a way he could possibly be killed on digital camera at any time.
He landed unique interviews with main leisure figures and world leaders, together with a famously confrontational encounter with then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
When Negus requested Thatcher why residents described her as 'pig-headed' she demanded he inform her the place, when and by lady such feedback had been made.
A thick Seventies moustache and open-neck shirts when on project contributed to the knockabout Negus picture. His distinctly Australian supply got here with a twinkle within the eye.
The Negus presentation model grew to become so acquainted to tv audiences that Paul Hogan despatched him up with a George Fungus character on his eponymous present.
[Serge Negus, billed as Serge Cockburn, starred with Hogan as the title character's son Mikey in Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles in 2001].
Brisbane-born Negus was a highschool trainer till his late 20s when he started writing for newspapers together with The Australian, adopted by a stint on the ABC's ground-breaking This Day Tonight.
Negus served as press secretary to attorney-general Lionel Murphy throughout Gough Whitlam's short-lived Labor authorities and was handpicked by Stone to assist set up 60 Minutes in 1979.
He labored on this system till 1986, sharing reporting duties with Leslie, Martin, Wendt and close to the tip of his tenure Jeff McMullen.
Negus was the primary host of the ABC's worldwide present affairs present International Correspondent, fronting this system from 1992 to 1999.
He offered George Negus Tonight, beforehand generally known as New Dimensions, on the nationwide broadcaster from 2002 to 2004.
The following yr he started internet hosting Dateline on SBS earlier than changing into an everyday panellist on Ten's The Mission, adopted by presenting 6.30 with George Negus on the identical community.
Negus was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2015 'for important service to the media as a journalist and tv presenter, and to conservation and the setting'.
Negus has written a number of books, together with one concerning the 15 months he spent from 2000 dwelling along with his household in Italy and a six-part youngsters's collection co-authored with Cockburn.
The couple has additionally run Negus Media Worldwide for greater than 25 years, collaborating on numerous movie, publishing and different media tasks.
They've hosted prepare and 'cultural-political' excursions to nations together with Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Turkey, Burma, Iran and components of Africa.
Negus and Cockburn purchased 12 hectares at Gleniffer on the By no means By no means River close to Bellingen in 1988 and raised their sons there.
A part of the property, set in a spectacular treehouse, is offered for brief stays by way of Airbnb for $300 an evening with Cockburn listed as host.
The Balmain terrace, purchased by Negus for $70,000 in 1979 when he was nonetheless single, was listed with expectations of $2.6million in September final yr and bought for $2.8million.
Negus had used the three-bedroom home, which has water views from is higher stage, as his workplace when he labored on International Correspondent within the Nineties.
Serge is a radio producer on Triple J's Hack program and Ned runs a enterprise development consultancy agency specialising within the sports activities and leisure industries, having beforehand labored in soccer advertising and marketing.