1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: New Jersey and Amanda jam Nation very sad news. Yesterday 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: I hear about the passing of George Nigas. What a 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: storewart of Australian journalism and what an extraordinary character who 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: loomed so large I saw yesterday. His family have said 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: that they suggest fans kick a football, enjoy a hearty 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: bowl of pasta, plan your next adventure to somewhere intriguing, 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: or ask a curious question you think needs answering in 8 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: his honor. 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: I did a TV show on SBS some years ago 10 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: called Off the Record, and I was invited to go 11 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 2: to the Logis and George was part of that group 12 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 2: that was in Melbourne and we're just making small talk 13 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 2: at the bar and I said, when I was a kid, 14 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 2: I went into a talent competition doing an impression of you. 15 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 2: And he said, like, how did that go? And then 16 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 2: so I had to say, the militia are just over 17 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 2: the hill, like Whitney, a little kid with a mustache. 18 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: And then he told me he'd forgot his jacket to 19 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 2: go to the legises. I said, well, what you just 20 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 2: get anything and just put it over your shoulder. 21 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:02,959 Speaker 1: The militia is still there. 22 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 2: Militsia is just over the hill. 23 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: He was an extraordinary journal I worked alongside him when 24 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: I was Channel nine on the midday show as a 25 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: segment producer. I produced the work that his lifelong partner 26 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: Kirsty she was a journalist, that she was doing and 27 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: the two of them though, this is the thing, George 28 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: and Kirsty were such sincere people. They wore their hearts 29 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: on their sleeves. Kirsty was talking about she was doing 30 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: stories of ethical investment forty years ago. They were such 31 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: good people. He really was though that sexy thing. He 32 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,839 Speaker 1: was the Dennis Lily of journalism, wasn't it. The shirt 33 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: open to the waist, the big mo as you say, 34 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: the jacket over the sholder would. 35 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 2: Always get like a land raver and put his leg 36 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 2: up on the bumper bar. 37 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 3: Oh. 38 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: It just amazing. And Ray Martin was talking about him 39 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: last night on. 40 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 4: The News and I think he was probably along with 41 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 4: maybe Burton, I think he's probably the strongest personality on 42 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 4: Australian tellivision I ever saw the ustache and the jacket 43 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 4: over the shoulder mateing George Negas. But he's also a 44 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 4: fantastic journalist and he very ethical love telling sawas loved people, 45 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 4: and I guess what you saw on television is what 46 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 4: he was. There was nothing fake about you. It'srs was 47 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 4: like that twenty four hours a day. 48 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: And he says that he came late to journalism. He 49 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: was in his late twenties. He'd been a teacher. 50 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 5: I was an ex skill teacher, ex high skool teacher, 51 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 5: and I've sort of gone away into journalism somehow. And 52 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 5: I've always been fascinated by by what makes places and people, 53 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,119 Speaker 5: and politics in particular tick. Politics is the best way 54 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 5: to solve problems without killing each other. No matter how 55 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 5: bad it is, it's better than the alternative. 56 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 3: So yeah, it was. 57 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 5: An opportunity to talk to Australians about things that they 58 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 5: might not otherwise talk about or find out about. 59 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 2: And there's a degree of bravery when you're asking those questions. 60 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 2: Remember when he interviewed the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. 61 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: Yeah it was a sphin to tightening, but he stuck 62 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: it out. 63 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 6: Why do people stop us in the street almost and 64 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 6: tell us that Margaret Thatcher isn't just inflexible, she's not 65 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 6: just single minded. On occasion, she's playing big headed and 66 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 6: won't be tild by you will you tell me who 67 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 6: has stopped you in the street and said that. 68 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 3: Ordinary Britons in conversation? But I thought you has come 69 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 3: from Belize. Oh it's not the first time we've been here. 70 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: We don't tell me who and where and where. 71 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 3: Audinary Britain's in restaurants? 72 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 6: How many? 73 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 3: How many? I would say, at least one in two? 74 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: I am sorry, it's the next passion I've never heard. 75 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 3: Tell me who has said it to you? 76 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 6: When these these are people that we meet in passing, 77 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 6: But we raised the question about the state of their 78 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 6: country with them and they tell us, yes, we have 79 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 6: a tough part Prime Minister. But she's a little bit pigheaded. 80 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 6: She won't be told by anybody. 81 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 3: Isn't this interesting? 82 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 6: Even the tone of voice you're using is changing from 83 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 6: what you're used. 84 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 2: Earth Can she be more obdused? 85 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: She became the school teacher in that one. But I 86 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: don't think we can underestimate when he first joins it. 87 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: When the show sixty Minutes began, it was just extraordinary. 88 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy nine, it was my last year of school. 89 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: I was about to go and study communications, and the 90 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: world of journalism just looked so sexy so intriguing, and 91 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: at the beginning it was just these three guys. 92 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 3: I'm I and Leslie, I'm George Nigas, I'm Ray Martin. 93 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 4: Those stories and more tonight on sixty Minutes. 94 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: And then of course they were joined by this person, 95 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: I'm Janovin, and that show just went stratisfory. 96 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 2: It didn't it, although they did say got a bit 97 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 2: too commercial. Well when this guy joined. 98 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 5: Hello Frank Walker from National Tiles. 99 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: They weren't its best cheeses. But George will be so 100 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: misthinking of Kirsty and their sons that he and Kirsty 101 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: met at the logies, not that one you were at. 102 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: We knew the cracked onto him. They were a love 103 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: story that started at the Logies, which is wonderful.