Ted Egan

Ted Egan AO
Ted Egan at Woodford Folk Festival 2010-11
18th Administrator of the Northern Territory
In office 31 October 2003 – 30 October 2007
Governor General	Michael Jeffery
Preceded by	John Anictomatis
Succeeded by	Tom Pauling
Personal details
Born	Edward Joseph Egan (1932-07-06) 6 July 1932 Coburg, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Domestic partner	Nerys Evans
Occupation	Musician
Website	http://www.tedegan.com.au/

Edward (Ted) Joseph Egan AO (born 6 July 1932) is an Australian folk musician, and was a public servant who served as Administrator of the Northern Territory from 2003 to 2007.

Early life

He was born in Coburg, Melbourne, moving to the Northern Territory in 1949, at the age of 16, in search of work and adventure. In his early career with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs he was mainly in the bush, and engaged in jobs like stockwork and crocodile hunting while employed as a patrol officer and reserve Superintendent. Later he was a teacher at bush schools. He was a member of the first National Reconciliation Council.

Egan was the sole teacher at Newcastle Waters Station in 1965 and was stranded at the property for six weeks when the creek flooded. During this time no supplies were able to be delivered so Egan had to hunt for animals, such as Bush Turkey for his dinner. He later returned to the station in 2012 for the book launch of, Middle of Everywhere, about life in the area.^[1]

Music career

Ted Egan began recording in 1969 with "Drinkers of the Northern Territory" and has released 28 albums, mostly themed around outback life, history and Aboriginal affairs. He has been a consistent performer and tourer with his choice of instrument being that of an empty beer carton played by tapping with his hands and fingers.^[2] He was a prolific writer and performer of contemporary folk songs. Many of these such as 'Gurindji Blues' recognise Indigenous Australian heritage. He introduced Rolf Harris to the song Two Little Boys.^[3]

Discography

Albums

• 1973 Bangtail Muster
• 1976 The Shearers (Faces of Australia Series)
• 1976 The Bush Races
• 1982 The Overlanders (Faces of Australia Series)
• 1985 The Anzacs (Faces of Australia Series)
• 1989 The Convicts (Faces of Australia Series)
• 1990 Bangtail Muster
• 1990 The Kimberley
• 1990 A Town Like Alice
• 1980 Rodeo Australia
• 1988 Ted's Shout
• 1997 The Aboriginals (Faces of Australia Series)
• 2000 The Very Best of Ted Egan My Australia
• 2000 The Urupunga Frog (Australian Songs for Children)
• 2002 The Drover's Boy (A Celebration of Australian Women)
• 2003 Land Down Under
• 2003 Such is Life
• 2008 I.O.U.
• 2010 Saving The Best
• Outback Australia
• Our Coach Captain
• The Vision Splendid
• Beyond the black stump
• Once a Jolly Swagman ^[4]
• Welcome to the Bush ^[5]

Singles

• Granny
• A Schluck and a Schnitte
• Sayonara Nakamura also includes song parchment
• The Drover's Boy
• 2008 Ted Egan Sings

Compilations

• Queensland Opera
• Kutju Australia

Books

• 2008 Due Inheritance ISBN 0-7295-0040-3
• 2003 The Land Downunder ISBN 0-9545726-0-2
• 1997 A Drop of Rough Ted ISBN 0-9595744-0-9
• Justice All Their Own
• 1993 The Paperboys War Ted Egan An Autobiography ISBN 1-875703-08-X
• 1997 Sitdown Up North Ted Egan An Autobiography ISBN 1-875703-23-3
• 1989 Shearers Songbook ISBN 0-909104-75-1
• 1987 The Aboriginals Songbook -Faces of Australia Series ASIN B000N7AKU0
• 1978 Outback Holiday (also by Mark Egan) ISBN 0-7295-0040-3
• 1984 The Overlanders Songbook ISBN 0-909104-74-3
• 1991 Would I Lie to You? The Goanna Driver and Other Very True Stories ISBN 0-670-90460-0
• 2000 The Drover's Boy ISBN 0-85091-840-5

Videos

• This Land Australia series (as presenter, narrator and interviewer)

• Broome and the Pearl Coast
• Cape York Peninsula: The Vanishing Frontier
• Central Australia: The Eighth Wonder
• Discovering a Rainforest
• Gulf Country: The Road from Mt. Surprise
• Hahndorf and the Barossa: Valleys of Hope
• The Isslands of Torres Strait
• Mysterious Australia
• Norfolk Island
• Paddleboats of the Murray River
• Railways of Yesteryear
• Snowy Mountains

These are available individually and as boxed sets on DVD from Flashback Entertainment.

Administrator of the Northern Territory

Ted Egan was appointed Administrator of the Northern Territory by Governor-General Michael Jeffery effective 31 October 2003.^[6] He was sworn in on 18 November.^[7]

On 14 September 2005, he was awarded a one year extension to his term of office by Jim Lloyd, the Federal Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads.^[8] This was further extended for another year to serve until 30 October 2007.^[9]

Television

Ted Egan has presented and narrated 13 episodes of This Land Australia, a series devoted to iconic Australian people and places. He also wrote and performed the show's theme song of the same name. He has been a co-host of the lifestyle show The Great Outdoors. ^[10]

Honours

Egan was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1993 Australia Day Honours List for services to the Aboriginal people, and for "an ongoing contribution to the literary heritage of Australia through song and verse".^[11] In 2004, Egan was promoted to an Officer of the Order (AO) as acknowledgement of "the significance of [his] continuing contribution to the community culminating in his being sworn-in as the 18th Administrator of the Northern Territory".^[12]

Egan was recently listed amongst "Australia's National Living Treasures" by the National Trust of Australia.^[13]

Ted was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Tamworth Country Music Festival awards ceremony.

References

External links

• Ted Egan's official web site
• Television interview with Egan (ABC's Enough Rope August 2004)
• Official Administrator's site
• VIDEO: Ted Egan on the crisis in Indigenous Australia on ABC Fora