Ted Egan Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Birth Name	Edward Joseph Egan
Names Earned	• Elvis of the Outback • Territory Icon (aka Northern Territory Icon)
Nickname	Namiuk Kwaruk
Profession(s)	• Folk Musician • Former Public Servant
Physical Stats
Eye Colour	Moss Green
Hair Colour	Grey
Civil Servant
Position	Served as the Administrator of the Northern Territory (31 October 2003 - 31 October 2007)
Music
Debut	Album: Outback Australia (1969) Song: Drinkers of the Northern Territory (1969)
Last Album	The Urapunga Frog (2022)
Awards, Honours	1989: Northern Territory History Award 1991: Songmaker Award by the Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) 1993: Became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day Honours List for his service to Aboriginal people and his contribution to Australia's literary heritage through song and verse 1995: Inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown at the Country Music Awards of Australia 2000: Video Clip of the Year award for the song 'The Drover's Boy' at the Country Music Awards of Australia 2002: Honorary Doctorate from Charles Darwin University (CDU) 2003: Australian of the Year Northern Territory 2003: Knight of Grace of the Order of St John 2004: Promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of his ongoing service to the community 2004: Life Member of Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame 2004: Named among Australia's National Living Treasures by the National Trust of Australia 2006: National Patron Year of the Outback 2011: Won Comedy/Novelty Song of the Year award for 'Queensland Opera' and Children’s Song of the Year award for 'The Laughing Game' at the Tamworth Songwriters Awards 2014: Lifetime Achievement Award at the Country Music Awards of Australia 2015: Honoured with the National Folk Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival's Opening Ceremony in Canberra
Personal Life
Date of Birth	6 July 1932 (Wednesday)
Birthplace	Coburg, Victoria, Australia
Date of Death	4 December 2025 (Thursday)
Place of Death	Alice Springs, Australia
Age (at the time of death)	93 Years
Death Cause	Not Specified
Zodiac sign	Cancer
Nationality	Australian
Hometown	Alice Springs, Australia
School	Parade College, Australia
College/University	• Australian National University, Canberra, Australia • University of Adelaide, Australia • Australian School of Pacific Administration (ASOPA), Mosman, Australia
Educational Qualification(s)	• Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the Australian National University • Master of Arts (MA) in History from the University of Adelaide • Patrol Officer's course at the Australian School of Pacific Administration
Religion	Christianity
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Relationships & More
Marital Status (at the time of death)	Married
Family
Wife/Spouse	First Wife: Rae (divorced) Second Wife: Nerys Evans (until his death in 2025)
Children	Son(s)- 2 • Greg Egan Daughter(s)- 2
Parents	Father- Joseph Egan Mother- Grace Brennon

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ted Egan

• Ted Egan grew up in Melbourne, Victoria.

• In 1949, Egan left home and travelled to the Northern Territory, hoping to find work and explore a new life. During his early years there, he worked at the department that later became known as the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

• In the Northern Territory, he spent most of this time in remote areas, where he patrolled communities, supervised Aboriginal reserves, and did work such as stockwork and crocodile hunting.

• After spending years in field-based government roles, Egan shifted into education and began teaching in remote bush schools. He even took on responsibilities that went far beyond just classroom duties.

• He also contributed nationally by serving as a member of the first National Reconciliation Council.

• In 1950, Ted became a founding member of the Works and Housing Football Club, now known as the Nightcliff Football Club.

• In 1952, he co-founded St Mary’s Football Club.

• In 1965, Egan became the only teacher at Newcastle Waters Station. Once, a major flood left him stuck for six weeks with no supplies coming in, so he had to rely on hunting local animals, including bush turkeys, to survive.

• In 1969, while working with the Australian Council of Aboriginal Affairs, Ted Egan co-wrote ‘Gurindji Blues’ (aka Poor Bugger Me) with Indigenous leader Vincent Lingiari, after hearing offensive remarks from Minister Peter Nixon during the Gurindji people’s Wave Hill land rights protest.
  

  1975: Gough Whitlam places soil into Vincent Lingiari’s hands to mark the return of Wave Hill Station to the Gurindji people

• The song ‘Gurindji Blues’ was recorded by Indigenous activist Yunupingu, and the money went to support the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Egan connected with this cause from his earlier work in communities like Yuendumu.

• His work included albums like ‘The Bangtail Muster’ (1973), ‘The Overlanders’ (1982), ‘I.O.U’ (2002), ‘Such Is Life’ (2003), and ‘Saving the Best’ (2010).
  

  A poster of Ted Egan’s album ‘The Bangtail Muster’ (1973)

• He also authored many books, including ‘A Drop of Rough Ted I’ (1979), ‘The Paperboys War Ted Egan An Autobiography’ (1993), and ‘Due Inheritance: Reviving the Cultural and Economic Wellbeing of First Australians’ (2008).
  

  The cover of the book ‘A Drop of Rough Ted I’ (1979)

• In 1989, Ted Egan presented and narrated six episodes of the series ‘This Land Australia,’ which focused on iconic Australian people and places. He also wrote and performed the show’s theme song.

• Ted often said that ‘Granny’ (2002) was the song he most enjoyed performing. It was based on the life of Granny Lum Loy, a well-known Darwin woman who came from China as a seven-year-old child bride and lived to 97.

• In 2012, he revisited Newcastle Waters Station to attend the launch of the book Middle of Everywhere, which celebrated stories and life from that region.

• In his later years, Ted Egan wrote songs inspired by historical figures, including a Barossa Valley pioneer woman and Dr. Gilruth. He also wrote a song about Dr. Gilruth to help people pronounce his name correctly.

• Ted Egan was passionate about ‘pearling songs,’ which came to Darwin with workers from the Philippines, Malaya, and Indonesia during the pearling era. These songs were used by workers while performing tasks, and they often mixed different languages, creating unique regional versions.

• The Khungarakung people bestowed Ted Egan with the honorific name “Namiuk Kwaruk,” meaning “Singing Elder,” in recognition of his song ‘Alyandabu’ about their renowned matriarch.

• Most of Ted Egan’s albums focused on themes of outback life, Australian history, and Aboriginal people.

• On 4 December 2025, he passed away at the age of 93 in Alice Springs, Australia.