Pioneering journalist Heather Ewart has announced she will retire next year after an incredible career at the ABC of almost 50 years.
The ABC announced her decision overnight and provided this career review:
Starting as a cadet in 1977, Ewart went on to become one of the national public broadcaster’s most accomplished presenters, most recently as host of Back Roads.
She broke down many barriers as a woman in the industry as one of the ABC’s first female foreign correspondents and one of few women reporting on federal politics in the 1980s during the Fraser and Hawke eras.
As a foreign correspondent based in London, Washington DC and then Brussels, Ewart covered major international news events including the first Gulf War, the Waco siege in Texas, the election of US President Bill Clinton, tensions in the Balkans and Europe’s transition to the euro in Europe.
In Australia, she covered many federal election campaigns as Chief Political Correspondent for ABC radio news and current affairs, Political Editor, National Affairs Correspondent and fill-in host for 7.30 and presenter of World at Noon.
“I’ve had a varied and very interesting career at the ABC and am grateful for the opportunities given to me,” Ewart said. “I fought hard for many of them, and hope this encouraged other women to have a go as well.”
Heather Ewart as a political correspondent and on Back Roads
ABC News Director, Justin Stevens said: “I first worked with Heather in the early 2000s at The 7.30 Report. She was held in great regard in the federal political sphere and was also a superb reporter on many other issues of national interest and history. The public have loved Heather and her work, they appreciate her authentic and passionate connection to our audience.”
Ewart was co-executive producer and presenter on a three-part ABC TV documentary on the history of the National Party in 2014, which was the catalyst for Back Roads, which launched the following year. Born and raised in the country, Ewart’s ambition was to create a program that helped bridge the gap between the country and the city and showcase a slice of country life that she loved as a child growing up on a farm in central Victoria.
“My aim was always to amplify the voices of regional Australians and to remind viewers of what’s right on their doorsteps,” Ewart said. “I’m very proud of what we created and that I got to present the show for the past ten years. I see the 10th anniversary next year as a fitting milestone to move on. I wish the Back Roads team every success in the future.”
Ewart’s many other career highlights include winning the 2007 Gold Quill, the Melbourne Press Club’s top award, for coverage of melanoma victim Claire Oliver, who later died. Claire blamed her use of solariums and Ewart’s reports on 7.30 resulted in the changing of laws to ban solariums. Her other acclaimed work included her extensive coverage of Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires for 7.30 in 2009.
She was on the Walkley Board and a judge of excellence in journalism for six years and authored best-selling book The Great Aussie Road Trip.
that will screen throughout 2025. She finishes up at the ABC in March next year.