Vale: Ken Randall

Retired ABC political correspondent and former ABC television host Ken Randall has died, aged 88.

Randall, whose career spanned six decades across newspapers, magazines, radio and television, passed away on Monday night, ABC reported.

He was the longest-serving president of the National Press Club, a position he held for 22 years, before becoming patron in 2016.

A founding staff member of the Australian newspaper in 1964, the Tasmanian-born reporter initially worked for the ABC in Hobart, before moving between Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.

In 1971, Randall was among a group of journalists who accompanied then-opposition leader Gough Whitlam on his historic visit to China, and he later presented ABC’s weekly parliamentary broadcast  Order in the House.

In a statement the NPC said its former president left “a magnificent legacy” and expressed its condolences to his family, including former wife Helen, to whom he remained close, as well as son Tom, daughter Lindsey and stepson Christopher.

Current NPC president, and chief political correspondent for 7:30, Laura Tingle, paid tribute to her former colleague and highlighted his “immense contribution” to “steering the Club through some tough times”.

“Ken was literally the first person I ever worked with when I came to Canberra and he was a kind, generous and wise colleague to me and other young reporters,” she recalled.

Randall also moderated Australia’s first televised election debate between then-prime minister Bob Hawke and opposition leader Andrew Peacock ahead of the 1984 federal election.

During his career, he also served as a press secretary in the Whitlam government and as a media and foreign policy adviser for opposition leader Bill Hayden, then later as a consultant to the Australian Defence Force chief and Defence secretary.

In 1997, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to Journalism and Public Affairs and two years later was recognised as a Member of the Order (AM).

Ken Randall helped make sure the National Press Club survives and thrives to this day. He’ll be missed. RIP. pic.twitter.com/CCDq3oFtcj

— David Crowe (@CroweDM) January 7, 2025

Source: ABC