Heather Ewart, one of Australia’s most respected journalists, will retire in 2025 after nearly 50 years at the ABC. Starting as a cadet in 1977, she became a trailblazer, breaking barriers as one of the ABC’s first female foreign correspondents and a rare woman covering federal politics in the 1980s. She reported on major global events, from the first Gulf War to the Waco siege and Europe’s transition to the euro.
As Chief Political Correspondent and National Affairs Correspondent, Ewart covered multiple federal election campaigns and regularly filled in as host of 7.30. In 2014, she co-produced a documentary on the National Party, which led to the launch of Back Roads, a show dedicated to rural Australia. Born and raised in regional Victoria, she has spent her career amplifying country voices and bridging the divide between city and bush.
Her award-winning journalism includes investigative reports that led to banning solariums and extensive coverage of Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires. A Walkley judge and author of The Great Aussie Road Trip, Ewart’s legacy is one of fearless storytelling and deep connection to the Australian landscape.
