In the 1970s, Adams became crucial to the development of Australia’s film industry. He was involved in the creation of the Australia Council, now part of Creative Australia, and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.
A long-time broadcaster on the ABC’s Radio National, Adams departed Late Night Live in 2024 but continued his weekly column in the national broadsheet. His work has appeared in The Australian on and off over six decades – almost the entirety of the paper’s history – firstly as a TV critic.
He was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2025, for “eminent service to broadcast media, to journalism, to the arts, to cultural leadership, and to the community”.
On Monday, Adams said:“The paper is not exactly overwhelmed with left wing opinion. I always thought they’d leave me alone because I know I seem to be some sort of useful idiot that represented the left.”
In his first piece filling Adams’ slot, Waterson penned a tribute to his predecessor.
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“Finally, let me return to Phillip Adams,” Waterson wrote. “There’s no chance I will collect even one of the many doctorates he has accumulated, nor the series of civil honours bestowed upon him. But if I can entertain people half as well as he has, and last a quarter as long, I will consider myself amply rewarded.”
The Australian’s editor-in-chief Michelle Gunn, its weekend magazine editor Elizabeth Colman and a spokesperson for the newspaper were approached for comment.
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