The Northern Territory Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet advises that a State Memorial Service for the Honourable Edward ‘Ted’ Joseph Egan AO will be held at 10:00 am (ACST) on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, at the Alice Springs Convention Centre, Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
Mr Egan, served as Administrator of the Northern Territory from 2003 to 2007. His leadership was complemented by his lifelong dedication to advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. As one of the founding members of the National Reconciliation Council, Mr Egan played a pivotal role in advancing reconciliation efforts across Australia.
Mr Egan’s contributions were formally recognised through his appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1993 for services to Aboriginal people, and subsequently as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2004, acknowledging his significant service to the community in multiple fields including music, reconciliation, literature, and cultural preservation.
Mr Egan was widely recognised as one of Australia’s true national treasures, with an extraordinary contribution to the arts and national identity.
The State Memorial Service will be broadcast on the Vimeo website.
As a mark of mourning and respect, and in accordance with protocol, the Australian National Flag should be flown at half-mast all day on Tuesday, 17 February 2026 in the Northern Territory only from all buildings and establishments occupied by Australian Government departments and affiliated agencies. Other organisations are welcome to participate.
- When flying the Australian National Flag with other flags, all flags in the set should be flown at half-mast.
- If a set of flags includes the flags of other nations, it would be appropriate to seek permission from the diplomatic representatives of that nation to half-mast their flag.
- An acceptable half-mast position would be when the top of the flag is a third of the distance down from the top of the flagpole.
- Information on flag protocol is available on the Department's website.
Your assistance is appreciated.
Commonwealth Flag Officer