This story contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died.

A State Memorial will be held in February for the late Ted Egan AO, a Territory legend and former NT Administrator of the Northern Territory.

Mr Egan passed away earlier this month. The service will take place on Tuesday, 17 February, at the Alice Springs Convention Centre.

The Northern Territory government acknowledged Mr Egan's "distinguished career and his significant contribution" to the Territory.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the State Memorial to pay their respects. For enquiries relating to the service, contact Protocol NT at [email protected].

Mr Egan died aged 93. He was a celebrated musician, author, footballer, TV star and academic. He is survived by his wife Nerys Evans.

The ABC reports he has been remembered by his family for his "big and very generous life", and was known among his wide list of accomplishments and accolades as a world-class raconteur and historian.

Born in Melbourne in 1932, Mr Egan grew up during the Great Depression years. In search of adventure at age 16 moved to Darwin, where he went on to establish and captain the storied St Mary's Football Club.

The club began as a way to give Indigenous people from the Tiwi Islands a chance to play, and the ABC reports Mr Egan described it in 2012 as "probably one of the most important things in my entire life".

To better communicate with Tiwi players, Egan learnt the native language, a skill that led to him working as a patrol officer, also trying his hand at stock work and crocodile hunting.

One of Mr Egan's first postings was at Yirrkala in north-east Arnhem Land, where a bauxite mine opposed by Traditional Owners had just opened. The posting proved to be a watershed moment in his life.

"I had previously taken the same stance as my superiors on the question of Aboriginal land. The government's attitude was that Aboriginals stay out of it, we control the land," he said many years later.

The genesis of Gurindji Blues

The injustice of the situation inspired a re-evaluation of those views, and Mr Egan went on to work in Canberra for the Australian Council of Aboriginal Affairs, where he wrote what would become an unofficial anthem of the push for Indigenous land rights.

Gurindji Blues, also known as Poor Bugger Me, was sparked after he heard offensive statements from an NT government minister about the Gurindji strike, the ABC reports.

The song was recorded by revered Indigenous activist Yunupingu, with the proceeds used to fund the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra.

Mr Egan said in later interviews he realised how little control Indigenous people had over their own lives when he was appointed superintendent of Yuendumu, 300 kilometres north-west of Mparntwe/Alice Springs, the ABC reports.

When he arrived in 1958, the few houses in the community were reserved for white workers while Indigenous people had to camp in the bush.

A strong respect for Indigenous language

Mr Egan again learnt the local language, which he said was crucial for bridging divides.

"We don't know Aboriginal languages. We've never tried from 1788, and it's the biggest shortcoming in Australia," the ABC reports he said in a later interview.

"Only where local language has been understood has there ever been any success.

"I'm constantly reminding my Aboriginal friends to 'keep your languages alive', because only they can turn the tide that's now so strongly flowing against them."

An outspoken voice for justice and reform

Mr Egan remained a fearless critic of government Indigenous policies for the rest of his life.

One of his 17 books, Due Inheritance published in 2008, made recommendations on how to improve the lives of Indigenous people, while criticising "misguided policies imposed by well-intentioned but inept government agencies".

He slammed the Howard government's Northern Territory Intervention, saying it exacerbated problems because it was race-based.

Mr Egan served as the administrator of the Northern Territory from November 2003 to October 2007, of which he said: "It was a great honour to be chosen and a great thrill to look back on those wonderful four years."