Career
He is a full-time journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald specialising in travel and popular culture. His other areas of expertise include film, television, and popular music He has written extensively around Australia and has a passion for Australian history.
He was also the director of Walkabout in 2007, the Fairfax organisation"s detailed travel internet site.
Elder"s radio experience began in the 1970s when he became American Broadcasting Company"s 2JJ (now Triple J) London Correspondent. He is heard around the country on Friday nights on Tony Delroy"s Nightlife program
Elder is the Australasian editor of Australian Trivial Pursuit. He has also written over 60 books for 16 publishers including contributions to the Macquarie Dictionary, atlases, communication text books and travel guides.
His 2003 book, Remember When: Reflections on a Changing Australia, looked at the way Australia has changed over the past 50 years.
lieutenant was listed as one of the ten most influential Australian works of non-fiction in the twentieth century in an extensive poll conducted by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He has been an Ambassador to Kogarah, Tumut, Marulan, Crookwell, Junee, Ardlethan, Taralga, Wyong, Adelong, Harden, Wombat, The Entrance and Toukley, Woy Woy and Gosford.