He was editor of Consolidated Press's Bulletin (1962–64), and foreign affairs writer for News Ltd's Australian (1966–70) and John Fairfax & Sons Ltd's Sydney Morning Herald (1970–74, 1976–90).
[1] Hastings was also the executive officer of the ‘think tank’, the Council on New Guinea Affairs which he founded with (Sir) John Kerr, and was senior research fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, in Canberra from 1974 to 1976.
[3] Hastings married Scottish-born Jeanette (Jan) Duncan England on 7 March 1946 at Harbord Presbyterian Church, Freshwater, New South Wales.
Hastings then married Jolika Barbara Tie, née Bartsch, on 28 March 1981 at the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Sydney.
[1] After years of emphysema and ischaemic heart disease, Hastings died on 7 August 1990 at his home at Manly.