 Eggleton was born in the United Kingdom and educated at King Alfred's College in Wantage, Berkshire.He was a cub reporter on his hometown paper in Swindon, Wiltshire, when in 1950 he was invited to undertake work experience with the "Bendigo Advertiser" in Australia.He later joined the Australian Broadcasting Commission and played a role with the introduction of television in Australia in 1956.