Community
23 May, 2026
CHARLTON TRIBUNE 150: What is was like growing up with a ‘newspaper man’
As the paper her parents, Ian and Carol Cameron, owned grew over the decades, so did her love for the industry and news itself.
JAYNE Burton grew up surrounded by ink and paper. but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
As the paper her parents, Ian and Carol Cameron, owned grew over the decades, so did her love for the industry and news itself.
As the Charlton Tribune celebrates a milestone, Mrs Burton reflects on what life growing up in newspapers was like.
What was it like growing up in newspaper family?
IT WAS basically all I had ever known.
Dad purchased the Charlton Tribune in 1961.
My mother was pregnant with me when they moved from Wedderburn where dad ran the Wedderburn Express which was owned by his father.
He learnt his printing trade there but knew nothing about being an Editor so this he had to learn.
It was a family affair.
When I was old enough I clearly remember being so infatuated with all aspects of it, mum did the books and my older sisters and I worked there from an early age.
I remember the lead being melted down out the back with the chimney, the presses making that choof puff noise and the typesetter going flat out.
Dad used to also have jobs ‘these were dodgers, account books, race books all sorts of printing he would do for customers.
Race book productions were a lengthy affair and I always the stapler, not always straight mind you.
I learnt to fold papers after they came off the press in four and also get them ready for mailing out.
My main job was to do the windows out at the shop as mum and dad had like a newsagency there as well.
I used to make all sorts of windows from our goods to display and I was a clean freak. Inky hands were not pleasant and we had this grey gooey substance in a huge tub whereby you would plunge them in to clean similar to solvol today.
I worked always with dad and probably if I was a male perhaps would have taken on the business but in those days that was not case.
I became an excellent speller and punctuation, grammar was important as it was paramount to check over the work.
Dad was the first one in the paper industry in the area to introduce photos in print.
He purchased a camera, built a dark room, developed the film and then purchased a machine which was a miracle to watch turning the photos into print.
He was very much ahead of his time.
Unfortunately I remember Dad was not home that much either, poor mum held the fort. He was out reporting and attending events to gather any news he could. As well as taking his camera along attending all council meetings and reporting this all as well.
There was nothing private in the town, if anyone let slip that someone was in hospital, it was printed, births, deaths, marriages any item of news which perhaps nowadays would be an invasion of privacy.
They were called personal pars.
Dad was also a very good sportsman and played handy golf and bowls, was on school council for many years and very heavily involved in community.
Something he passed on to me I think. He always said you must give back not take everything for granted.
However, he was not much into printing our family glories.
I remember winning a best and fairest in netball one year and I went home and told him that now he had to put the photo and my name in the paper. It was hard earnt that is for sure.
What do you think the newspaper’s role is in rural communities?
I THINK over the years it has changed, dad struggled in the end with advertising which was the main income to keep papers going back in those days.
A lot of people wanted it as a write up and not wanting to pay for the advert.
Economically I think it was tough and in the end which is why he sold to NCN, I think he copped a lot of comments harsh critics and was at times upsetting.
Perhaps similar to today it is hard for them to be viable but people still want to read their local papers and keep them in their towns.
He was very fortunate to have a close friendship with Robin Letts from Donald and the two of them often caught up over the years to discuss newspaper life.
How has technology changed in your dad’s time with the paper?
DAD would have embraced technology and kept saying in his later years, “How I wish I had computers, spell checks, programs, digital cameras, mobile phones”.
For his 80th birthday I gave him an old computer to dabble on and he wrote his life story.
At times I received phone calls to come around and correct things or recover what he had lost by pushing the wrong buttons. He really was very innovative in his early years, but saw so much change over his lifetime.
Whilst dad was a newspaper man, he boasted another career which was as a bookmaker, a role he absolutely loved.
So every Saturday he was off at race meetings and also was an owner of a couple of Harness racing horses as well, so his interests were wide and varied.
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