Six decades of the Rural Press Club of Victoria was celebrated in country-comes-to-city style last week with 19 media veterans conferred with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Wangaratta-raised veteran journalist Nick Coe emceed the 60th Anniversary afternoon tea in Toorak, staged and catered by the Country Women’s Association of Victoria in a first-time collaboration with the RPCV.
The cohort of current and retired media professionals from across the state were applauded for their dedication and service to regional journalism, with a cake shaped as an RPCV newspaper the centrepiece of proceedings.
RPCV president Kellie Lazzaro said while journalists and photographers had long been awarded for one-off meritorious efforts at the press club’s annual awards, it was the first official recognition of a lifetime of service to regional journalism.
“There was so much respect in the room, for the tireless work of some true champions of regional news, and I have to say, a lot of optimism for the industry as a whole,” Ms Lazzaro said.
“It really was an honour to recognise the service of these editors, sub-editors, reporters and photographers from Mildura to Warrnambool and everywhere in between, at a time when delivering trusted, quality local news for our communities feels more important than ever.”
Former RPCV president Brian Clancy, one of the 19 industry veterans honoured, said the club originally known as the Farm Writers and Broadcasters Society of Victoria had flourished into a fully-formed regional representative body.
“The club was very-Melbourne focused in the early years, naturally, because that’s where the Weekly Times and Stock and Land were based. But since the 1990s, the regional dailies and other aspects of rural journalism have made a strong contribution to the club we see today.”
The clubs annual journalism and photography awards are set to be held in Melbourne in August.
RPCV committee members with the 60th Anniversary cake.
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