It was good to be back into regular fortnight meeting mode with last Thursday night’s meeting at the Tanunda Hotel. In lieu of our scheduled guest speaker, Tony Robinson was the replacement. Tony is the editor and patriarch of the Robinson family, long term owners of “The Leader” newspaper. Tony’s speech to members and friends of Rotary was both interesting and entertaining. Tony is also an honorary member. His interest and media contact is invaluable for the Club.
The Club’s board is always open to comment, requests and input from members. Hence the Board is reviewing the current meeting venue. In the near term, I shall report to members once the board has had a chance to review and assess a venue to cater for the Club’s interests.
Last Monday 16th January, prior to the scheduled meeting of the Barossa Airshow 2023 management committee, we were host to several service clubs that have recommitted to providing catering services at this year’s Airshow. As well as service clubs providing catering, the Rotary Club of Gawler Light attended the meeting and have agreed to manage car parking at this year’s Airshow. Prior to the Club taking on the Barossa Airshow 2021, it became obvious that the Club would be stretched to cover the personnel requirements to successfully manage such a large project. The board will continue to seek service clubs and commercial businesses to partner with and fill personnel requirements. The Airshow 2021 confirms that future Rotary programs can be successful with the cooperation of other service clubs and like organisations.
After last year’s successful Birthing Kit program, the Club agreed to commit to another birthing kit assembly program in this Rotary year. The Club purchased 400 kits for $2,000 even though, unlike last year when we received a grant, we were unsuccessful in obtaining Rotary Foundation funding. One of Rotary International’s focus areas is “Saving Mothers and Children”, so the birthing kit program falls under this banner. So, on Sunday, approximately 40 people gathered at the CWA Hall in Tanunda in two sessions to assemble the kits. Now of the 40 people, more than 30 were non Rotarians; members of two Probus clubs, members of Zonta Gawler, Truro Opportunity Shop and Rotary members’ spouses represented 75% of volunteers. The Birthing Kit program could not operate without them. Many are keen to again volunteer for similar Rotary projects.
Now as a Rotary Club we have both a challenge and an opportunity - to more aggressively promote the invaluable work that Rotary performs in the community and to reach out to the community to encourage their involvement in Rotary projects.
I mentioned a Rotary overseas fellowship opportunity at last Thursday’s meeting, details in this bulletin.
Good evening, President of The Rotary Club, Mr Peter Perkins and fellow Rotarians and friends.
It is with much pleasure that I have been permitted to address you this evening, and given the opportunity to share with you all some of my experiences during my time with The Leader.
Some months back Rotarian Keith Adams phoned me to ask if I would be willing to be placed on the Rotary Club’s guest speaker list. Naturally I said yes. Then I had a call from Rotarian John Semmler to say I didn’t have to worry because Keith had plenty of speakers.
So, it was somewhat of a shock when Rotarian Bryce Lillecrapp phoned me on Tuesday to ask if I could fill in for another speaker who couldn’t make it for the night. As much as I have dealt with all of the Local Members of Parliament on a fairly regular basis I must admit that I feel quite honoured that this is the first time I have been given the honour to actually speak before a Local Member. I hope that you won’t be disappointed.
Furthermore, may I say that working with words and public speaking are two of my favourite subjects. So much so, that when you place a microphone in front of me with an audience like you folk, it may become hard for you to take the microphone away. Perhaps that is why two major political parties have at one stage, both asked me to stand as their candidate at an upcoming election as Local Member of Parliament. I politely told them that I would have to decline their kind offer because you see, I like to have my own way and if I were a politician that might not always happen.
Being a good newspaperman, I believe you also have to be a good story teller, so tonight I would like to share a few stories of what I have experienced.
First up, some years ago I was attending a fundraising fashion parade at Kapunda. I came across a gentleman by the name of Mr Bill Adams. He came and sat down alongside of me. Neither of us knew each other. Bill asked me who I was and what I did for a living. I told him that I was Tony Robinson but when it came to my profession I really didn’t know what to say. Was I a photographer, a journalist, editor, chairman of The Leader or the janitor? I really didn’t know. So I told him that I was a newspaper man. To which he quickly identified that I was from The Leader.
Some years ago I was on several newspaper committees and there was quite a bit of travelling to Adelaide and interstate to attend meetings and conferences. The business always paid for my travelling costs for these meetings.
So, one day in Adelaide, in the usual manner, I asked the taxi driver if I could have a receipt for the fare. He handed me a blank taxi fare sheet and told me to just write whatever I liked on the piece of paper. He said just write down $50 or $500 if I liked. I told him that that would not be appropriate as it needed to be the correct figure.
When I told him this, he then asked me if I was a policeman? “No”, I said. Then he asked, “Hang on you are not a tax man you?” Again I replied, “No”. He said if you aren’t a policeman or a tax man then who are you? I told him that I was just a newspaper man.
With that he immediately started to accelerate his vehicle, which startled me. I asked him what was wrong. To which he said that I was worse than a policeman or a tax man because I had the ability to expose him through print to all the policemen and tax men in the whole of Australia.
On exiting the taxi this man’s comments got me to thinking that people obviously hold newspaper people in a very high regard.
And speaking of tax men. Also a few years ago I attended a real estate investment seminar at the Vine Inn Barossa Community Hotel, Nuriootpa. It was hosted by the local Credit Union Branch in Nuriootpa and the guest speaker was a real taxation department man.
I must admit feeling somewhat nervous being with him until I asked him if I could photograph him so that I had a photograph to accompany the story I had just written about him.
He told me that he didn’t like newspapermen because the last time a newspaper wrote an article about him the journalist wrote his headline, “Tax man tells how he gets blood out of a stone.” Apparently the story didn’t go down too well with his superior in the tax office.
Looking back on my now 50 years in the newspaper industry, all of which have been spent with The Leader, I have to say that there have been a great many wonderful opportunities for stories I have written. If I want to write about something of particular interest I simply phone or write to the person such as Wolf Blass who was having a 60th Birthday party for himself. I wasn’t invited so I phoned Wolf and told him that I understood that he was having a 60th Birthday party and I hadn’t been invited. Wolf told me, “You take picture and I send you an invite.” So along I went, camera and note book in hand.
When Wolf turned 80 a couple of years ago he remembered me and personally requested that I attend his 80th Birthday party at the Greenock Tavern.
When the Tindu Nudist Park were holding a 50th Anniversary I rang to ask if I could attend the event. I didn’t know anyone there and they didn’t know me either but I thought it would make a great story and photos. They happily welcomed me with virtually open arms on my arrival and even invited me to take off my clothes too. However, I said I would have to decline their kind offer as I felt the sight of a naked Tony Robinson could result in a mass exodus of their patrons.
I have to say the day was an interesting experience and when it went to print an elderly reader wrote in to say she was so disgusted with my article and photographs that if I ever did this again she would cancel her subscription to The Leader. My wife, Angela on the other hand, said she was upset that I didn’t tell her that I was going to Tindu because she would have liked to come along too.
Working as a journalist or editor in a family owned country newspaper like The Leader to me is a huge privilege because I get to meet some truly wonderful people who openly invite me as a complete stranger into their home or workplace and tell me the most intimate details of their life that they wouldn’t normally tell anyone else.
I get to tell their story and photograph them and many of these people become life long friends.
For instance a few weeks ago I wrote a letter to the newly appointed Chief Inspector of Police, Lauren Leverington telling her that years ago I was actually “known to Police” in the nicest way and it has saddened me that through government red tape I no longer knew any of her police sergeants, whereas years ago I knew them all.
On receiving my letter Chief Inspector Lauren invited me to her office where we enjoyed coffee and a chat to improve our communication. Since then she has visited The Leader with one of her sergeants and last week I had a call from the newly appointed Senior Sergeant Sam Thorn and stories have since been published about them both in The Leader.
Being the local newspaper editor also allows me the opportunity to phone up our Local Member of Parliament, Ashton Hurn or Federal Member, Mr Tony Pasin to interview them or discuss issues of importance to our region.
I believe that the role of the local newspaper is not just to report news and inform people but also toassist in lobbying for community necessities such as my main project at the moment, lobbying the State Government for a new Barossa Hospital.
As I have now reached the age of 65, I have told my family it is time for me to hand over the role of editor to someone younger. Three generations of Robinsons have edited The Leader for over 100 years. For me, I have been with The Leader now for 50 years and it has been a wonderful journey working firstly with my grandfather, father and mother, then my wife and now our sons, Peter, Darren and Adam, who works part-time in the business.
Coincidentally as I read this speech, this week I will have commenced interviewing two potential candidates with one of them possibly destined to ultimately replace me as editor.
I don’t intend on actually exiting the business altogether as there is plenty for me to still do. However, I would like to have the ability to take the odd day or even the odd week off to spend more time with people I have met through my work such as Rotarian Kevin Hoskin.
Tony Robinson (centre) with Rotary members who enjoyed his entertaining presentation.
DGE Craig Dowling. Nice shirts. 
