Series 302: Records of the Editorial Manager and Assistant General Manager, 1953-1987

MLMSS 9894/Boxes 968-1034, 1933

series

1953-1987

9593785

9.5 metres of textual material (67 boxes)

Mr L. B. Leek was appointed Assistant to the General Manager on January 27, 1959. The general manager at that time was A.H. McLachlan, with Rupert Henderson as Managing Director.
When Mr McLachlan was appointed Managing Director on Dec 31, 1964 Mr Leek was given the title of Editorial Manager taking over all the responsibilities of the general manager. These duties covered editorial, advertising, production, circulation departments.
Mr. T.H. Farrell was appointed Assistant to the Editorial Manager on Dec 31, 1964. When Mr Leek retired on June 30, 1970 due to ill-health Mr Farrell was appointed Editorial Manager on July 1, 1970. In March 1970 Graham Wilkinson was appointed Assistant to the Editorial Manager. This title was changed to Assistant Editorial Manager on April 24, 1971.
On Jan 1, 1975 Mr Farrell was given the title of Executive Manager and Mr Wilkinson then became the Editorial Manager.
Mr Farrell was given the title of Assistant General Manager on August 19, 1977.
Up to this time these executives all worked out of the 14th Floor (Management Floor).
On February 26, 1979 Mr Wilkinson was appointed general manager of the Federal Capital Press in Canberra. Mr Ian Arnold was appointed acting editorial manager, and was appointed editorial manager one month later on March 22.
From Mr Arnold's time onwards the editorial manager worked out of the 5th floor (editorial floor) and the editorial manager's duties changed substantially with responsibility only for editorial staff matters, including AJA negotiations, and litigation work. While Mr Farrell was employed by the company the editorial manager was responsible to him. However, on the appointment of Mr Max Suich as chief editorial executive, the editorial manager came under him.
Mr Fred Brenchley was appointed General Manager, Broadway on May 6, 1982 and when Mr Farrell retired in December 1982 Mr Brenchley assumed all Mr Farrell's responsibilities, with the exception of editorial.
Mr Allan Cragg also worked out of the 14th floor as Administrative Manager giving assistance to Mr Brenchley.
(Note by Archivist E Dwyer 1992)

These are mainly operational level files. They deal with the introduction of new systems, equipment and practices into the workplace, housekeeping problems, staffing matters, negotiations with unions (which was quite heated during the period of automation). Also matters relating to circulation, advertising, production, quality of newsprint, staff policies, changeover from hot metal to photocomposition, type fonts, communications with the various editors of supplements, cost cutting measures, contests, layout changes.
Some files originated from Mr A.H. McLachlan, former general manager and managing director of the company. Also some correspondence files with Henderson and W O Fairfax.
The Editorial Manager's duties also included industrial relations, especially negotiations with the Australian Journalists Association.
This series comprises two sub series
1 General files
2 Industrial relations files

Partly restricted: Applies to files in Sub-series 1 MLMSS 9894/Box 971, 979, 987 and Sub-series 2 File 45 MLMSS 9894/Box 1030

Copyright status:: In copyright
Research & study copies allowed: .
Rights and Restrictions Information:: No publication without prior written approval of Fairfax Media Ltd
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy Fairfax Media Ltd.

Original Fairfax record group number 400
Original Fairfax Record Group 6000