Ita Buttrose AC, OBE: Not letting anyone put the brakes on her trailblazing life

Ita Buttrose is hailed as an icon for her ground-breaking career in journalism. As part of our Inspiring Australians series, she talks about the importance of immersion in one’s community, dealing with setbacks and being named 2013 Australian of the Year.

Mornings were a special time for a young Ita Buttrose. She would rise early to make breakfast for her father, who was then an editor at Sydney’s Daily Mirror, and then settle at the table to chat with him about the day’s news stories. Beneath her keen interest lay a steadily growing conviction that her father’s path was also hers to tread.

“I was 11 when I knew I wanted to become a journalist,” Ita says. “Everything I did with my life from there on was in pursuit of that.”

Ita’s initiation into the media world took place at age 15 as a copy girl at The Australian Women’s Weekly. She worked her way up through various titles and subsequently became founding editor of Cleo. The magazine’s first original print run sold out in two days. From then on, there was no slowing this rising star.

Ita travelled full circle back to Australian Women’s Weekly, this time as its editor, and then went on to become the first female editor of an Australian metropolitan newspaper - the Daily and also the Sunday Telegraph. She was also the first woman appointed to the News Ltd Board. Then came the pinnacle of her already stellar media career.

Ita was attending the 2019 Australian of the Year Awards when she received a message that Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was also present that night, wanted a word. After exchanging pleasantries, he offered her the job of chair at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

“I was speechless because it’s not something I expected,” Ita recounts. “But I knew immediately that this was a job I’d really like to do. So, I rang Mr Morrison a couple of days later to accept the position. It’s an honour to chair this media and cultural institution - the most important of its kind in Australia. I’m really thrilled to be here.”

A life spent giving back to community

Ita’s life isn’t short of honours. More notable among them are Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Companion of the Order of Aus