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This year, the Hawkesbury Gazette proudly marks its 137th birthday — a milestone that not only celebrates our long and storied past but also honours our recent return to community ownership and purpose.
The Gazette has been the trusted voice of the Hawkesbury since its earliest editions. Long before social media, long before the internet, the printed pages of the Gazette carried the stories, the voices, and the issues that shaped our region — and held it together.
One of the most respected figures in our history is Stan Stevens, the long-serving editor whose dedication helped define the paper's values and influence. Stan began with Hawkesbury Press Pty Ltd as an apprentice in 1945 and rose through the ranks to become editor of the Gazette, a role he held until his retirement in 1982. In recognition of his contribution, a meeting room at the Deerubbin Centre in Windsor Library proudly bears his name.
Stan wasn’t just a newspaper man — he was a committed citizen. After retiring from journalism, he served as a Hawkesbury councillor from 1983 to 1987, bringing the same sense of civic duty to local government that he had brought to his reporting. For 38 years, Stan Stevens attended every Council meeting, reporting faithfully on the decisions that affected our lives. In those days, the first four pages of the Gazette were devoted entirely to Council business and its impact on the community.
During Stan’s leadership, the Gazette championed socially progressive causes — including giving voice to survivors of domestic violence and supporting the establishment of The Women’s Cottage in Richmond. It was a newspaper with heart and conscience, and it played a central role in building the strong, aware, and caring community we know today.
Back then, the Gazette was independently owned. That changed in 1982, when it was acquired by Rural Press, later merging into Fairfax and eventually Nine. Like many local papers across Australia, the Gazette faced growing challenges in the digital era — particularly when Facebook advertising disrupted traditional revenue models, drawing away local advertisers almost overnight.
By 2022, the Gazette was forced to cease print publication and became an online-only news source, often filled with generic content and lacking the local focus that once defined it.
But in true Hawkesbury spirit — we’ve come full circle.
The Hawkesbury Gazette has now returned to community ownership, operating as a not-for-profit charitable entity dedicated to restoring local news as a public good. Our mission is simple: to serve the people of the Hawkesbury by telling their stories, reporting on the issues that matter, and upholding the democratic role of media in our region.
We do this with the help of a small paid team and a remarkable number of unpaid, dedicated contributors who believe, like we do, that a well-informed community is a strong community.
Local newspapers remain essential. We provide space for voices not often heard, offer facts people can trust, and help build the consensus needed to manage change and support progress in our fast-evolving world.
As we look back on 137 years of service, we honour the Hawkesbury Gazette’s legacy — and we reaffirm our commitment to community-first journalism for the generations to come.
Thank you to all our readers, contributors, and supporters over the years.
So Happy Birthday to the Hawkesbury Gazette — your local paper, then, now and always.
