Obituary

Don Gunn - 1942-2013

Don was born in Williamstown in 1942, the youngest of Alexander and Lillian's seven children: Agnes (Annie), Millie, Alexander, Betty, Norman, Jean and Don.

His parents came from northern Scotland and Don was a Gaelic speaker at home at a time when Williamstown was known as 'Little Scotland'.

Three things shaped a young Don: his father's First World War experiences, post-Second World War Williamstown and the loss of his parents.

His father fought with the Seaforth Highlanders in the deserts of Mesopotamia and the trenches of the Somme - the mud and ice of France later blamed for his crippling and excruciating arthritis.

Alexander didn't speak much of his soldier days and only once opened up to his youngest son about the horrors he experienced. Don wanted to wear his medals to school one Anzac Day. Alexander refused him, telling Don he "didn't know what he'd done to earn them".

His father didn't mince his words and that one conversation led to Don's life-long abhorrence of war that saw him become involved in the anti-Vietnam war movement of the 60s and 70s.

Don was barely out of his teens when he lost his parents. His father first in 1960 and then his beloved mother, Lillian, just four years later. In many ways, the loss of his parents made him more compassionate towards others. He could empathise and that empathy became a hallmark of his writing in later years.

But Don wasn't always a journalist. He completed his apprenticeship as a boilermaker at the Williamstown Naval Dockyards and he became involved with the Labour movement and the Labor Party.

In the early 1970s Don was on the Victorian ALP state executive and a member of the DOGs - the Defence of Government Schools. Out of his involvement with the Trade Union movement came an invitation to visit Fiji - the invitation coming from Apisi Tora; a member of Fiji's Great Council of Chiefs.

Don took his first wife Trish and young daughter Nikole to live in Suva, where he was installed as 'deputy' editor of the Pacific Review - a Fijian Trade Union publication. 

In post-Independence Fiji, the hiring policy meant he couldn't 'take away a job from a Fijian' by being hired as editor. But in reality, he ran the newspaper.

On returning to Australia, Don worked as a freelance writer for various publications, before taking on a position as a proofreader and reviser at The Sun News Pictorial and later The Herald. By this time, Don had grown weary of city life and he and his family moved to the country.

Eventually his first marriage broke down and he moved back to Melbourne where he met his second wife Paula, with whom he would have two children, Anna and James.

They moved to the Kyneton area eventually settling in North Drummond, where they have lived for nearly 30 years.

Don originally worked for Elliott Midland Newspapers in the early 1980s, filling in at Castlemaine when journalists were on leave. This was during a period when he was completing an arts degree, majoring in Philosophy and Western Traditions. 

Don's mode of transport at that time was an on old motorbike which was followed by an old Toyota which had more body filler than metal.

In 1984 he became a full-time employee at Castlemaine and over his 26 years with the company held editor roles of the Midland Express, Macedon Ranges Guardian, and on his return to Castlemaine in 1997 was editor of the Castlemaine Mail until his retirement in 2010.

Don was a fearless journalist who upset some at various times, but if he knew something that he felt his readers should know, it was published, no matter who disagreed.

He knew media law and ensured his stories were within the legal requirements. He could also be trusted, and many an 'off the record' meeting was held with Don so he could get a better understanding of an issue.

Victory Park, Castlemaine, was a popular meeting place across the road from the Mail office when it was at 155 Barker Street, where Don one day shared a bottle of red with a local catholic priest.

Don was often seen wandering down the street, with fag in hand, heading to the local TAB, which some objected to, but little did they know how many extra hours he actually worked. Time didn't matter to him. He would be at work at 6am or before on publication mornings, many a time after attending a late meeting the night before. 

If there was a shortage of staff he didn't stress, he just said "We'll get there, do the job with what we've got". 

With his two-finger typing, prior to computers Don would produce multitudes of copy on his portable typewriter, and later finally found his way around a computer.

His editorial layouts to production were a nightmare. He often announced how well he
worked with production, which he did, in presenting his stories, and layouts on time, but nothing ever fitted and he was lucky the production manager adjusted photos etc. to fit, and then Don would say how easy he made it for them to follow.

Don Gunn had an extraordinary memory and knowledge of so many things, a great love of poetry and music. Coincidently as a child in his hometown of Williamstown, he was neighbour of the family of Stan Doran who for many years was musical director of Thompson's Foundry Band in Castlemaine, so many a story was told when they met.

In his spare time, Don continued to pursue his passion for cricket playing as a spin bowler variously for Lancefield, Kyneton and Malmsbury over many years. He was also an accomplished guitarist. In his early years in Williamstown, he was in a band which earned money playing at various social events. In later years he was involved in organising a number of music events in the district including arranging for singer/songwriter Alistair Hulett, whom he greatly admired, to perform. 

In 1998, he had one of his articles reprinted in the Press Council News as a result of a letter written by Clive Alsop, Magistrate of the Magistrates Court of Victoria, in which he referred to Don's decision to not publish the name of a person who appeared in the Kyneton Court and his reasons for not doing so. Alsop wrote: "The editor's actions have directed (sic) ensured the preservation of this man's right to privacy and assisted him to put the past behind him. I consider this was an act which would not even occur to some of the larger newspapers in the country".

In early 2000, he was appointed to the National Advisory Group for Suicide Prevention as a result of his handling of the issue in the local newspapers when the Kyneton community was rocked by a spate of youth suicides.

Don always had time for everyone, and helped many troubled people by spending as much time as they needed to make them feel better and head in a positive direction.

Sadly Don passed away on Sunday, April 14, at Bendigo Hospice after a short battle with cancer.