There has been a long line of editors in the 157-years of the [Tarrangower] Times. But Ian Dawes, who died last week, must be the standout editor, in terms of his experience and skills as a wordsmith. He had a long and distinguished writing career that took him all over the world. We should be forever grateful that, for the final chapter of his working life, Ian came to live in Maldon and worked at the [Tarrangower] Times for several years.

At the start of a career of over 60 years, Ian worked as a cadet reporter at the Mountain District Free Press in Belgrave. His father, Alan Dawes, was also a journalist, who became a well-known wartime correspondent during WWII – he sent back despatches from the front line on the Kokoda Trail.

From his start on a small local newspaper, Ian went to Canberra to work for Radio Australia, then onto the Geelong Advertiser and later to the Argus in Melbourne. From there he moved to the Melbourne Herald and then to the Sydney Telegraph, where he was head-hunted by the Australian News and Information Bureau.

So began a working life spent overseas. With his wife Irene and two daughters Megan and Sally, Ian was sent to Kuala Lumpur, and then to Indonesia. These were politically turbulent times in Indonesia during the Suharto years. For the next posting, it was from the steamy climate of Djakarta to Sweden where it was minus 25 degrees on the day the Dawes family arrived.

A return to Australia was welcomed, but it was here that Ian’s wife Irene became ill and died of cancer when Megan and Sally were in their teens. After some years in Sydney, Ian moved again with his younger daughter Sally to London, where he was Counsellor and Director of Information at Australia House. Megan remained behind working in what had become the family business – as a journalist!

It was while working in London that Ian met his future wife Fran, who also worked in the media world. They were married in 1979. Next came a posting to Canberra for Ian, while Fran began working at the Canberra Times.

Ian’s next and most prestigious posting was at the Washington Embassy and then early retirement in an 18th century cottage in a village in Worcestershire. After 10 years, it was back to Australia where Ian and Fran eventually moved to Maldon. In terms of his career, Ian turned full circle – starting out in a small country newspaper and ending up working in one. Both Ian and Fran worked at the [Tarrangower] Times for some years, before Ian retired at the age of 78. Ian was a wonderful editor – conscientious, fair-minded and a true professional in every sense of the word. It’s doubtful that the [Tarrangower] Times will ever see the likes of him again.

On a personal level, Ian was an engaging and thoughtful man who enjoyed the quiet life – gardening, making things out of wood and reading. Especially newspapers – he was a self-confessed newspaper junkie who even read the classifieds!

Ian is survived by his daughter Megan, with his daughter Sally having died at a relatively young age and Fran dying a few years ago.  

This article appeared in the  Tarrangower Times, 7 June 2024.