Adrian Deamer
Encyclopedia
Adrian Milford Deamer was an Australia
n journalist
, newspaper editor and lawyer
. Deamer died of cancer
on 16 January 2000.
Adrian Milford Deamer began his journalistic career in 1946 at The Daily Telegraph
in Sydney
, Australia
. Son of noted newspaper editor Sydney Harold Deamer, Adrian became highly regarded throughout his career for his integrity, humour, courage and mentorship. After a stint at the The Courier Mail in Brisbane
, Deamer worked in Melbourne
as a general reporter at The Age
, before heading for England
in 1950. He married Gweneth Margaret Tanner on the 19 October 1950 at St. Marylebone in London and worked at The Daily Express and for Associated Press
before returning to Melbourne in 1953 as Chief of Staff on The Melbourne Herald. In 1960, Deamer returned to London to take up the post of Editor for The Herald and Weekly Times Group, returning to Melbourne
in 1962 where he was Associate Editor on The Sun News Pictorial.
In 1966, he moved to Canberra
and joined Rupert Murdoch
's fledgling paper The Australian
and became its third editor. In 1971 Murdoch sacked Deamer for writing an editorial which criticised the Springbok Tour of Australia at a time when public opinion was quite heated about South Africa
's regime of apartheid. Murdoch was later to describe Deamer in glowing terms but the die was cast
.
Deamer retrained as a lawyer and joined The Sydney Morning Herald
as their legal advisor. In 1991, with colleagues George Richards and Peter Wilson, he wrote the Fairfax
Legal Guide. He became an advocate of defamation
and media law and, amongst his other achievements, presented an A.N. Smith Memorial Lecture in 1971 on running a national newspaper, was a Walkley Advisory Board Member and an Australian Press Council
judge.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, newspaper editor and lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. Deamer died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on 16 January 2000.
Adrian Milford Deamer began his journalistic career in 1946 at The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Son of noted newspaper editor Sydney Harold Deamer, Adrian became highly regarded throughout his career for his integrity, humour, courage and mentorship. After a stint at the The Courier Mail in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Deamer worked in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
as a general reporter at The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, before heading for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1950. He married Gweneth Margaret Tanner on the 19 October 1950 at St. Marylebone in London and worked at The Daily Express and for Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
before returning to Melbourne in 1953 as Chief of Staff on The Melbourne Herald. In 1960, Deamer returned to London to take up the post of Editor for The Herald and Weekly Times Group, returning to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1962 where he was Associate Editor on The Sun News Pictorial.
In 1966, he moved to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and joined Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's fledgling paper The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
and became its third editor. In 1971 Murdoch sacked Deamer for writing an editorial which criticised the Springbok Tour of Australia at a time when public opinion was quite heated about South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's regime of apartheid. Murdoch was later to describe Deamer in glowing terms but the die was cast
Alea iacta est
Alea iacta est is a Latin phrase attributed by Suetonius to Julius Caesar on January 10, 49 BC as he led his army across the River Rubicon in Northern Italy...
.
Deamer retrained as a lawyer and joined The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
as their legal advisor. In 1991, with colleagues George Richards and Peter Wilson, he wrote the Fairfax
Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The group's operations include newspapers, magazines, radios and digital media operating in Australia and New Zealand. Fairfax Media was founded by the Fairfax family as John Fairfax and Sons, later to become John...
Legal Guide. He became an advocate of defamation
Slander and libel
Defamation—also called calumny, vilification, traducement, slander , and libel —is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image...
and media law and, amongst his other achievements, presented an A.N. Smith Memorial Lecture in 1971 on running a national newspaper, was a Walkley Advisory Board Member and an Australian Press Council
Australian Press Council
The Australian Press Council is the self-regulatory body of the Australian print media. It was established in 1976 and is a private organisation. Its aims are to help preserve the traditional freedom of the press within Australia and to ensure that the free press acts responsibly and ethically...
judge.