Kookynie Courier and Gwalia Gazette were outspoken rural journals of the late 19th century during Western Australia’s gold rush north of Kalgoorlie, and staunch defenders of miners’ rights and civic pride in their burgeoning towns. Eventually gold was harder to find, men went off to war, and railways closed.
The two respected mastheads then combined under enlightened but despotic owner-editor John Lorikeet in 1921. His son George continued the family press dynasty until retiring in 2009, and the business passed into the hands of Sydney entrepreneur and dilettante Peter O’Hara.
His vision is to bring this venerable tradition into the new online era of modern technology and spread global wings. So that Lorikeet becomes more Wedge-Tail Eagle – purveyor of carrion and other delectable morsels – to the world.
‘Sydney entrepreneur and dilettante ‘ this is a bit sophisticated. Dilettante sounds a bit like a wild west hustler.
Oh yeah, we have some of the best darn hustlers out west here (think Bondie et al), so I have plenty to aspire to.