Respected wordsmith never stopped writing
Walkey Award-winning journalist and former Northern Star editor Jim Brigginshaw has died at the age of 97 – and was still writing to the end.
Mr Brigginshaw, a father and well-known Northern Rivers wordsmith, started at the Lismore-based The Northern Star in 1972 after visiting friends in Ballina while on holiday from Brisbane.
He was hired as a sub-editor after casually asking for a role and later took over the reins from Cliff Murray in the late 1970s.
He remained with the northern NSW newspaper for 16 years.
Mr Brigginshaw also held senior posts at some of Australia’s biggest newspapers, including the Sydney Morning Herald, the Sydney Sun, the Australian, The Courier-Mail and the West Australian.
Jennifer Somerville worked with Mr Brigginshaw as chiefof-staff at The Northern Star.
“He ran a pretty tight ship,” she said.
She said Mr Brigginshaw was a “tremendous craftsman” who “never sat on the fence” and often “let fly” in his editorials.
Peter Ellem, a former editor and now Lismore MP Janelle Saffin’s media adviser, said Mr Brigginshaw gave him his start in journalism back in the days of typewriters, telex machines, hot metal printing presses and cigarette smoke-filled newsrooms.
“Jim was a top-flight writer and editor who set extremely high professional standards for his newsroom, and The Northern Star remained strong and influential under his leadership,” Mr Ellem said.
“Agree or disagree with his editorials, readers knew exactly where he stood on issues.
“Jim was ‘old school’ – there was no pussyfooting around.”
Mr Brigginshaw championed community causes, in cluding the region having its own rescue helicopter service.
It came after former Lismore mayor Harold Fredericks spoke to him about the dire need for a chopper.
“Jim had people writing articles all about the need for a rescue helicopter and really sort of influencing not only the district, but the government as well,” Ms Somerville said.
In 1982, Surf Life Saving Australia started its fifth helicopter operation at Ballina SLSC.
Up until his death, Mr Brigginshaw was living in a retirement village in Alstonville, and still putting pen to paper.
“Two short stories Jim had written were finalists in some Hunter district writer competition (recently),” Mr Sommerville said. “He didn’t win it, but he was obviously writing right up until he died.”
Former Northern Star editor-in-chief Dean Gould (1998-2002) said Mr Brigginshaw was well regarded by colleagues.
“In his retirement, he wrote The Northern Star’s weekly bowls coverage,” Mr Gould said.
“He always had an eye out for a story and would call me frequently with news tips.
“He was editor when The Northern Star won its only Walkley Award through some fine work by journalist Peter Ellem, but unequivocally backed by Jim.
“We can lament the changing face of news and how characters like Jim Brigginshaw are no longer part of that landscape, but I think we should all be deeply grateful that his kind led the news coverage in their day the way they did, without fear or favour.
“Vale Jim Brigginshaw.”
“Jim was a top-flight writer and editor who set extremely high professional standards for his newsroom, and The Northern Star remained strong and influential under his leadership
Peter Ellem