MADE TO INSPIRE
AS GT CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF PUBLICATION, FOUNDING EDITOR JANET BOND LOOKS BACK ON THE REMARKABLE PEOPLE AND STORIES THAT HELPED SHAPE A NEW ERA
GT was born on the eve of a new millennium; created to reflect the unique lifestyle of a city on the move. As the 1990s advanced, the Geelong
Advertiser’s pages were filled with news of change: the City of Greater Geelong rose out of years of council amalgamation tussles; the dream of a vibrant waterfront was becoming a reality; Deakin Uni established a city campus in the historic woolstores; and an inspired tourism campaign put us on the international bucket list.
But there was a new story emerging. Increasingly we talked about the way we lived, of people making a sea-change or tree-change, of living green, being a foodie or addressing their work-life balance.
The Geelong Advertiser Group’s chief executive Colin Duck and editor Peter Judd were an energetic, visionary pair who constantly challenged staff with questions like, “Where do we go next?” and “How do we grow?”
In mid-1999, Colin announced the company’s vision for the new millennium would include expanding its print products beyond the daily newspaper. There would be a range of new titles, including Geelong’s first colour lifestyle magazine.
The company recruited a team devoted to driving this new business venture. David Stewart became general manager of GA Creative, Kristie Robertson took on the critical role of sales manager and I joined as editor.
Taking the stairs up to the Addy on my first day, I felt like I had scored the best job in the world. Fulfilling a long-held ambition to work at the Geelong Advertiser, I was so excited about telling the remarkable stories of local people and the city I loved.
What to name the new lifestyle publication, provided some memorable moments. We agreed the title had to capture the essence of our city and who we were, but the proposed title gt — for Geelong Today — was fiercely contested. One dissenter insisted the title would be confused with a make of car. Another protested that we were promoting an alcoholic beverage.
Twenty years on, gt can’t be confused with either; it is so well- loved.
The first edition of gt was a sell- out. Kristie Robertson recalls the monthly magazine took off with local advertisers.
“We started with 48 pages and it just grew month by month. The edition we did for spring racing was more than 100 pages,” she said.
“Advertisers liked being associated with positive stories about their city and their ads looked great in full glossy colour.”
Local businesses including Oz Design, Geelong Travel, Sailors’ Rest, Darryn Grayson, The Good Guys, car dealerships Toyota and Mercedes Benz and the City of Greater Geelong, embraced the magazine.
Part of gt’s success was its distribution with Saturday’s Geelong Advertiser and the fact that the work of the Addy’s finest writers and photographers played a starring role.
During my 12 years as editor, gt gave me unique insight into the heart of my home town. While homegrown celebrities such as actors Guy Pearce and Portia de Rossi and singer Chrissy Amphlett graced our covers, so did lots of everyday locals discussing real life and its challenges.
Gathering those stories became a preoccupation. Many times, I switched from attentive mum listening to my kids’ after-school chatter, to gt editor uncovering a yarn I could not resist.
One weekend, they were aghast at discovering their middle-aged “lollipop” lady posing nude on the cover; and on another, surprised to read of their young school teacher’s near-death experience.
We were always mindful of the courage it took for people to share their stories publicly.
I’m grateful to so many: the widow who lost her husband in the wreckage of a financial storm; the couple who shared the joy of a miracle birth; the inspirational orphan who became a swimming star; the well-known foodies who revealed their unconventional, but delightful, relationship.
In 1999, the gt team set out to inspire, celebrate and recognise our remarkable community. And it is still doing that today.
Happy birthday gt. I can’t believe you are 20 years old.
I’m very proud to have been part of your journey.
“IN 1999, THE GT TEAM SET OUT TO INSPIRE, CELEBRATE AND RECOGNISE OUR REMARKABLE COMMUNITY. AND IT IS STILL DOING THAT TODAY.”