Norman Marston Inducted as “Rural Media Icon” (Oct 2011)

One of the most significant contributors to rural and regional media in this state, Norman Marston has been inducted by Rural Media South Australia as a “Rural Media Icon”.

With a history of over six decades leading innovation in the country newspaper sector, Norman Marston started his career working for the family newspaper in Eudunda and Burra. When the family purchased “The Courier” newspaper at Mount Barker in 1952, he shifted to that area as the paper’s production manager.

One of the most significant contributors to rural and regional media in this state, Norman Marston has been inducted by Rural Media South Australia as a “Rural Media Icon”.

With a history of over six decades leading innovation in the country newspaper sector, Norman Marston started his career working for the family newspaper in Eudunda and Burra. When the family purchased “The Courier” newspaper at Mount Barker in 1952, he shifted to that area as the paper’s production manager.

In 1966 Norman and his late brother took over total management of “The Courier” from their father, with Norman’s primary focus remaining on the production side of the newspaper’s business. Under Norman Marston’s leadership, “The Courier” at Mt Barker has become recognised as the benchmark of country newspapers in South Australia and among the very best in Australia.

The Marston family has one of the longest histories in family newspaper ownership in Australia and its ownership of “The Courier” now spans four generations;?

During Norman Marston’s six decades with “The Courier”, the paper has changed immensely in its size, quality and circulation. In 1953 the paper was eight to 12 pages in size, with a circulation of around 1,900 copies. By 2005, the paper averaged more than 76 pages a week with around 15,000 copies printed.

As part of his induction as a “Rural Media Icon”, Norman Marston was presented with a framed parchment and an engraved hand-made RM Williams Condamine Bell. The bell was coupled to a brass buckled leather strap hand-made by a true South Australian craftsman saddler with a lifetime in the industry. Both the Condamine Bell and the hand-made leather strap serve as iconic images of rural Australia, for a true “Rural Media Icon”.

Norman Marston’s contribution to rural and regional media in South Australia over the past six decades is unequalled. His legacy remains to steer the course of one of the few remaining family owned regional newspapers in this state.

Norman Marston joins Angela Goode, Jon Lamb and Dick James as only the fourth person honoured by RMSA as a “Rural Media Icon”.