OLD GUILDFORDIANS
Primary School ( 1956-1962 ) and then Guildford Grammar School ( 1963-1967 ). At Guildford Grammar School Paul won a Commonwealth scholarship and later became a School Prefect and Captain of Stirling House . A good all-rounder , Paul was Stirling House ’ s champion junior sportsman in 1966 , a regular member of the School ’ s swimming team and he played 1st XVIII Football in 1967 .
On graduation and fired up by the nickel boom , Paul went on to study geology at the University of Western Australia . After two annual holidays spent working underground in Kalgoorlie ’ s gold mines , he realised that geology was not for him . His father was a journalist at The West Australian and his brother a reporter at the Daily News , so with journalism in his blood it seemed natural for Paul to take this career direction also . Paul went on to work in the reading room of WA Newspapers towards the end of 1969 , a change in tack that would end up defining the illustrious career of this man .
The big break for Paul came in 1970 when he was awarded a cadetship with WA Newspapers after first missing out on selection . One of the successful applicants decided to go to university instead and Paul was given his start . Moving from the Fremantle bureau to the newspaper ’ s Kalgoorlie office for a year in 1972 , Paul then returned to Perth to start reporting politics at State Parliament in 1973 . The next year he was sent to represent The West Australian in Sydney . He returned at the end of 1975 , but by early 1977 the bright lights were beckoning and he was posted to Melbourne for three years .
In 1981 Paul was headhunted by Perth ’ s newest newspaper , The Western Mail , to become an investigative reporter with longstanding journalist Andre Malan . He obtained an undertaking from owner Robert Holmes à Court that the newspaper would become a daily to challenge The West Australian , but after two years and with no sign of that happening , Murray went overseas to live in France for a year . Coming home to Australia in the middle of 1984 , Paul resumed his post at The Western Mail .
L-R : The Headmaster , Stephen Webber , Paul and the President , Denys Warren ( St 1971- 1975 ), at the Old Guildfordians ’ Annual Dinner . The framed photograph of Paul was a gift to the School to hopefully inspire students , especially those interested in journalism and media , to work hard to achieve their goals .
In July 1987 he became the first of the former staff of The West Australian to return to the paper after being purchased by Holmes à Court . Paul went back as Chief of Staff and was appointed Night Editor in 1989 . The next year he was appointed Deputy Editor and then Editor several months later . As Editor he modernised the look of the newspaper and introduced a range of new attractions from Inside Cover to the Today section to Super Soccer . He was awarded travelling scholarships by the New Zealand and United States governments and every existing circulation record for the newspaper was broken during his tenure as Editor . In April 1997 he achieved a long-standing goal and pushed the circulation of the newspaper to over 400,000 for the first time . In August 1998 he achieved a magical one million readers target for the paper ’ s Saturday edition .
Paul ’ s acclaimed work in journalism has seen him awarded the State ’ s top journalism award , the University of Western Australia ’ s Arthur Lovekin Prize for Excellence in Journalism ( 1985 ), the Daily News Centenary Prize , which recognises the West Australian Journalist of the Year ( 1986 ) and the Beck Prize for political reporting ( 1986 ).
When Paul changed career direction to take up broadcasting in 2000 , he was the longest-serving of all the daily metropolitan newspaper editors in Australia . He moved on to work as a radio host , exclusively at first when he resigned from the newspaper to host 6PR ’ s morning program , and then served two three-year contracts at the station . The pull of journalism proved too great and Paul then juggled careers in both fields on and off , sometimes simultaneously , with return to the newspaper in 2003 as a columnist , expanding his writing to three days a week when he left 6PR in 2006 . In 2011 he was invited to return to 6PR ’ s morning program while still writing two columns a week for The West Australian , but retired from radio at the end of 2014 .
In Paul ’ s private life he is married to journalist Grace Malatesta and has one child , Toby , and one grandchild .
With Guildford Grammar School always in Paul ’ s heart , the result of a wish by a grandfather he never met , and engrained by the long list of family sacrifices needed to make this wish a reality , it seems fitting that these sacrifices have led to Paul being named the Old Guildfordian of the Year . Dedicated to uncovering the truth , Paul has carved out careers in two related but different industries in journalism and media . While still a columnist at The West Australian , he has started to wind down his career and is considering writing a book . We congratulate Paul on his life ’ s work thus far and wish him the very best of luck as he begins his next chapter , perhaps literally .
Reunions every 10 years – help us organise yours
1967 , 1977 , 1987 , 1997 , 2007 to celebrate in 2017
The Old Guildfordians Association holds reunions for classes every 10 years . If you are from the class of 1967 , 1977 , 1987 , 1997 , or 2007 , we need your help to make it a celebration worthy of the occasion . If you are not sure what your class year is , consider what the calendar year was when your age group graduated in Year 12 , even if you left before your final year . If you would like to assist in organising your reunion , please contact David Williams on og @ ggs . wa . edu . au or (+ 61 8 ) 9377 8522 .
51
OLD GUILDFORDIANS
Primary School (1956-1962) and then
Guildford Grammar School (1963-1967).
At Guildford Grammar School Paul won
a Commonwealth scholarship and later
became a School Prefect and Captain of
Stirling House. A good all-rounder, Paul was
Stirling House’s champion junior sportsman
in 1966, a regular member of the School’s
swimming team and he played 1st XVIII
Football in 1967.
On graduation and fired up by the nickel
boom, Paul went on to study geology at the
University of Western Australia. After two
annual holidays spent working underground
in Kalgoorlie’s gold mines, he realised that
geology was not for him. His father was a
journalist at The West Australian and his
brother a reporter at the Daily News, so with
journalism in his blood it seemed natural for
Paul to take this career direction also. Paul
went on to work in the reading room of WA
Newspapers towards the end of 1969, a
change in tack that would end up defining
the illustrious career of this man.
The big break for Paul came in 1970
when he was awarded a cadetship with
WA Newspapers after first missing out on
selection. One of the successful applicants
decided to go to university instead and
Paul was given his start. Moving from
the Fremantle bureau to the newspaper’s
Kalgoorlie office for a year in 1972, Paul then
returned to Perth to start reporting politics at
State Parliament in 1973. The next year he
was sent to represent The West Australian
in Sydney. He returned at the end of 1975,
but by early 1977 the bright lights were
beckoning and he was posted to Melbourne
for three years.
In 1981 Paul was headhunted by Perth’s
newest newspaper, The Western Mail, to
become an investigative reporter with longstanding journalist Andre Malan. He obtained
an undertaking from owner Robert Holmes
à Court that the newspaper would become
a daily to challenge The West Australian,
but after two years and with no sign of that
happening, Murray went overseas to live in
France for a year. Coming home to Australia
in the middle of 1984, Paul resumed his post
at The Western Mail.
L-R: The Headmaster, Stephen Webber, Paul and the President, Denys Warren (St 19711975), at the Old Guildfordians’ Annual Dinner. The framed photograph of Paul was a gift
to the School to hopefully inspire students, especially those interested in journalism and
media, to work hard to achieve their goals.
In July 1987 he became the first of the
former staff of The West Australian to
return to the paper after being purchased
by Holmes à Court. Paul went back as Chief
of Staff and was appointed Night Editor
in 1989. The next year he was appointed
Deputy Editor and then Editor several months
later. As Editor he modernised the look of the
newspaper and introduced a range of new
attractions from Inside Cover to the Today
section to Super Soccer. He was awarded
travelling scholarships by the New Zealand
and United States governments and every
existing circulation record for the newspaper
was broken during his tenure as Editor. In
April 1997 he achieved a long-standing goal
and pushed the circulation of the newspaper
to over 400,000 for the first time. In August
1998 he achieved a magical one million
readers target for the paper’s Saturday
edition.
Paul’s acclaimed work in journalism has
seen him awarded the State’s top journalism
award, the University of Western Australia’s
Arthur Lovekin Prize for Excellence in
Journalism (1985), the Daily News Centenary
Prize, which recognises the West Australian
Journalist of the Year (1986) and the Beck
Prize for political reporting (1986).
When Paul changed career direction to
take up broadcasting in 2000, he was the
longest-serving of all the daily metropolitan
newspaper editors in Australia. He moved
on to work as a radio host, exclusively at
first when he resigned from the newspaper
to host 6PR’s morning program, and then
served two three-year contracts at the
station. The pull of journalism proved too
great and Paul then juggled careers in both
fields on and off, sometimes simultaneously,
with return to the newspaper in 2003 as a
columnist, expanding his writing to three
days a week when he left 6PR in 2006.
In 2011 he was invited to return to 6PR’s
morning program while still writing two
columns a week for The West Australian, but
retired from radio at the end of 2014.
In Paul’s private life he is married to journalist
Grace Malatesta and has one child, Toby, and
one grandchild.
With Guildford Grammar School always
in Paul’s heart, the result of a wish by a
grandfather he never met, and engrained
by the long list of family sacrifices needed to
make this wish a reality, it seems fitting that
these sacrifices have led to Paul being named
the Old Guildfordian of the Year. Dedicated
to uncovering the truth, Paul has carved
out careers in two related but different
industries in journalism and media. While
still a columnist at The West Australian, he
has started to wind down his career and is
considering writing a book. We congratulate
Paul on his life’s work thus far and wish him
the very best of luck as he begins his next
chapter, perhaps literally.
Reunions every 10 years – help us organise yours
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