The voice of
Perth’s western
suburbs.
People of Perth’s western suburbs frequently say “Everybody reads the POST”. This is not a company slogan, it’s a reflection of the local sense of reader ownership. The POST is our paper, they say.
Since its inception in 1977, the POST has grown to publish four editions covering the western suburbs, where residents enjoy the highest incomes in Western Australia, concentrated on the river and beach-side suburbs between the capital city of Perth and the Indian Ocean.
POST Newspapers’ greatest strength over the years has been consistently high quality, prize-winning news coverage, often followed up by other media.
A dedicated team of journalists, photographers, production and sales staff and distributors take pride in producing the paper each week and are frequently told how lucky they are to work at the POST. Those who move on to larger news organisations often say their POST years were the best in their working lives.
Then there are the POST boomerangs – editorial staff who left many years ago and have come back – two on the staff at present.
The POST’s trophy cabinet is stuffed with awards for excellence in journalism, testament to the grit and dedication in digging out the difficult stories and printing them.
Our journalists & awards
Bret Christian
Managing Editor
Bonnie Christian
Editor
Lloyd Gorman
Journalist
Ben Dickinson
Journalist
Sarah McNeill
Arts Editor
Julie Bailey
Property Editor
John Townsend
Journalist
Emma Bladen
Journalist
Louisa Wales
Journalist
Jen Rewell
Journalist
Paul McGovern
Photographer
Billie Fairclough
Photographer
WA Media Awards
- 2023 Suburban: Three News Stories/Features within a 70km radius of Perth Ben Dickinson
- 2018 Suburban: Best Three Stories or Feature David Cohen
- 2017 The Clarion Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism Bret Christian
- 2017 Suburban: Best Three Stories or Feature Bret Christian
- 2016 Arthur Lovekin Prize for Excellence in Journalism David Cohen
- 2014 Best Three Headlines David Cusworth
- 2012 Suburban Prize Lloyd Gorman
- 2011 The Clarion Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism David Cohen
- 2011 Environment Prize David Cohen
- 2011 Suburban Prize Linda Callaghan, Bret Christian, and Lloyd Gorman
- 2010 Environment Prize Linda Callaghan
- 2009 Suburban Prize Linda Callaghan
- 2008 Suburban Prize George Williams
- 2008 Arthur Lovekin Prize for Excellence in Journalism George Williams
- 2008 Daily News Centenary Prize George Williams
- 2007 Feature Photography Prize Paul McGovern
- 2007 Best suburban newspaper photographer, WA press photographer of the year awards Paul McGovern
- 2006 Sub-Editing Prize George Williams
- 2004 Suburban Prize George Williams
- 2003 Photography, Perth Royal Show media awards Paul McGovern
- 2004 Lovekin Prize Bret Christian
- 2002 Suburban Prize Paige Taylor
- 2001 Commonwealth Media and Advertising Awards - Suburban Newspaper Category Jen Rewell
- 2001 Suburban Prize Jen Rewell
- 2000 Suburban Prize Kerry Faulkner
- 1998 Clarion Award George Williams
- 1998 Suburban Prize George Williams
- 1997 Suburban Prize Linda Callaghan
- 1994 Best Newcomer Prize Alva McNicol
- 1991 Suburban George Williams
- 1989 Eaves Prior Jody Lennon
- 1987 Suburban Prize Cathy Munro
POST territory
& contents
The POST’s distribution area reaches as far south as North Fremantle, as far north as Wembley Downs and Woodlands, and as far east as West Perth and West Leederville.
Our pages are full of news from around the western suburbs. Each week, people turn to the Community News pages to find out what local events are happening in their area, read our popular sports analysis, write in letters about issues affecting them, and kids rush to submit their doodlebug entries. TimeOut features arts coverage and reviews, and much-loved forthright agony aunts Wayne and Tamara.
Our Property pages are the area’s premier weekly print publication for happenings in real estate, supported by the largest advertising coverage of current homes on the market in the western suburbs. Ask about our features focusing on local businesses and industries, from health and education to Christmas shopping and holidays.
The page 4 Listening POST first appeared in 1989; the column includes gossipy or curious items.
News
Letters to the editor
Community News
TimeOut
Real Estate
Trades & Services listings
Classifieds
Sport
POSTKids
Through
the years:
A history
of the POST
The POST is founded as a monthly, news-driven, independent local paper by current owner and editor Bret Christian with his then wife Bettye, at a house in Churchill Avenue, Subiaco.
The first edition of the POST is published in September 1977.
New editions launch in 1978: the Nedlands POST in April and Claremont POST in July. Winnie Vincent, facing closure of her home for 24 needy men and women in Bagot Road, features on the front page and becomes the paper’s first big running story.
The paper moves its headquarters to a former wine saloon in Keightley Road, Subiaco. It housed a dark room, space for the paper to grow, and Bret and Bettye’s son Kim crawling around in nappies was a common sight. The Cottesloe POST edition launches in August 1979.
The Mosman Park Cottesloe POST edition launches in November 1980.
The Cambridge POST edition launches in October 1981. A February front page features a series of pictures taken by editor Bret Christian of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser getting short shrift at the Claremont Hotel. How he happened upon the story is still told to journalism students today.
Alan and Eileen Bond take a victory drive down Stirling Highway and Subiaco after Mr Bond’s Australia II team win the America’s Cup in Newport, Rhode Island.
The POST’s tenth anniversary. It’s grown from an original monthly of 12 pages to around 48 pages weekly. Circulations leaps from 9,000 to 48,000.
The page 4 Listening POST feature first appears. The column includes gossipy or curious items.
This front page picture of Alan Bond, taken by Natalie O’Brien, marked the beginning of the downward spiral for the businessman. The photo was used on the front page of The Age Melbourne, The Sydney Morning Herald and overseas.
The first POSTcard appears. The semi-regular feature is photographs of people reading the paper at well-known tourist destinations or places of historic note. The first was sent in by a Nedlands resident who was photographed with the Post at the top of Mt Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.
Sarah Spiers vanishes from Claremont. She is the first of three young women abducted from the nightlife spot, marking the beginning of a 20 year investigation into the Claremont killings.
The POST was on the scene 20 minutes after Ken Crew was killed by a great white shark at Cottesloe beach, the first time in 70 years since a fatal shark attack occurred on that stretch of coast. It dedicated the first eight pages to the story.
Evidence by US crash expert Rusty Haight, brought to Perth by POST Editor Bret Christian, helped lead to the exoneration of John Button, wrongly convicted for killing his girlfriend. Bret's campaign for him and Darryl Beamish, also wrongly convicted for one of serial killer Eric Cooke's crimes, led to a successful book, Presumed Guilty.
The POST moved to its current location at Onslow Road, Shenton Park. A building that was once a 1930s bakery and then the home of the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship in WA
Prime Minister Julia Gillard holds up the POST during question time in Parliament. She told then liberal deputy Julie Bishop, who represented the POST's distribution area, she was presenting her with a gift of a poster for her office.
Nearly 20 years after Ciara Glennon went missing, the POST is the first to reveal a fourth victim has been linked to the Claremont killings. Bradley Robert Edwards was arrested on Christmas Eve the following year. 5 years later he would be sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 40 years.
Then-deputy PM and Curtin MP Julie Bishop helps the POST celebrate turning 40.
POST sports columnist Austin Robertson knew how to pull a crowd when he launched his sell-out book Cricket Outlaws in 2017. Seated next to legendary bowler Shane Warne, the pair was flanked by two other cricket legends, Greg and Ian Chappell. Members of the gathering were full of praise for the newspaper that long hosted Austin’s popular column, till his passing in 2023.
As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe, the POST team toils, many working from home, to keep the community connected.
The POST is the first to reveal Kate Chaney, independent contender for the safe-Liberal seat of Curtin, is polling to win.
