End of an era for Warrnambool Standard newspaper icon

She was just 15 when she started working for the paper, and in her early days was really the face of The Standard - if you put a classified ad in the paper back then, it may just have been Liz who was behind the counter at the old Koroit Street offices which still bear the paper's name.

After finishing school, Liz spotted an ad in the paper for a clerical job.

She said at the time she didn't want to work at The Standard, but she turned up for the interview anyway.

Liz had actually secured two jobs around the same time - the other was at Fletcher Jones - but a week later on January 9, 1967 she started working at The Standard.

It was a time when the newsroom was humming, quite literally, when the paper was printed at the presses underneath the Koroit Street building.

"When the press would start up you'd hear it. The floor would be rumbling," she said.

"The hot metal days, they were good."

Despite initially not wanting to work at the paper, she became an icon in the office working in accounts and payroll.

She was also in charge of circulation, making sure there were enough papers in the newsagencies on days of high demand.

"During May Races and the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic we always sold more papers," she said.

On big news days, extra papers were also needed. Some of the bigger news events that stick out in Liz's mind were the Ash Wednesday bushfires and a shark attack at Lady Julia Percy Island.

Over the years she has seen 11 editors come and go, and staff numbers grow to about 100 at the height of operations.

But for Liz, The Standard has been family with life-long friendships formed.

"I've loved every minute of it," she said.

In retirement, Liz has plans to do some gardening and take some holidays including a trip through central Australia to retrace the steps of her father who carted bombs during WWII from Alice Springs to Darwin.

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