For more than 51 years, we’ve been Bruce’s news source

“The Observer has provided me knowledge of local people, of local events, of local functions,” says Bruce Hunt.

Barney Point resident Bruce Hunt has been reading The Gladstone Observer for almost 52 years.

BRUCE Hunt first read The Gladstone Observer when he moved to the town in December 1969, and it has been his primary source of local news and information ever since.

Over more than 51 years, the former QAL boss has featured in many editions. He has written stories, appeared in many photos and been a subscriber for more than 20 years.

"Over the years, The Observer has provided me knowledge of local people, of local events, of local functions," he said.

"It's been the source of information that's available for the Gladstone region and while there has been criticism of the detail that's in the paper, it doesn't change the fact that it's the only source of detail for the entire area.

"It's primarily the local perspective that it delivers, and has delivered for all those years.

"I've been a subscriber for more than 20 years, and before than I was picking it up at work."

From local, state and federal elections, to crashes, arrests, court cases, human interest stories, people profiles, real estate yarns, local mining and resources information, his own QAL column, to news on his beloved wife Robin's Gladstone Hospital Auxiliary, Mr Hunt has read it all in thousands of editions of The Observer.

 

Barney Point resident Bruce Hunt has been reading The Gladstone Observer for almost 52 years.

 

For many residents of his generation, Mr Hunt said The Gladstone Observer had been part of their daily lives.

"I know a lot of people who get the paper every day, to read the stories, and, for many, the public notices, to see who they know who has passed away," he said.

"People either subscribe, or they go to the local shop to pick up their copy of The Observer.

"Some people also keep the papers or the pages that are significant to them, they hoard them away as a record of local events."

Saturday, June 27, will be a very sad day for many locals, including Mr Hunt, as it signals the end of an era for The Observer, as it becomes an entirely digital news source.

"I am going to miss it for all the details, for the local notices, for the local advice that is in every issue," he said.

"I can't imagine, not having available, that sort of resource.

"I don't know what people are going to do, not having local news in The Observer, because they can't present things on local radio like you can in a newspaper."

Despite the loss of the printed paper, Mr Hunt has subscribed to The Observer website to read his local news.

"I log on to read what the latest stories are and I have even printed them out so I have a hard copy of stories I want to keep," he said.