A voice for the southeast suburbs in changing times

TOMORROW the South-East Advertiser celebrates 35 years of bringing the news to the community. Former local MP Terry Mackenroth reflects on the paper’s beginnings in 1982.

Former deputy premier Terry Mackenroth reflects on the southeast suburbs in 1982 when he was State Member for Chatsworth for our special 35th anniversary edition of the South-East Advertiser. Picture: Renae Droop

WHEN the South-East Advertiser began, Terry Mackenroth was one of the many political heavyweights in the southeast making headlines.

Colourful MPs such as Tom Burns and ministers Ben Humphreys and Bill Hewitt campaigned with an entirely different style from today’s political figures.

“In the 1980 election campaign I held a street corner meeting at the Carina shopping centre with Don Dunstan and we had 500 people there,” Mr Mackenroth said. “You wouldn’t see that today. If a politician got out on the street corner with a microphone, you’d think he’s gone mad.

“They don’t campaign anymore. What they do is they stand on the street corner and wave at you, which I find even stranger.”

One of the big triumphs for Mr Mackenroth, raised through the South-East Advertiser, was relocating the AJ Bush tannery from Murarrie following ongoing odour complaints.

“Over the years that was a constant story. The Goss Government moved them out to Beaudesert,” he said.

Airport noise, which became a hot topic for Kevin Rudd, was another big issue.

“When the airport was first redeveloped we got a lot of noise from aircraft,” Mr Mackenroth said. “That’s changed a lot since the airport first opened.”

Environmental issues including Bulimba Creek and saving the bushland on Belmont Hill were other big issues raised in the paper.

But the biggest news event the year the South-East Advertiser began was the Commonwealth Games.

Mr MacKenroth joined businesses at Carina shopping centre to decorate the shops and build a 6m high replica of Games mascot Matilda the kangaroo.

“I welded up the frame and we put it in the street because people were driving down Old Cleveland Rd to go to Chandler where you had the swimming, the cycling and the shooting,” he said.

History of South-East Advertiser

■ Established by the owners of Wynnum-Redlands Herald

■ While Wynnum-Redlands Herald was then a paid newspaper, the South-East Advertiser was delivered free to the community

■ In 1982 it was delivered to 27,000 homes

■ Now owned by Quest Community News, a division of News Queensland

■ Distribution grew to reach 49,842 homes

■ Circulation area has remained largely the same, although the original map lists “Greenmeadows”, the estate name for Mansfield