Vale Jim Brigginshaw: Walkley Award-winning former Northern Star editor, author dies at 97

A passionate advocate for the “little people”, former Northern Star editor and Walkley Award-winning northern NSW wordsmith Jim Brigginshaw has been remembered by his colleagues.

Former Northern Star editor Jim Brigginshaw has died, aged 97. Picture: Warren Crozier

Walkey Award-winning journalist and former Northern Star editor Jim Brigginshaw has died at the age of 97 – and was still writing to the end.

Mr Brigginshaw, a well-known Northern Rivers wordsmith, started at the Lismore-based The Northern Star in 1972 after visiting friends in Ballina while on holiday from Brisbane.

He was hired as a sub-editor after casually asking for a role and later took over the reins from Cliff Murray in the late 1970s.

He remained with the leading northern NSW newspaper for 16 years.

Mr Brigginshaw also held senior posts at some of Australia’s biggest newspapers across three states, including the Sydney Morning Herald, the Sydney Sun, the Australian, The Courier Mail and the West Australian.

Jennifer Somerville worked with Mr Brigginshaw as chief-of-staff at The Northern Star.

“He ran a pretty tight ship,” she said.

Jim Brigginshaw, (1976) from a commemorative publication celebrating 100 years of The Northern Star. Picture: Supplied

She said Mr Brigginshaw was a “tremendous craftsman” who “never sat on the fence” and often “let fly” in editorials.

Mr Brigginshaw’s opinion pieces and views often proved contentious and sparked significant debate.

He first told Ms Somerville his previous editor had a “horrible” habit of “marking up the (news)paper” each morning, pointing out everything he disliked.

Nevertheless, Mr Brigginshaw ended up doing the same in a bid for a better newspaper.

Staff ended up creating a stamp to save time: “No no Christ no!” – because Mr Brigginshaw regularly scrawled the words across a headline or story, Ms Somerville said.

“Everything had to be very objective,” she said.

“There was no pushing of any barriers in news stories. You gave as many sides as you could find to let the reader make up their own mind.”

Jim Brigginshaw (left) in his office at The Northern Star with James O'Brien (centre) and two teens during an interview for a high school project in 1982. Picture: James O'Brien

Peter Ellem, a Walkley Award-winning former editor and now Lismore MP Janelle Saffin’s media adviser, said Mr Brigginshaw gave him his start in journalism back in the days of typewriters, telex machines, hot metal printing presses and cigarette smoke-filled newsrooms.

“Jim was a top flight writer and editor who set extremely high professional standards for his newsroom, and The Northern Star remained strong and influential under his leadership,” Mr Ellem said.

“Agree or disagree with his editorials, readers knew exactly where he stood on issues.

“Jim was ‘old school’ – there was no pussyfooting around.”

Jim Brigginshaw was an avid writer of novels, columns and short stories right up until his passing. Mr Brigginshaw is pictured here at a book signing. Picture: Sarah Keayes

In 1978, Mr Brigginshaw assigned a reporter to assist Lismore resident Beth Trevan with a campaign to raise funds to replace the decades old children’s ward at Lismore Base Hospital.

“From the moment I showed Jim the ward, he absolutely came on board with the whole campaign,” Ms Trevan said.

A sum of $250,000 was needed and some thought chasing the ambitious amount was “mad”.

“At the end of the six months the campaign ran, we had $518,000 in the bank,” Ms Trevan said.

“He (Mr Brigginshaw) was very supportive of the community and would delve into what was going on to make sure he got the facts.

“Once he latched onto a story he wasn’t going to let go. He was very determined.”

Ms Trevan said the newspaper reached out to community groups to help.

A Northern Star editorial by Jim Brigginshaw from Thursday, November 1, 1979 after fundraising for the Lismore Base Hospital children's ward.

Alongside reporters and support staff, Mr Brigginshaw championed various causes, including the region having its own rescue helicopter service.

It came after former Lismore Mayor Harold Fredericks spoke to Mr Brigginshaw about the dire need for a chopper.

“Jim had people writing articles all about the need for a rescue helicopter and really sort of influencing not only the district, but the government as well,” Ms Somerville said.

In 1982, Surf Life Saving Australia commenced its fifth helicopter operation at Ballina SLSC.

Up until his death, Mr Brigginshaw was living in a retirement village in Alstonville, and still putting pen to paper.

“Two short stories Jim had written were finalists in some Hunter district writers competition (recently),” Mr Sommerville said.

“He didn’t win it, but he was obviously writing right up until he died.”

It was a dual celebration – Lismore City's 100 years on the Molesworth Street site and Jack Piper's election as NRDBA president. Jim Brigginshaw (right) joins Jack Piper for a toast.

Former Northern Star editor-in-chief Dean Gould (1998-2002) said Mr Brigginshaw was well regarded by colleagues.

“In his retirement, he wrote the Northern Star’s weekly bowls coverage,” he said.

“He always had an eye out for a story and would call me frequently with news tips.

“He was editor when The Northern Star won its only Walkley Award through some fine work by journalist Peter Ellem, but unequivocally backed by Jim.

“We can lament the changing face of news and how characters like Jim Brigginshaw are no longer part of that landscape, but I think we should all be deeply grateful that his kind led the news coverage in their day the way they did, without fear or favour.

“Vale Jim Brigginshaw.”

Writing of the Star’s transition to digital in 2020, Mr Brigginshaw said it was “sad”, but represented a “new era”.

“It’s the way the world is going and this region’s own newspaper is not being left behind.”

Originally published as Vale Jim Brigginshaw: Walkley Award-winning former Northern Star editor, author dies at 97