Vale Les Carlyon: a nation lost for words

For Les Carlyon, it was always about the words. He understood their value, he hated to see one wasted.

Les Carlyon. Picture: David Caird.

For Les Carlyon, it was always about the words. He understood their value, he hated to see one wasted. Early yesterday afternoon, his lifetime’s love for them came to an end.

A celebrated journalist, newspaper editor and war historian for more than half a century, Carlyon was remembered as ­national chronicler of Australia’s history, character and people.

John Howard, who considered Carlyon a friend, and his book The Great War the best he has read about World War I, said Australia had lost one of its finest wordsmiths and a journalist of extraordinary integrity.

“He was a gem of a writer,’’ Mr Howard told The Australian.

“He could talk to us about our national story in a way few people could. He was a national chronicler. He could write about us and our history as a nation in a way that was moving but not over-sentimental. It just captured the sense of who we were.’’

OBITUARY: A nation loses its voice

Harry Gordon (centre) with Bob Hawke and Les Carlyon.

Broadcaster Neil Mitchell worked closely with Carlyon at The Age and Herald and Weekly Times. “He was easily the best I’ve seen,’’ he said.

“He could lay out a page as well as anyone I ever saw. Then he’d write an editorial and rewrite the front page and size the pictures. He could do anything and he was a pain in the arse, ­because he’d always do it better than you could.’’

Carlyon died at the age of 76 after a long illness, which wasn’t his preference. He used to say he’d like to go by falling off a horse.

Patrick Carlyon, who followed his dad into newspapers, said his father grew up in a small town north of Bendigo surrounded by horses and rogues. Both fascinated him and shaped the way he told stories; spare with words but rich in detail.

His twin masterpieces were Gallipoli and The Great War, books that restored to life an Australian war experience which, at the time, had grown stale with neglect.

Carlyon at 23 was writing editorials for The Age and at the precocious age of 33 was made editor upon the sudden death of Graham Perkin. He was later editor-in-chief of the Herald and Weekly Times. Patrick Carlyon, a journalist with the Herald Sun, said his earliest memory of his dad was never seeing him.

“He was totally dedicated to the profession and the pursuit of journalism,’’ he said. “It was something that was ingrained in us as kids from day one, that journalism was a prized and important thing to be doing.

“Words were king. You could take a small story and make it resonate with the right words.’’

Les Carlyon covered stories big and small; from the dismissal of Whitlam to the death of Princess Diana to the horses he loved at the track. Patrick Carlyon said his father never retired.

Les Carlyon is survived by his wife Denise and three children, Richard, Patrick and Kate.