Local newspaper
The Crows Nest district has had its own local newspaper for more than 100 years. Over the years, the local paper has had a variety of names and formats.
The first was published in 1905 and when Neil and Ann Lomas bought the Crows Nest Advertiser in 1997, they were the latest in a long line of newspaper proprietors in the town.
The Advertiser today is a far cry from its predecessors. Neil and Ann have invested heavily in personnel and new technology, keeping up-to-date with the latest computerised equipment to produce a weekly product the town and district are proud of.
A journalist of more than 40 years’ experience, Neil has always striven to bring readers a thorough news service. His knowledge of all aspects of the industry was acquired from working on the newspaper in his home town of Roma, Qld (the Western Star), the Gympie Times, the Warwick Daily News, and Toowoomba Chronicle as well as other publications he had started himself. Between 1984 and 2004 Neil taught journalism at the University of Southern Queensland, completing a research masters in journalism, and teaching journalism at tertiary level in Singapore in 1995.
Ann has always had a passion for local newspapers and was a correspondent for the Murgon district with the South Burnett Times while living in that area. She understands and appreciates the value a local newspaper brings to its community.
As well as the Crows Nest Advertiser, Neil and Ann also publish the local weekly newspaper for the rapidly developing Highfields area to the south of Crow’s Nest. The Herald is distributed free house-to-house in Highfields, Meringandan, Blue Mountain Heights and Mt Kynoch.
Both papers are set up in Crows Nest and printed by the Pittsworth Sentinel. Between them, the two newspapers serve the area from Toowoomba to Cooyar and all the towns and districts in between.
HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS IN CROWS NEST
Newspapers in Crows Nest started in 1905 with the Crows Nest Record when the first editor was Harold Fred Jones. He died, aged 64, in July 1937.
Richard Ward edited the Observer from 1915 to 1920. He died from lead poisoning in 1920. Both his sons Robert and Herbert died in World War I.
In February 1931 Thomas John Wright started a small independent paper "Wild Cat" which had a short life.
Robert Burns Dunlop owned the Record in 1933 and published from Thallon Street. Mabel Vance was proprietor in 1940.
The newspaper was sold to Robin Smith in May 1945. He inherited Jack Chadwick and brothers George and Norman as staff. Others who worked with him were Ernie Raatz, Mavis Lange, Peter Gleeson, Maureen Kanowski (Fitch), Val and Phyllis Guy, Margaret Fowler, Kathy Gleeson, Jennifer Smith, Barry Vincent and Ned Talbot.
Robyn Smith died in 1974, aged 81. His son Paul started the East-West Advertiser in 1970. In 1971-72, Neil Lomas, who was teaching at Crows Nest at the time, provided news reports which the late Peter Gleeson set on a Linotype in an old building on the site of the present service station in Crows Nest.
From 1975 to 1989 pharmacist Bob Heathwood edited the Crow Call which was printed locally with help from Bert Rowe.
From 1984 to 1990 Cyril Davies published the Journal and Pix Review.
In 1993 Joe van Boven started the New Advertiser which was bought by Neil Lomas in 1997.
Neil and his wife Ann have transformed the Advertiser from a free fortnightly to a paid weekly paper.
They started the Highfields Herald in 1999.
(Some historical information was supplied by Doris Walker - Crows Nest and District Historical Society.)
Footnote: In 2012, the Crows Nest Advertiser merged with the Highfields Herald to become the High Country News.