Editorial: The End of an Era

The esteemed editor of the “Buloke Times”, Robin Letts, passed away peacefully in Donald, at 96 years of age, surrounded by family and friends during his final moments. He left us on a publication day, not long after the last edition was delivered, in a fitting end to an incredible era of committed service to his community and its local newspaper.

Robin was a family man and warm friend to many. His loss will be felt keenly by all who love him. Our thoughts are with Shirley; Mark and Pauline; Tim and Cynthia; David and Clare; Jenni and Tony; his wider family and his many, many friends through their time of grief.

A quiet achiever, Robin significantly impacted the entire district through his dedicated and involved service over so many years, yet his humble nature saw him brush aside any formal acknowledgement of his contributions. He would wave away the camera if he wasn’t the one behind it, and he would likely blush at the tributes these pages will hold for weeks to come.

His contribution to regional journalism and the community was widely recognised, but Robin himself was never one to dwell on such things. For him, it was simply what you did. You turned up. You told the story. You supported your family and mates. You looked after your community. And he did all of that and more for an extraordinary length of time.

Through changing technology, changing newspapers and changing communities, Robin remained a constant. Even retirement couldn’t quite keep him away. But for him, it was never simply about the newspaper. It was about the people it served. And his active involvement with the community stretched far beyond his reporting duties.

For decades, Robin was there. On the sidelines at the footy or cricket. At Shire Council meetings, Donald 2000 meetings, at the pub on a Friday night or SPASMS on a Sunday morning; telling stories and catching all the gossip, Robin kept his finger firmly on the pulse of the district. He was often seen driving around in the little “Times” car, camera at hand and ready to capture any news of interest to share with his community.

Robin’s dedication to the “Buloke Times” ensured its longevity while other small independent papers were failing; however, the true measure of his influence was the way he used the newspaper to keep his community connected and, in turn, how deeply connected he remained to that community.

He impacted the entire district and beyond, often quietly and without fuss. Not through grand gestures, but through showing up, stoically, for years. Through the thousands of conversations, photographs, stories, local events, cuppas or pots of beer, jokes and moments shared over a lifetime.

He had a remarkable ability to make one feel welcome. He would drop everything to listen, to help, to share a story or simply have a chat. He freely shared his knowledge and experience, particularly with promising youngsters, and many people across the district will carry something they learned from Robin with them.

There is something fitting about a man who spent so much of his life recording the stories of others, leaving behind a story of his own that is woven through so many lives.

Here at the “Buloke Times”, we have felt his abscence since his unfortunate accident in January. His humming no longer sounding through the hallways of the office, his uncanny knack with headlines (right down to character spacing) sorely missed. But those are just superficial examples.

We miss more than our colleague, we will miss our friend; a kind and generous man who would readily lend an ear and offer advice where he could. There was also a mischievous side to him, and the poems, quips, and (sometimes dirty) jokes were very much part of the man people knew and loved. He laughed easily and in turn, enjoyed making others laugh. And memories of those joyful times shared with him will be plentiful consolations during this time of sorrow.

For now, his spirit will live on in the memories he leaves, the traditions he passed on and the legacy of this paper which the current “Buloke Times” staff will carry with reverence into the future.

And for a community that has been fortunate enough to have Robin Letts quietly looking out for it for so long, the end of this era will be felt deeply.