Journalist Stan Gorton was supposed to be on leave when the bushfires ripped through Kangaroo Island last summer.

But as the sole journalist in charge of local newspaper, The Islander, that wasn’t going to stop him doing his job to inform his readers.

Despite twice having to evacuate his home with his dog Twiggy, Stan worked long hours to tell the important stories during the fire, which unfortunately claimed two lives, destroyed many properties and burned around half the entire area of Kangaroo Island. He followed the fire from the first lightning strikes, to CFS volunteers’ efforts to contain it, to the recovery, which continues today.

This dedication to his craft and community has earned Stan a nomination in 2020 Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

Known colloquially as ‘The Walkleys’, they are the most prestigious award for journalism in Australia. Stan’s nomination is in the ‘Coverage of a major event or issue’ category.

Stan received a letter of congratulations from Premier Steven Marshall and also a Facebook shoutout from gardening guru Sophie Thomson, who also dropped in to have a look at Stan's veggie patch when she and Mr Marshall's visited Kangaroo Island recently.

Stan has been a regional journalist for 23 years, starting out his career in Colorado, USA, after studying there. He has previously worked at the Port Lincoln Times and was at the Narooma News in regional New South Wales for 12 years prior to his move to Kangaroo Island in March 2018.

As the person solely responsible for putting together the newspaper and managing The Islander’s website and social media, Stan spent long hours on the phone and at the computer, monitoring the situation online, gaining information from official sources and contacting people he knew, to form the basis of his rolling coverage online. 

He made it out to the fireground in the days after the major fire activity.

“And these days were the hardest,” Stan says, “in particular January 4 at the big firestorm”.

“The carnage was horrific.”

On receiving his Walkley nomination, Stan posted on Facebook: “This is for everyone who went through the hell of last summer and for all those who thanked me for my coverage. It's an honour and a privilege to serve my community.”

Stan lives in central Kingscote and has bought an old cottage that he is slowly renovating.

He is a member of a winter swimming group and also enjoys gardening and growing his own vegetables. 

“And of course walking the dog,” Stan adds.

The Walkley Award winners will be announced in a live stream on the Walkley website (walkleys.com) from 6.30pm on Friday, 20 November.