Di Grant retires after 40 years writing for newspapers

THIS week marks the end of an era for The Euroa Gazette. Nagambie’s Diane Grant – whose weekly Nagambie Notes column and regular stories about Nagambie have appeared in this masthead for over 22 years – has retired from newspaper work. The prolific writer and photographer, aged 76, hosted about 70 guests at the Nagambie Rowing Club on Friday to celebrate her 40 years of writing for local newspapers. Ms Grant plastered the walls, doors and tables with newspaper clippings spanning these 40 years, showcasing countless local people and events she has covered. The loquacious lady had plenty to say in a three-part speech recounting her life and career. “I have written around 400 pages of my memoirs, and today I’ll only share around 20 of them with you,” she told the crowd. Born Suzanne Diane Turnbull in 1948, her life was not always easy. When she was nine, her father, a heavy drinker and gambler, committed suicide. She and her two siblings attended the Prahran Salvation Army Sunday School. “A young Lieutenant Ferguson looked after us for months – with food parcels, Christmas gifts and practical help,” she said. She left school at 14 to earn more income for her family. In 1984, she was working in home help cleaning for Seymour Shire Council when she became the “Activities in Avenel” social writer for the Seymour Telegraph, taking over from Olga Harrison. “I did not know how I would go writing stories or a column for locals to read – but it took off, and look where I have ended up 40 years later,” Ms Grant said. She began collecting peoples’ birthdays and anniversaries in a book which now has over 6000 names from Avenel, Seymour, Puckapunyal and Nagambie. Up until this week, she has continued to wish people happy birthday and anniversary in her Nagambie Notes column in The Euroa Gazette. Ms Grant’s final Nagambie Notes appears in this week’s Gazette. She was given the column in 2001 by The Euroa Gazette’s then owner and editor Paul Rieusset, shortly after she and her husband, Euroa’s John Grant, moved to Nagambie. Along with birthdays and anniversaries, the column shares local news, upcoming events, short dispatches from her personal life (such as updates on her travels with Mr Grant) and her trademark “thoughts for the week”. Her “thoughts for the week” is drawn from a library of thought-provoking quotes she has collected. For example: “Walk away from trying to please people who will never see your worth.” Through her newspaper work, she has met famous musicians, church dignitaries, sportspeople and politicians, such as Ron Barassi, John Farnham, the Village People, the Delltones, Cardinal George Pell, Bob Hawke, Bronwyn Bishop, Kim Beasley, Peter Costello, Fran Bailey and Brendon Nelson. And her two favourites: John Howard and Jeff Kennett. During a conversation with Jeff Kennett at Nagambie’s Australia Day celebration in 2024, she decided to retire. In an interview with this masthead, she recalled the day was stinking hot, exacerbating her recent health issues. “He [Mr Kennett] said, ‘oh, you'll never retire’,” Ms Grant said. “And I said, ‘I'm going to’. “Because these days where it's getting hot, and the NOW Festival, and ANZAC Day, it was just getting too much for me.” She still enjoys her newspaper work but wants to “go out on a high”. “I’m on a wheeler, but I feel good in the mind at the moment... and before my body packs it in totally, it's best to call it quits now,” she said. Will she miss it? “I will miss the writing about people and events because it's got me out in my community, but I won't miss having to be finishing the deadlines every Friday,” she said. At last week’s celebration, North East Media managing director Hartley Higgins presented Ms Grant with a plaque recognising her 22-year contribution to this masthead. “You have worked tirelessly to ensure this little community has its own coverage, and that's hard to get today because we're finding it difficult to get people to commit to all of those rigorous requirements that a local community contributor makes,” he said in a speech at the celebration. “It's the photos, it's getting the names, it's getting the details. “And it's actually recording it with trust, which you've done for many, many years.” As for Mr Grant, he is sceptical that his “workaholic” wife will really retire. “She won't retire, really – I'll give it until Christmas,” he said. “She'll be looking for something else.”

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