“Whacked” but delighted, Mardie Lambert, left, with Edna and Arthur Daws and photographer Colleen Miller preview the first edition featuring Healesville youngster Tammy Chippindall on the front. Picture: Les HarsantTHE first edition of Mountain Views was eagerly awaited in July 1979. Reflecting on how it all came about, founding editor and, later, owner Mardie Lambert, said she remembered feeling totally whacked before that first paper even hit the streets.
It was a state she quickly became accustomed to.
The response to Healesville’s own paper however was rewarding and continued to be so.
“So many people were barracking for us,” Mardie said in an article celebrating the 10th birthday of the paper.
“People in Healesville were used to having their own newspaper … in fact, in the 1960s, they had two papers … The Guardian and Les and Dot Harsant’s The News.”
“The reception Mountain Views was given in Healesville was close to ecstatic,” she said.
“People were hugging me in the main street and telling me how great it would be to have a real community newspaper again.
“We had had so many hundreds of callers wishing us well before the event, and congratulating us after the first edition came out on 11 July, we felt all the blood, sweat and tears had been worthwhile,” she said.
Mardie was a stringer for the Lilydale Express from 1972, getting paid four cents a line for whatever got published.
By 1979 Healesville Shire was crying out for a local paper which would report on local issues and events.
Healesville newsagent, Arthur Daws, financed the new paper and Mardie went in as editor.
Times were tough and after three years Mr Daws reluctantly pulled out and the paper was handed to a group of supporters who became shareholders.
The Healesville Shire communities warmed to the ‘local’ which Mardie said was read from cover to cover. It was always envisaged the paper would cover Upper Yarra Shire – hence the name “Mountain Views” and in mid-1980 Veronica Nicolandos (Groat) joined the team covering the Warburton Highway communities.
Veronica became editor in 1994, Fran Henke followed and Mardie returned in 1991 to see the paper through to 1996 when, after battling through hard times for many years, it went into liquidation.
That was not the end of the story for the Mail, which was given another chance to flourish under the ownership of Geoff Heyes and Hartley Higgins.
Mr Heyes, whose family currently owns The Alexandra Standard, had joined Mr Higgins’ family company Yarra Valley Newspapers, to publish The Upper Yarra Mail – its name adopted from the former title Warburton Mail.
“As one looks back on Mountain Views Mail, which this month celebrates 30 years, the current newspaper is covering very much what its predecessors in the region did since the late 19th century – covering local news, views and promoting the commercial life of the Yarra Valley,” said Mr Higgins.
“I remember it was not an easy decision for the Lamberts to sell Mountain Views. Geoff and I gave Mardie and Harry the undertaking that we would keep an office in Healesville and publish a positive and professionally produced newspaper.
“This undertaking was very much in our minds when Geoff Heyes left the partnership and it was decided to ask Paul Thomas and his Star News Group in 2002 to join us at Yarra Valley Newspapers.
“Star News Group offered then, and continues to do so today, the latest and best in production technology to produce attractive, colourful and award wining local newspapers.
“As we celebrate 30 years, I have great confidence in our committed staff and the newspaper to continue to serve readers and advertisers well, and a strong belief in the future of Healesville and the vibrant Yarra Valley going forward.”
Star News Group managing director Paul Thomas said the partnership ushered in major changes particularly with the production of the newspaper.
“We took over the production of the papers shortly after we forged the new partnership,” Mr Thomas said.
“The Lilydale office was closed and printing was moved to the Border Mail in Wodonga.”
Mr Thomas said this made way for full colour throughout the paper. The Mail also underwent an extensive redesign.
“The masthead was kept the same, but there was a significant change paper wide,” he said.
“The body text and size of the text was changed, which gave it a cleaner look.”
But with all the changes, Mr Thomas said the content remained focused on local news.
“We tried to put more stories in the paper by making them more succinct,” he said.
“But we have always tried to be local and relevant, with an emphasis on local people. I really think that we have done that, with offices in Healesville and Yarra Junction.”
