Vale: Chris Pettit

Former The Land editor, Peter Austin, credited him with being one of the journalists who established the eponymous newspaper so revered by many in the bush in this modern format.

It was during a reunion of Rural Press staff in Melbourne during May, 2016, hosted by then managing director, John Parker, that the story came to light of how Chris had virtually saved The Land.

Chris advised Mr Parker to increase the coverage of livestock sales to lift circulation, the main competition being Country Life. The suggestion was adopted, the resultant rise in circulation proving Chris's intuition. As a country representative for the paper, and based in Glen Innes, he was well known to those in the stud stock industry across the north of NSW and into Queensland, was in a sound position to offer that advice..

Christopher 'Chris' Malcolm Pettit died on 15 April 2022, aged 86. He was born in Lindfield 27 February, 1936, the only son and eldest of three children born to Malcolm and Jean Pettit.

His passion for the land and its people started early, after time spent on a farm near Curban, and from where at the age of 12 he wrote letters to his parents detailing his experience with sheep, cattle, poddy lambs and clearing timber.

Following his graduation from Sydney's Fort Street High School, Chris completed his studies at Hawkesbury Agricultural College in 1955 and headed bush to spend the next two years on stations near Thargomindah, Qld. But it was at Hawkesbury he developed his skill as writer and speaker, when, as a member of the college debating team, he was given the nickname 'Professor'.

He attained his wool classing certificate at East Sydney Technical College, and upon return from Thargomindah, started work for the Junior Farmer Clubs of NSW Council as district supervisor for the Northern New England Group Council of Junior Farmers, where he would support the next generation of farmers, providing guidance and sharing his knowledge, along with running the annual steer competitions and a large Rural Youth Conference in Glen Innes.

Those experiences shaped Chris's journalistic passion and led to a 40-year career writing for publications such as the Hereford Journal, Queensland Country Life, South African publications, and for 28 years, The Land.

During his The Land era, CMP was the 'slug' he used to let the sub-editors know whose story it was, which he had bashed out on a typewriter using copy paper (about A5 size). Using two fingers, he hit the keys hard, cursing every second word because his typos had to be crossed out and re-typed. This was long before backspace, highlight, cut-and-paste and predictive text.

Preparing a newspaper was a mechanical/industrial process, where newsrooms, compositing and press rooms were noisy and chaotic. But once stories were done, the films and caption sheets put on the aeroplane to Sydney, it was time for a few beers.

Colleagues were in awe of Chris's presence and his sharp mind. He could speak with authority on the stud game and especially the many Hereford breeders.

He also had an incredible mind for mathematics. Before computers and portable adding machines (calculators), AAP, the Sydney selling agents, and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW relied on his maths at stud sales, where he would provide a rolling average as each lot was sold, plus the passed-in rate. All done in his head, and nobody doubting his accuracy.

For Chris, The Land wasn't simply a job; he lived it, being constantly on the road and working long hours. Accompanying him in the early 1980s in the company Cortina or Falcon cars, colleagues were not surprised to find, in the back seat, a chainsaw, a bag of shot wheat he'd long forgotten about for his chooks - and his beloved blue dog, enjoying the ride.

Sir Sidney Kidman had a favourite dog he called Needles and so too did Chris, who worked from his property, Kyee, but could also be found at his downtown office, the Club Hotel in Glen Innes, where Needles, perched on a bar stool beside Chris, would be seemingly joining the in-depth conversations.

Chris was a keen pilot, and colleagues had many memorable work trips to outback areas, and to remote parts of Queensland and the Torres Strait - in a Piper Arrow - call sign SVQ - Sierra Victor Quebec.

Outside work, Chris took a keen personal interest in pasture improvement, using his company Cortina to harvest Lucerne seed by strapping a six-foot length of old roof guttering to the front bumper and driving through a paddock late summer at breakneck speed to shatter the seed into the guttering - Needles riding shotgun.

A keen Hereford breeder with his late wife Trish and their daughters, Emma and Leonie, who followed his lead with their love of cattle and horses, Chris was well known at northern NSW saleyards and shows, and wouldn't miss the annual Glen Innes and Gloucester bull sales and Sydney and Brisbane royals.

His career in journalism gave him the opportunity to travel abroad, enjoying trips to Argentina and Iceland. It was during his trip to Iceland in the 1970s he purchased a block next to Kyee, which he named Akureyri, after the second largest town in Iceland.

For many years, Chris was the largest individual shareholder in Rural Press, and would attend the annual general meetings in his work wear (not a suit), asking questions and providing suggestions whenever he felt necessary.

In his retirement, he focused on his passion for Herefords and the land with Trish. He met Trish (nee Erratt) at a bull sale and they married in the garden at Brookside, Walcha, in October 1987.

They welcomed Emma in 1988, and Leonie two years after.

"Looking back at pictures before this time, I think Mum should be given a lot of credit - potentially some sort of special award. I am quietly confident that Dad was the definition of a bachelor pre-80s. He truly loved Mum, because she managed to convince him to sell his beloved Cessna. I think this was for the best, after hearing of his precarious landings and the fact Needles got to sit on the front seat, while Mum sat in the back vomiting," Leonie recalled.

"We might not have always thought it, but we were incredibly lucky kids to have such and strict and eccentric Dad. We were encouraged and supported to reach our full potential, both academically and on the properties. I'm sure Dad would've loved to have a son, but he got us and made sure we became every part as capable. We worked hard as a family unit and the values instilled in us will remain an important part of us for our life time."

The past 11 years were the hardest for Chris. He was pre-deceased by Trish and despite not always being physically able, he regularly offered to help plant trees (something he was passionate about), fix fences, and do cattle work. And he also offered to proofread Leonie's work documents just about every time they spoke.

He still played a very important role in the management of the farms, keeping up to date with purchases and sales, providing guidance and advice. He took great enjoyment in driving around and inspecting the cattle, sheep and horses.

"Dad was nothing short of remarkable," Leonie said. "He was highly intelligent, had an unbounded work ethic, was witty (often cheeky), an animal lover and thoughtful. He could talk for hours on a diverse range of topics, always showing an interest in other peoples' family history and lives.

"His memory was like no one I've ever met - he never forgot a property, a pub, a yarn, person or an important moment in time. If he was going to do something, he always did it to the highest possible standard, thinking of the benefits not for himself, but for future generations.

"I'll leave you with some parting words that Dad recited regularly. 'Don't do anything I wouldn't do, but if you do, enjoy it and don't get caught'."

Chris is survived by daughters Emma and Leonie, sons-in-law Tristan and Chris, and grandchildren Kalani and Ashton.