Ita Clare Buttrose (born 17 January 1942) is an Australian TV network chairperson, television and radio personality, author and former magazine editor, publishing executive and newspaper journalist. She was the founding editor of ''

Cleo Cleo may refer to: Entertainment * ''Cleo'' (magazine), an Australian magazine established in 1972, now active in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand * Cleo (group), a South Korean girl group formed in 1999 * ''Cleo'' (play), by Lawren ...

'', a high-circulation magazine aimed at women aged 20 to 40 that was frank about sexuality (and, in its infancy, featured nude male centrefolds) and, later, the editor of the more conventional ''

The Australian Women's Weekly ''The Australian Women's Weekly'', sometimes known as simply ''The Weekly'', is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by Mercury Capital in Sydney. For many years it was the number one magazine in Australia before being outsold by ...

''. She was the youngest person to be appointed editor of ''The Weekly'', which was then, per capita, the largest-selling magazine in the world. Buttrose was a panelist on the Network Ten morning program ''

Studio 10 ''Studio 10'' is an Australian morning talk show on Network 10. The show airs between 8:30am and noon on weekdays and a highlights show airs between 9:30am and noon on weekends. ''Studio 10'' is broadcast live from Network 10 Studios in Pyrm ...

'' from 2013 until 2018. In 2019 Prime Minister

Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for th ...

announced Buttrose as the new chair of the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

(ABC).

Early life

Buttrose was born at

Potts Point Potts Point is a small and densely populated suburb in inner-city Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney. Potts ...

, Sydney, and named after her maternal grandmother, Ita Clare Rodgers (née Rosenthal), pronounced (rhyming with 'fighter'). She was raised as a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

by her parents. Buttrose's father, Charles Oswald Buttrose, was a journalist and at one time the editor of ''

The Daily Mirror ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' in Sydney. By her own account she had decided on a career in journalism at the age of 11. Buttrose spent her first five years in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

when her father was the New York correspondent for ''The Daily Mirror''.Helen Pitt, "Ita Buttrose on kick-starting a sexual revolution", ''Brisbane Times'', 11 April 2011
/ref> She has

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

ancestry on her maternal side. The family returned to Australia in 1949 and settled in the harbourside suburb of

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019. She started her career at

Australian Consolidated Press Are Media is an Australian media company that was formed after the 2020 purchase of the assets of Bauer Media Australia, which had in turn acquired the assets of Pacific Magazines, AP Magazines and Australian Consolidated Press during the 201 ...

, owned by the Packer family, working as a copy girl at ''The Australian Women's Weekly'', then became a cadet journalist on ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' and ''

The Sunday Telegraph ''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings. It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', kn ...

'' in Sydney. Her first byline came in 1959 when the 17-year-old covered the Australian tour by Princess Alexandra.

Career

Buttrose was appointed women's editor of the ''Telegraph'' at just 23 years old. In 1966 she won a racetrack fashion contest run by a rival newspaper, for which the first prize was an overseas trip, including a visit to

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

in Montreal. Buttrose and her husband then stopped in England in 1967 where she worked for a time on the British national magazine ''

Woman's Own ''Woman's Own'' is a British lifestyle magazine aimed at women. Publication ''Woman's Own'' was first published in 1932 by Newnes. In its early years it placed women's rights and social problems firmly in the foreground. Its first "agony aunt" was ...

'' before giving birth to her first child, a daughter, Kate. It was after her daughter's birth that she received a

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

from Sir Frank Packer, head of Australian Consolidated Press, offering her back her former job as women's editor at the ''Telegraph''. The family then returned to Australia. In 1971 Buttrose was chosen as founding editor of a new Australian women's magazine. This was originally to have been an Australian edition of the renowned American magazine ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'', but the deal fell through after Hearst Magazines sold the ''Cosmopolitan'' rights to longtime Packer rivals Fairfax, so Packer and Buttrose set about creating a new publication, dubbed ''Cleo'' which they launched in 1972, several months ahead of its rival. ''Cleo'' was an instant hit, selling its entire original print run in just two days; the magazine broke new ground in Australian mainstream publishing, featuring the first nude male

centrefold The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched magazines (as oppo ...

(actor

Jack Thompson Jack Thompson may refer to: Sports * Jack Thompson (footballer, born 1892) (1892–1969), English footballer who played for Sheffield United and Bristol City * Jack Thompson (1920s footballer), English footballer who played for Aston Villa and Brig ...

) and frank articles on female sexuality and other topics, leading to the inclusion of the first sealed section in an Australian magazine. During the early months of the magazine, Buttrose became pregnant with her second child, Ben, but with the grudging support of the Packers she worked through her pregnancy; an unusual feat for that time as it was still common for women to have to give up work permanently after they became pregnant. Buttrose edited ''Cleo'' until 1975, when she was appointed editor of the Packers' flagship magazine, ''The Australian Women's Weekly'' (1975–76), then she became editor-in-chief of both publications from 1976 to 1978, before being appointed Publisher of Australian Consolidated Press Women's Division from 1978 to 1981. In 1981 she left the Packers after their rival

Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...

offered her the job of Editor-in-Chief of the ''Daily Telegraph'' and ''Sunday Telegraph'' in 1981, making her the first female editor of a major metropolitan newspaper in Australia, a position she held until 1984; she was also appointed to the board of

News Limited News Corp Australia is an Australian media conglomerate and wholly owned subsidiary of the American News Corp. One of Australia's largest media conglomerates, News Corp Australia employs more than 8,000 staff nationwide and approximately 3,0 ...

. She made frequent appearances on radio and TV and in 1980, her media prominence led to her becoming the subject of the song " Ita", recorded by rock band

Cold Chisel Cold Chisel are an Australian pub rock band, which formed in Adelaide in 1973 by mainstay members Ian Moss on guitar and vocals, Steve Prestwich on drums and Don Walker on piano and keyboards. They were soon joined by Jimmy Barnes (at the ...

, which was included on their successful ''

East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...

'' album. Buttrose was the chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on AIDS (NACAIDS) from 1984 until 1988. On one occasion, she appeared personally in a nationwide TV campaign to explain that ''donating'' blood at a blood bank did not pose a risk of catching AIDS (the fear of which had caused a significant drop in donations). After her stint with News Limited, Buttrose founded her own publishing company, Capricorn Publishing, and launched her own magazine, ''Ita'', but this eventually folded and she launched a new company, the Good Life Publishing Company, which in 2005 published ''bark!'', a lifestyle magazine aimed at dog owners. Ita Buttrose

Author

Buttrose is also a prolific author and has published nine books, including her autobiography, ''A Passionate Life''. In 2011 Penguin published ''A Guide to Australian Etiquette''.

Television

Ita Buttrose and Ross Steele AACTA 2012 (1)

Buttrose was a regular on ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' in the 1990s and early 2000s. Buttrose was also a regular commentator on the Nine Network breakfast show ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' and was at one point considered to replace

Kerri-Anne Kennerley Kerri-Anne Kennerley (née Wright; born 22 September 1953) is an Australian television and radio presenter, actress and singer. She has more than 50 years in the industry, and is an inductee into the Logie Hall of Fame. Kennerley was a co-host ...

in the network's morning slot. In June 2013, Buttrose joined Network Ten where she hosted morning program ''Studio 10'' two mornings a week for the station alongside

Joe Hildebrand Joe Hildebrand is an Australian journalist, television and radio presenter. Hildebrand writes for Sydney's ''The Daily Telegraph'' and is also known to contribute to a number of other News Corp publications, including Melbourne's Herald Sun ...

, Sarah Harris,

Denise Drysdale Denise Anne Christina Drysdale (born 5 December 1948) is an Australian television presenter, variety entertainer, actress, singer, dancer and comedian. She is often affectionately known as ''Ding Dong'', a nickname invented by fellow performer ...

and

Jessica Rowe Jessica June Rowe (born 22 June 1970) is an Australian journalist, author and television presenter. She was the co-host of ''Studio 10'' on Network Ten until March 2018, and is Member of the Order of Australia for her mental health advocacy. Ea ...

. The show premiered in late 2013. However, 2016 saw Buttrose reduce her appearances on the program to just twice a week to spend more time with her grandchildren. Ita made a cameo appearance in episode 7547 of

The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...

alongside Brendan Jones and

Amanda Keller Amanda Rose Keller (born 25 February 1962) is an Australian television and radio presenter, comedian, writer, actress, journalist and media personality, best known as the hostess of the popular Australian lifestyle program ''The Living Room''. ...

as a news reporter airing in March 2017. Ita Buttrose (11024358813)

In April 2018, Buttrose resigned as panelist on ''Studio 10'' to focus on other parts of her life, including spending more time with her grandchildren and writing. Since leaving Network Ten, Buttrose has appeared on '' The Morning Show'' on the Seven Network and filled in for

Sonia Kruger Sonia Melissa Kruger (born 28 August 1965) is an Australian television presenter and media personality, who has been a prominent figure in the media for over 20 years. Kruger is currently the host of ''Big Brother Australia'' and a presenter on ...

on ''

Today Extra ''Today Extra'' is an Australian morning talk show, with an infotainment base, hosted by David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys. The show airs between 9:00 am and 11:30 am weekdays and follows the Nine Network's breakfast news program '' ...

'' on the Nine Network. In 2019 she was appointed chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Honours and legacy

Buttrose was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1979, and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1988. In 2003, she was awarded the Centenary Medal. Buttrose was inducted to the

Victorian Honour Roll of Women The Victorian Honour Roll of Women was established in 2001 to recognise the achievements of women from the Australian state of Victoria. The Honour Roll was established as part of the celebrations of Victoria's Centenary of Federation. Public no ...

in 2001, and advanced to

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in 2019. In August 2017 Buttrose was recognised for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement at the annual Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism. In 1984 she was named the Variety Club 'Personality of the Year' as well as winning the Australasian Academy of Broadcast, Arts and Sciences for the 'Most Promising Newcomer to Radio'. In 1993 Buttrose was named Juvenile Diabetes Foundation's 'Australian of the Year'. In 2011 she was elected President of Alzheimer's Australia until end of June 2014. She is currently an ambassador for Alzheimer's Australia. In January 2013, Buttrose was named the 2013 Australian of the Year. She was awarded an honorary

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Docto ...

degree by Macquarie University in 2014 in recognition of her contribution to the arts. In 2015, she was awarded a second honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the

University of Wollongong The University of Wollongong (abbreviated as UOW) is an Australian public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney. As of 2017, the university had an enrolment of ...

for her distinguished service to Australian society and for her commitment to advocating for vulnerable people in the community. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of the university degree by the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

in 2018 in recognition of her eminent service to health, and for being an inspirational role model for aspiring women in business and for those wanting to make a difference in society. Among her many other public service and charitable activities, Buttrose is a patron of Women of Vision, World Vision Australia, the Macular Disease Foundation of Australia, the University of Third Age, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation of Australia, Amarant, the National Menopause Foundation, the Sydney Women's Festival, Safety House and the National Institute of Secretaries and Administrators. Buttrose is also an ambassador of the Australian Women Chamber of Commerce (AWCCI) and sits on the AWCCI Advisory Board. She works on the professional speakers' circuit, and is associated with Saxton Speakers.

TV biopic ''Paper Giants''

In April 2011, Buttrose and ''Cleo'' were the subject of the ABC-TV two-part

telemovie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

'' Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo'', starring

Asher Keddie Asher Keddie (born 31 July 1974) is an Australian actress. Beginning her career in the television series '' Five Mile Creek'' in the mid 1980s, Keddie received wide recognition for her role in the television series ''Offspring''. Her significan ...

as Buttrose, Rob Carlton as Kerry Packer and

Tony Barry Tony Barry (28 August 1941 – 21 December 2022) was an Australian actor and activist best known for his television and film roles. Personal life Barry was born in Ipswich, Queensland, on 28 August 1941. He had one son. Barry was an environme ...

as Frank Packer.

Personal life

At 21 years of age, Buttrose married architect Alasdair "Mac" Macdonald and had two children. In 1975, while editing ''The Australian Women's Weekly'' Buttrose's first marriage to Macdonald broke down and the couple divorced in 1976. Later she met Peter Sawyer and they married in 1979. By her own account it was "not a very happy marriage"; Sawyer left in 1980 and they subsequently divorced. Buttrose cared for her father after he was diagnosed with

vascular dementia Vascular dementia (VaD) is dementia caused by problems in the supply of blood to the brain, typically a series of minor strokes, leading to worsening cognitive abilities, the decline occurring piecemeal. The term refers to a syndrome consisti ...

. He died in 1999. In his 2007 book ''Who Killed Channel Nine?'', former Nine Network producer

Gerald Stone Gerald Louis Stone (18 August 1933 – 6 November 2020) was an American-born Australian television and radio journalist, television executive and author. Early years and career Born in 1933 and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Stone graduated in poli ...

claimed that Buttrose and Kerry Packer conducted a private but intense affair during Buttrose's tenure on ''Cleo'' and that Packer reportedly even offered to marry her, but she rejected the idea and they split after a "blazing row". Buttrose herself has repeatedly declined to comment on the matter.Sharri Markson and Sarah Blake, "Ita's volatile affair with Packer", ''Sydney Daily Telegraph'', 8 July 2007.
/ref> Buttrose resides in Sydney.

List of works

Buttrose has authored or co-authored 10 books: * ''A Guide to Australian Etiquette'' (2011) * ''Eating for Eye Health: the Macular Degeneration Cookbook'', co-authored with Sydney chef Vanessa Jones (2009) * ''Get in Shape: A complete workout for strength, health & vitality'', co-authored with Lee Campbell (2007) * ''Motherguilt: Australian women reveal their true feelings about Motherhood'', co-authored with Dr Penny Adams (2005; reprinted 2006) * ''How Much Is Enough? Your Financial Roadmap To A Happy Retirement'', co- authored with Will Buttrose and Mike Galgut (2003) * ''What is Love?'' (2000) * ''A Word to the Wise'' (1999) * ''A Passionate Life'' (1998; updated paperback version published 2001) * ''Every Occasion: The Guide to Modern Etiquette'' (1985) * ''Early Edition: My First Forty Years'' (1985)

Chapter profile

* "Ita Buttrose AO, OBE: Journalist, businesswoman, television personality and author", pp. 255, in: ''The world we see: leadership lessons from Australia's iconic change makers'', Sarah Liu, 2016 ()

Introductions

* Foreword: Martins, Ralph and Ragg, Mark. ''Understanding Alzheimer's: the complete Australian guide to the management and prevention of Alzheimer's'' (2013, Pan Macmillan Australia).

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buttrose, Ita 1942 births Australian businesspeople Australian journalists Australian magazine editors Australian radio personalities Living people Companions of the Order of Australia Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Centenary Medal Founders Australian women in business Australian of the Year Award winners Women founders Women magazine editors Chairpersons of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Australian memoirists Australian women editors Australian women radio presenters