The Goulburn Post farewells Darryl Fernance

Darryl Fernance is perhaps the most recognisable face of the Goulburn Post's team. Over 30 years he's covered the full gamut from sport to real estate, major fires, floods, droughts, car and plane accidents, murder investigations, court and all the quirky stories in between.

But this week the newspaper bade the popular photojournalist a fond goodbye as he set forth on a new but hard-to-believe chapter: retirement.

"To me, journalism is a community service. It's about getting a message out to the community that sometimes isn't everything they expect," Darryl said.

"The community often pre-judges things without insight into what went on...Our role is to bring a balanced approach back to it."

Darryl started out doing weekend work for the Goulburn Post at then-editor John Thistleton's invitation. His work photographing fires and other emergencies had impressed. It turned into a full-time job by February 1989 and he soon became a senior photographer. 

Recording Goulburn's history for 30 years

Ask him about the stories he remembers most and he jumps straight to sport. They included the joy of seeing basketballer Lauren Jackson win the WNBL with her AIS women's team in 1999. Then there's the rise and rise of local motorcyclists Troy Herfoss and Tom Toparis and snapping the action at Goulburn Speedway.

"I've been fortunate to watch people grow from junior to senior players and see musicians develop," he said.

"I've met a lot of people through sport and the emergency services.

"Journalism has also given me the opportunity to meet a lot of famous people like Peter Garrett, Jimmy Barnes, Prime Minister John Howard and the NSW Premier, John Fahey, with whom I was on a first-name basis.

"I've met all sides of politics and people doing their own thing."

But there were also horrific accidents that left a deep impression. Some things that he photographed to assist police investigations he'd rather "un-see." The published photos were more censored.

"The accidents have had an effect because we didn't have a debriefing back then. We just had to cope," he said.

"On the way back from a very tragic aircraft accident at Tarago I was shaking from what I'd seen and trying not to digest too much. It's something that had happened and I tried to show some of the horror without revealing too much."

He said a journalist's responsibility was to tell the story, but also help police where possible. In turn, some detectives influenced the way he worked.

Darryl cites photographers at metro newspapers as inspirations, along with Jon Lewis for his composition. 

Through it all he sees newspapers as recorders of events.

"It's been my desire to capture history. What we see … is history today or tomorrow," he said.

"...The Post means something to me because it is a community newspaper… It's been a living, not so much for the money, but an interest and a largely respected position in the community.

"I like getting information out there. I see the newspaper as a journal of community life and its records are extremely important to maintain and bring to community attention."

At age 65, Darryl said he's had a "good innings" and was retiring to spend more time with his family, who had missed out during years of weekend work. Now he plans to travel and take photographs at a more leisurely pace.

"I'll take from (my career) the privileges and friendships and the ability to help people where I could," he said.

Post editor Ainsleigh Sheridan said Darryl's departure was both the end of an era and the passing of the baton to the next generation.

"We've all learned from Darryl's many years in the business, and had a lot of laughs along the way. We'll miss his wit," she said.

"The industry has changed enormously in Darryl's time, and it will be increasingly rare to find in future a journalist who has dedicated so many decades to the one newspaper and its community."

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