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‘I guess it’s not just the politicians who become addicted to politics.’

Ms Michelle Grattan (’58) has two main passions in her life: political journalism and horses. Unfortunately her success with the former does not allow her as much time as she would like with the latter! An Australian journalist specialising in political journalism, Michelle has written and edited for many significant Australian newspapers. She has been a member of the Canberra parliamentary press gallery for more than 40 years and has covered the most significant stories in Australian politics. She was appointed by The Age, Melbourne in 1970 and was the first woman to become editor of an Australian metropolitan newspaper in Canberra in 1993. Michelle currently is Professorial Fellow at the University of Canberra and Associate Editor (Politics) and Chief Political Correspondent at The Conversation.

In 1988 Michelle Grattan received the Graham Perkin Award as the Australian Journalist of the Year and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her long and distinguished service to Australian journalism in 2004.She also won a Walkley Award for Journalism Leadership in 2006. Of her time at Ruyton Michelle says, ‘It was a positive experience, a friendly school and it was a great place to be.’ It was also a time when girls were allowed to climb the beautiful Moreton Bay Fig tree adjacent to the Oval. Michelle needed no second invitation to climb, she remembers, but getting down was more of an issue and she remained stuck in the tree for a while!