Meet four of our new Herald writers, freshly gradua ted from Freelance Writing Stage 1 at the Australian Writers Centre. Watch out for their stories (some in this very edition) as they practise their new craft, mentored by journalist and Herald writer Digby Hildreth.
Byron Leeworthy
Byron is 21 years old with a big commitment to community. He and his housemate Will made a pact when they arrived here six months ago. The promise they made was this: Byron would do everything he could to get into writing for a community-based paper and Will would do everything he could to get on Bay FM. They’ve both succeeded. Will is doing shifts at Bay FM and Byron picked up an emerging writers’ scholarship with The Bangalow Herald. “It’s a great way to become part of the community, since I didn’t grow up here. I want to add value to Bangalow,” says Byron.
He grew up in a small community called Fish Creek in Victoria and worked on fishing boats with his dad. He, his partner Beck and six mates were near the end of a year travelling around Australia when they drove through Bangalow. Byron said to Beck “I want to do this. I want to live here,” and she agreed. “There weren’t many young people in Fish Creek. Here, I love walking down the main street and running into friends,” he says. “I’m interested in writing about issues and things that bring community together, like community gardens, and pokies/gambling.”
Danielle Mathie
Danielle didn’t love English at school, not creative writing anyway. But she did love interviewing people and sharing their stories. “I’d love to be a Landline reporter, travelling around the country,” she says.
Danielle is 19 years old and exploring the world of nextgen agricultural show managers. She is the third generation to live on the family farm at Binna Burra. Her grandparents farmed pigs and then beef cattle. She attended Bangalow Primary School, then Trinity College in Lismore.
Two years ago, she represented Bangalow at the zone finals of The Land Sydney AgShow NSW Young Woman Competition in Grafton. “I discovered that I wasn’t alone. Most of my friends live in town or moved here from the city and suddenly I found other young country women with similar interests to me,” she says. This year she attended the AgShows NSW annual conference in Armidale on a youth bursary.
She is a member of the Bangalow Show Committee. With a full-time job at the Bangalow Post Office, she’s not sure where her Herald experience will take her. “I’ll stay local for now, see what happens. Will I enjoy it as much as I think I will?” We hope so.
Gabby Le Brun
Gabby is a lifelong learner with qualifications in social work, theatre, film making, and is currently undertaking a TAFE qualification in education and training.
In recent times, she headed up the Byron Writers Festival Storyboard project, has performed in local theatre and cabaret productions, and has been working on narrative non-fiction with themes of neurodivergence, motherhood, and connection to place. Her work-in-progress has earned her a coveted place in the 2025 Byron Writers Festival Residential, a week-long retreat and mentoring program.
Gabby is an avid reader and member of one of the village’s longest running book groups, and a dynamic member of many community-led events and fundraisers. Living and working in the Hinterland with her now not-so-young family for the past 20-ish years, Gabby brings a hint of humour, a touch of the theatrical, and a genuine love of connecting with community to her writing. Equality, advocacy and access to education underpin all that she does.
She is currently exploring classical ballet, tutu and all, and loving it. As they say, ‘if you want something done, give it to a busy woman’. The Bangalow Herald is delighted to welcome Gabby to our team of roving reporters.
Georgia Fox
Georgia has made a name for herself in the pages of this publication for her thoughtful, incisive profiles of local legends and everyday folk, and The Herald is thrilled to announce Georgia as one of our newly anointed mentees. As an emerging writer, she possesses the indispensable skills of patience and persistence coupled with a curious and intuitive nature that makes her writing zing with honesty and compassion. She is fascinated by the serendipitous events that connect people and places across time, as well as local folklore and history.
Originally from Sydney, she is soon to celebrate 20 years of living in Bangalow. Daughter of a writer, Georgia has long dreamed of being a published author and started studying writing at uni before taking an unexpected detour into Japanese wood-fired ceramics. Recently reigniting this pursuit, her wares are now stocked at Bangalow’s Corner Store. She also has a borderline obsession with the traditional festive bread panettone, and hopes to one day have a flock of backyard chooks.
Georgia is a dog lover and her Labradoodle ‘Betty’ is a qualified Storydog, the pair volunteering for the past three years at Brunswick Heads Primary school to facilitate reading-out- loud programs to boost literacy and confidence with reluctant readers.