TVO CELEBRATES 25 YEARS In August 1993, The Village Observer (TVO) was launched to “provide the residents of the municipality of Lane Cove with all the local news and information that is missing from big city newspapers.”
The brainchild of Ian Longbottom, the idea for a publication came about after Ian attended a dinner party and spoke with someone who had been unsuccessful in getting exposure to promote a local school. “I wanted to develop a forum for community groups with limited funds to be able to distribute information and came up with the idea for a newspaper. It was all about the Lane Cove community and encouraging people to support local business.”
Ian Longbottom, Founder and former publisher of The Village Observer, circa 2000. (Courtesy Lane Cove Library).
For the next 17 years, Ian almost singlehandedly produced the black and white publication, circulating it to letterboxes throughout the area. “I didn’t know how long it would last. We kept our overheads as low as possible. I would write and typeset it using Word, which was a bit limiting compared to desktop publishing programs available today, and my young sons would help me distribute the 15,000 copies. “There were plenty of 2am mornings leading up to deadline. This was the era before email, so I would drive around town picking up photos and disks containing copy from contributors. Other contributors would fax handwritten articles to me, which I would then retype for publication.” Ian was never afraid to tackle controversial issues, whether it be perennial hot topics such as parking, rubbish, and traffic, or matters discussed 8 TVO AUGUST 2018
Lane Cove Plaza, October 1993. (Courtesy Lane Cove Library).
Profits from The Village Observer are passed back to the community through the aged and disability services provided by Sydney Community Services.
during Council meetings in his ‘Minutes that take hours at Lane Cove’ column. On the anniversary of its 50th issue in 1998, Ian wrote that when he started TVO, he had “no idea how long it might last. Suburban newspapers have come and gone over the years. Maybe that fate will one day happen to TVO, but we have survived well into our fifth year. “Our survival is due to our loyal advertisers, our multitude of ‘correspondents’ and our intrepid readers.”
A change of ownership After 180 issues, Ian made the decision to sell TVO. In April 2010, he advertised the publication for sale, saying that “it needs someone new, with a fresh and vibrant approach, to take this ‘sixteen plus teenager’ through the rest of its teens and into adulthood.”
Several months later, TVO was purchased by Lane Cove Community Aid Foundation which operates Sydney Community Services (formerly Lane Cove & North Side Community Services). The Board of the Foundation recognised this as a good opportunity as it would help provide an additional source of funding, as well as provide a mechanism to keep the community updated on the important work of Sydney Community Services.
A new direction Over the past five years, TVO has been produced each month by a small team comprising Editor Jocelyn Biddle, Graphic Designer Sharon Curby and Advertising Manager Mariano Massa, overseen by Sydney Community Services’ CEO Gill Batt. Jocelyn, Sharon and Mariano are passionate about the important role TVO
