THE team at the Jimboomba Times welcomed journalist Michael Burge this week, and while he might not be Jimboomba born-and-bred, Michael has reported on rural and country communities in two hemispheres and across three continents.
A Redlands resident who lives on Coochiemudlo Island, Michael knows what makes small communities tick.
Born at Inverell in the NSW northern tablelands, he lived in the Blue Mountains region for more than three decades and spent many years in the rural county of Suffolk in the United Kingdom, where he worked in video production and publishing for United News and Media.
Since starting as a sub-editor on The Land in 2012, Michael has worked regularly for Fairfax Media. After moving to Queensland in 2012 he joined the sub-editorial team at Queensland Country Life, followed by a year-long stint as deputy editor on FarmOnline, Fairfax’s national rural and agricultural digital hub.
A fiction and non-fiction author, Michael has a particular interest in politics and political reporting, having covered the electorate of Bowman during the 2013 federal election for Margo Kingston’s NoFibs.com.
He also enjoys engaging with rural communities and bringing their stories to the widest possible audience.
“The challenges faced by families living out of the big cities and towns are unique,” Michael said.
“Whether it’s during local, state and federal election campaigns; hearing their views on all the issues that impact them and make them unique; and at work or play, I look forward to connecting with the people of the Jimboomba region.”
