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Friday, 26 February 2016

After 23 years at the helm of the University flagship publication Uniview, journalist and author Trea Wiltshire is stepping away from the role of Editor.

“As a journalist I’ve always liked to tell positive stories because the negative issues of the world already tend to dominate headlines – luckily this University has provided me with so many inspirational stories you’d need to double the size of the magazine to cover it all,” says Trea.

“It has been an absolute pleasure engaging with our amazing staff and graduates and I invariably found that each issue became a journey of discovery, with one story leading me to another.  When, after reading an issue, a staff member phoned up and say: ‘Where did you find these people – we didn’t even know they were graduates?’ I’d know my journalistic ferreting had been worthwhile! And it was doubly satisfying when covering a particular area of research on campus to then discover graduates out in the field putting their UWA skills to good use.

“It has also been such a privilege to interview graduates doing incredible things around the world – from Kim Beazley being such a great Ambassador in Washington to our ‘singing diplomat’ Fred Smith who puts some of the powerful things he witnessed serving in Afghanistan into music.”

Uniview has a print run of more than 70,000 copies, and goes to all graduates, funding bodies, industry partners and benefactors. It also sits in all WA libraries and secondary schools, reaching prospective students and the wider community.

Uniview was created by combining three University publications soon after  Trea was appointed. Under Trea’s guidance the publication has gone on to win four major awards – three national and state awards from the Association of Development and Alumni Professionals in Education and a CSIRO award for science and environment writing.

Trea says a particularly rewarding aspect of producing Uniview has been feedback from readers:  “When a young graduate says she reads the magazine cover to cover and keeps our centenary issue with her graduation certificate; when a cover story on UWA’s partnerships with Indonesia becomes a useful tool for forging further collaboration; and when the latest issue – with its focus on innovation – travels to Canberra to illustrate the initiatives happening on this campus, it’s hugely rewarding,” she says.

“Our campus is such an important resource for the whole community, so the magazine has a crucial role in community engagement, from building the profile of our staff and alumni to publicising the many cultural events happening on campus.”

Trea points out that Terri-ann White of UWA Publishing has recently completed a review of the magazine to explore how it can best engage with graduates and the community going forward. “There are lots of exciting possibilities ahead but I know it is the right time now to let a new pair of eyes and fresh ideas guide the future of this publication.”

Born in China, Trea grew up in Africa before her career took her to the UK and Asia where she working on newspapers, edited inflight magazines for international airlines and wrote the first of a dozen illustrated history and travel books commissioned by Hong Kong’s leading publishing house FormAsia, including the award-winning Old Hong Kong . Her most recent publication is A Stroll Through Colonial Hong Kong. She is also the author of books on Rottnest and Margaret River.

“I had to turn down FormAsia’s last commission due to lack of time because apart from Uniview, I edit – on a voluntary basis – a much-loved community magazine, the Darlington Review , in the Hills where I live. And then there’s the matter of looking after a large century-old house on an acre!” she says.

“It’s been a wonderful experience being part of David Harrison’s very dynamic media and communications team, and working with inspiring colleagues from across the campus, so I know I’m leaving the magazine in very good hands.”

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