Ita Buttrose facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ita Buttrose AC OBE
Buttrose in June 2014
Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
In office 28 February 2019 – 6 March 2024
Nominated by	Scott Morrison
Governor-General	Peter Cosgrove
Deputy	Kirstin Ferguson
Preceded by	Kirstin Ferguson (Acting)
Succeeded by	Kim Williams
Personal details
Born	Ita Clare Buttrose (1942-01-17) 17 January 1942 (age 83) Potts Point, New South Wales, Australia
Spouses	Alasdair Macdonald ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1976)​ Peter Sawyer ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1981)​
Children	2
Residences	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Television Network Chair Magazine editor Fashion journalist Media personality Businesswoman Author Ambassador

Ita Clare Buttrose (born 17 January 1942) is a famous Australian media personality. She has had an amazing career as a journalist, magazine editor, author, and the head of a major television network.

Buttrose is best known for starting the magazine Cleo. It was a popular magazine for women that talked openly about new topics. She later became the editor of The Australian Women's Weekly, one of the biggest-selling magazines in the world at the time. She was the youngest person ever to be given that job.

From 2013 to 2018, Buttrose was a familiar face on the morning TV show Studio 10.

In 2019, she was appointed the Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), one of the most important jobs in Australian media. She led the ABC for five years until March 2024.

Early Life and Starting Out

Ita Buttrose was born in Potts Point, a suburb of Sydney. Her father, Charles Buttrose, was also a journalist and editor. Growing up around news and stories, she decided she wanted to be a journalist when she was only 11 years old.

Her family lived in New York City for five years when her father worked there as a reporter. They returned to Australia in 1949. After finishing her schooling at 15, Buttrose was ready to start her career.

She began her first job at The Australian Women's Weekly as a "copy girl," helping the other journalists. Soon, she became a cadet journalist for The Daily Telegraph newspaper. At just 17, she got her first article published with her name on it, which is called a "byline."

A Trailblazing Career

Buttrose at an opera event on Sydney Harbour in 2012

Buttrose quickly proved she was a talented journalist. At only 23, she became the women's editor of the Telegraph. After a short time working in England, she returned to Australia with her family.

Creating Cleo

In 1971, Buttrose was given a huge opportunity. Her boss, Sir Frank Packer, asked her to create a brand-new magazine for women. They called it Cleo, and it was launched in 1972.

Cleo was a massive success. The first issue sold out in just two days. The magazine was groundbreaking because it discussed topics important to women in a new and honest way. It also featured the first-ever male centerfold, which was a picture of actor Jack Thompson.

Leading Major Publications

After her success with Cleo, Buttrose became the editor of The Australian Women's Weekly in 1975. A year later, she was made editor-in-chief of both Cleo and The Women's Weekly.

In 1981, she became the first woman in Australia to be the editor-in-chief of a major daily newspaper, The Daily Telegraph. This was a huge achievement and showed how much the media industry was changing.

Helping the Community

From 1984 to 1988, Buttrose took on an important role as the chair of the National Advisory Committee on AIDS (NACAIDS). During a time when many people were scared and confused about the disease, she helped educate Australians. She even appeared on TV to show people that it was safe to donate blood.

Television and the ABC

Buttrose at the AACTA Awards with Ross Steele

Buttrose has been a regular on Australian television for many years. She was a panellist on the talk show Beauty and the Beast and a commentator on the breakfast show Today.

Buttrose at a movie premiere in 2013

From 2013 to 2018, she was one of the main hosts of the morning show Studio 10 on Network Ten. She left the show to spend more time with her family and to focus on writing.

In 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison appointed Buttrose as the Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). She led the national broadcaster for a five-year term. Her time as chair was not without challenges and public debate, but she guided the ABC through a period of change.

Honours and Recognition

Ita Buttrose has received many awards for her work in media and her service to the community.

• In 1979, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
• In 1988, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), and in 2019, she was promoted to a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), the country's highest honour.
• In 2013, she was named Australian of the Year.
• Universities have awarded her honorary doctorates for her contributions to society.

In 2011, a TV mini-series called Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo was made about her time creating Cleo magazine. Actress Asher Keddie played the role of Buttrose.

Personal Life

Buttrose married Alasdair Macdonald in 1963, and they had two children, a daughter named Kate and a son named Ben. They divorced in 1976. She later married Peter Sawyer in 1979, but they divorced a few years later.

She also cared for her father, Charles, after he was diagnosed with vascular dementia, a condition that affects memory and thinking. He passed away in 1999.

Books by Ita Buttrose

Buttrose is the author of several books. Here are a few of them:

• A Guide to Australian Etiquette (2011)
• Eating for Eye Health: the Macular Degeneration Cookbook (2009)
• Get in Shape: A complete workout for strength, health & vitality (2007)
• A Passionate Life (1998) - Her autobiography
• Every Occasion: The Guide to Modern Etiquette (1985)