{"id":276,"date":"2026-04-03T01:37:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T01:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coonabarabran-town-crier.wp.local\/?page_id=276"},"modified":"2026-07-10T09:42:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T09:42:15","slug":"about-the-coonabarabran-times","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/coonabarabrantimes.com\/?page_id=276","title":{"rendered":"About the Coonabarabran Times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A new era for Coonabarabran news begins in 2025, with the first week of the new Coonabarabran Times, from new editors and owners. As other regional media shuts down entirely. the Coonabarabran Times returns to offer the whole Warrumbungle Shire a regular\u00a0 publication of news, sport and human interest, for the whole community.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the tragic passing of former editor, Max Estens, in July 2025, the future for the publication was uncertain. With some time to consider their options, Lynne Estens and Kaitlyn Britton, the remaining owners, decided that their best option was to look for a sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s where they were in December, 2025, when they published what they thought at the time might be their last issue, just before Christmas. The future was certainly uncertain for the Coonabarabran Times. Would it return?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several months passed before Steve and Sallie Turner, looking for their own opportunity to enter local media, started negotiations to purchase the Times. They had suffered their own loss in 2025, with Sallie\u2019s mother, Jewel Toynton, passing away in October 2025. But looking to the future, the opportunity presented to take over the Times was too good to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore moving to Coonabarabran in 2010, I had spent over a decade in Sydney in various media roles,\u201d Steve explained. \u201cI trained in journalism and media originally, then spent that time working in outlets ranging from the Sydney Morning Herald, to ZDNet and Horwitz Publications (publishers at the time of Australian Penthouse magazine). \u201cI worked as an editor mostly, but also wrote articles and managed publications for all these outlets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sallie has years of experience in business management and administration and a keen interest in local affairs, having grown up in the Coonabarabran area. She was the Junior Soccer Club President for many years and also a significant figure in the Coonabarabran Public School P&C. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a proud farming family, Sallie, as her husband puts it, is an \u201cencyclopedia for local people, events and contacts\u201d, so together, they are tackling the new challenge of bringing back the Coonabarabran Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lynne spoke about the new beginning, saying that \u201cToday marks a new chapter for the Coonabarabran Times, as Kait and I pass the baton on to Steve and Sally Turner. We\u2019re genuinely pleased to be handing the paper over to locals who understand the community and care deeply about keeping local news alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a privilege for Kait and myself to be part of the Times for so many years and to serve the Coonabarabran community along the way. Max, who was part of the paper from 1978, leaves behind countless memories and a legacy that will always be woven into the fabric of the Times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA country newspaper is much more than just pages each week \u2013 it\u2019s the stories, people, milestones and everyday happenings that help keep a community connected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve and Sally are a great fit to take the paper into its next chapter and we wish them every success in the years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hope the community will continue to support them in the same way it has supported us over so many years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve and Sallie certainly look forward to the challenge and intend for the Times to be available for many years to come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sallie and Steve Turner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

are Coonabarabran residents with a background in business and media and a determination to bring back the Times to Coonabarabran. With strong roots in the district, they plan to combine a strong sense of news with a duty to the community to publish a new weekly newspaper for the whole community, from Coonabarabran to the whole Warumbungle shire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sallie was born and raised in the Coonabarabran, with a strong business background and a keen interest in photography. She has been the primary figure in their other family business, the Coonabarabran Business Centre and Computer Hospital, that has operated on the main street of Coonabarabran since 2015. Her parents, David and Jewel Toynton, have been essential financial supporters of restarting the Coonabarabran Times. Jewel sadly passed away in October 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve is from Sydney originally, but has lived in Coonabarabran since 2010. He has an extensive background in media, having worked for outlets including the Sydney Morning Herald and tech publisher ZDNet. More recently, he worked at Coonabarabran High School providing IT support for a number of years. His journalism and editing skills are combined with a keen eye for photography. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside of business, Steve enjoys many musical pursuits, drumming with the Coonabarabran Celtic Band and playing guitar wherever he can, while Sallie is also a strong supporter of local junior sports, having previously run Coonabarabran Junior Soccer for a number of years. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new era for Coonabarabran news begins in 2025, with the first week of the new Coonabarabran Times, from new editors and owners. As other regional media shuts down entirely. the Coonabarabran Times returns to offer the whole Warrumbungle Shire a regular\u00a0 publication of news, sport and human interest, for the whole community.\u00a0 After the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":false,"newspack_show_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-276","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nAbout the Coonabarabran Times - Coonabarabran Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/coonabarabrantimes.com\/?page_id=276\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"About the Coonabarabran Times - Coonabarabran Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A new era for Coonabarabran news begins in 2025, with the first week of the new Coonabarabran Times, from new editors and owners. 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