Before desktop publishing transformed the newsroom, producing the Guardian was a hands-on, high-pressure task involving waxed templates, film cameras and a tight race to meet the printer’s deadline.
Guardian founder Gary Haymes remembers a time when every page was physically laid out, and the finished paste-ups were sent away by bus for printing in Marlborough.
Photographs were a challenge in themselves. Film was expensive, and reporters could not check their shots on a screen. Gary recalls meeting the chemist at the photo lab at 5pm on Saturdays, hoping a day spent covering rugby and netball had produced at least a couple of usable images.
The team would often work until midnight to meet the 1pm Sunday bus departure.
“It was quite scary, because you’d give the stuff to the bus driver, and it represented a whole week’s work.”
Even then, nothing was guaranteed.
Working with wax meant the layout could shift in transit, sometimes taking a story or advertisement with it.
“It was fun, but it was a lot of stress,” Gary remembers.
Everything changed with the arrival of desktop publishing, allowing tighter deadlines and ending the weekly dash to the bus.
Gary, who came from a background in building and sales, founded the paper in 1993. At the time, Motueka was served by a fortnightly publication, The Sun, and a regular Motueka and Golden Bay insert in the Nelson Mail.
He set out to create a standalone weekly paper focused on local news and sport, which he felt was missing.
Starting out was not easy. One business told him not to bother taking his coat off, as he would not be around for long.
“That only made me more determined, as I could see the vital role the Guardian would be and has become in our community.”
It took a couple of years before the paper felt established, but it eventually became a household name. Many early advertisers are still booking space 33 years later.
His plan was to sell after five years, but “it’s something that gets into your blood,” he says.
Over the years, he turned down offers from larger media organisations, unsure they would understand or celebrate the area’s uniqueness.
Three years ago, he handed over the reins to Top South Media’s Andrew Board, who also owns the Waimea, Nelson and Marlborough Weekly papers.
“He is really committed to print and to the community papers,” Gary says. “He’s a big believer in it. It’s in really good hands.”
Many long-time readers have wondered what Gary is doing now. His departure from the Guardian was gradual, and at the start of this year he stepped away completely to focus on gaining his real estate licence.
Property has long interested him, having worked in residential and commercial developments over the years.
He is set to join Bayleys and you can bet he’ll be advertising in the Guardian when he does. “Print always stays true,” he says.
