After 13 years in senior leadership roles, including a decade as editor, Lenore Taylor has decided to leave Guardian Australia.

Lenore is one of Australia’s most respected journalists. She was a founding senior staff member of Guardian Australia when it launched in May 2013, and as political editor she played a crucial role in its early and ongoing success, bringing a quarter of a century of federal press gallery experience to the role.

In 2014 she won one of Guardian Australia’s first Walkley awards and was recognised by her peers as the Australian press gallery journalist of the year. Lenore’s reputation and profile as one of Australia’s leading political journalists was instrumental in forging Guardian Australia’s reputation as a newcomer in the Australian media landscape.

In May 2016 Lenore was appointed editor of Guardian Australia, the first Australian to hold the position. Under her editorship the edition has expanded significantly, and Guardian Australia now sits as the fourth most-read news site in the country.

Lenore’s courageous editorial leadership, intellectual energy and acute news judgment has seen Guardian Australia consolidate its market position as a consistent news-breaker, effecting change with fact-driven investigations and reporting, incisive commentary and analysis, while also keeping readers delighted with smart culture, lifestyle and sport coverage.

Under Lenore’s stewardship, Guardian Australia has won numerous industry plaudits including 12 Walkley Awards for its reporting on the environment, politics, social affairs, Indigenous issues and commentary. Her decade in charge spanned some of the most turbulent years in Australian politics and media, and also the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lenore leaves Guardian Australia as the country’s current longest-serving newspaper or news site editor. She is also the longest-serving female lead editor in Australia.

Lenore Taylor said: “I’ve been musing on this decision for some time. But there’s always been another challenge, another big story or another reason to defer it. There’s always the next thing in a job that is so utterly exhilarating and all-consuming. But it is also utterly exhausting. Ten years is a long time to work at this pace. It leaves little time to care for yourself or for those you love. So, for many reasons, I have decided it’s time to pass the baton.

“Leading Guardian Australia’s coverage and nurturing and building such a brilliant and dedicated editorial team over the past 10 years has been an honour, a challenge and a lot of fun. I am so very proud of what we have achieved and the service we have provided to our readers.”

“When I started as editor the feedback I heard most often from readers was ‘thank goodness the Guardian has come to Australia’. What I hear most often now is ‘I can’t imagine Australia without the Guardian’. Neither can I.”

Katharine Viner, the Guardian’s editor in chief, said: “Lenore Taylor made Guardian Australia a force to be reckoned with, sometimes through sheer strength of will. Her hard work, commitment, editorial rigour and political insight have helped deliver journalism that sets the national agenda and driven much admiration from our ever-expanding audience. She leaves Guardian Australia very well-placed to navigate to the next stage of its evolution, as both a distinct edition and a crucial part of the Guardian’s global operation. I want to thank Lenore for her enormous contribution to Guardian Australia over the past 13 years.”

Katharine Viner will now run an open process to appoint the new editor. David Munk, currently a senior managing editor of the Guardian in London and previously deputy editor of Guardian Australia, returns to Sydney as acting editor.

The award-winning Guardian Australia continues as before, with editorial independence at its heart and excellent colleagues across editorial and commercial.

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About the Guardian

Since launching in Australia in 2013, the Guardian has delivered fearless and trusted journalism – giving a voice to the powerless and holding power to account. The Guardian is proudly independent, open to all, funded by many and beholden to no one. Guardian Australia offers national news coverage and has four bureaux, located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra. The Australian newsroom is also part of the Guardian’s 24-hour global news operation, helping to cover breaking international stories in all parts of the world.