Ita Buttrose - Infinite Women

This biography is republished from The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia. Written by Sebastian Broadbent, Saxton Speakers Bureau. See below for full attribution.

Born: 17 January 1942, Australia
Died: NA
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: NA

Ita Buttrose is a leading journalist, businesswoman, author, community and welfare contributor and 2013 Australian of the Year. She was born Ita Clare Buttrose in Potts Point, Sydney, in 1942 to parents, Clare and Charles Buttrose, the latter a journalist, editor and author. Ita spent six years with her family in New York and completed her secondary education at Dover Heights Home Science High School in Sydney, leaving when she was 15 to begin a career in journalism.
After some years’ experience both in Australia and England, Ita became founding editor of the innovative magazine, Cleo in 1972, and in 1975 became the youngest and precedently successful editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly. The early years of Ita’s career was the subject of the highly acclaimed 2011 ABC miniseries, Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, in which she was portrayed by the actor, Asher Keddie. Ita went on to found Capricorn Publishing and later, The Good Life Publishing Company and created ITA Magazine. She was the first woman to ever edit a major metropolitan newspaper in Australia as Editor-in-Chief of the Sydney Daily & Sunday Telegraphs, and the first woman director of News Limited. She also has been involved with publishing work for such clients as David Jones, Telstra, and the ATO.
Ita Buttrose is the current National President of Alzheimer’s Australia, Patron of the Macular Disease Foundation, and Emeritus Director of Arthritis Australia. She was awarded an OBE in 1979 for her services to journalism; an AO in 1988 for her services to the community, especially in the field of public health education when she spearheaded Australia’s HIV/AIDS Education Program, and a Centenary Medal in 2001 for business leadership. She was twice voted Australia’s most admired woman.
A founding member and former president of Chief Executive Women and currently host of the TEN Network’s Studio 10 program, Ita has written 11 very successful books including her best-selling autobiography, A Passionate Life. An accomplished communicator with a wealth of experience across a broad range of industry sectors, Ita has worked behind the scenes and in the public eye for major corporates, small business, governments and charity.