Malcolm Brown (Australian journalist)
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Craig Brown is an Australia
n journalist
, editor
and the co-author
of books dealing with crime
, forensic science, disasters and the Vietnam War
.
, and was the second son of a solicitor
, Samuel Brown, and the grandson of a Methodist Minister, The Reverend E E Hynes. He was educated at state schools in Dubbo before attending Newington College
, Sydney
, as a boarder in 1963 and 1964. Brown's father had taught at Newington (1932-39) before becoming a legal practitioner and his grandfather was Chaplain
at Newington whilst serving in the Stanmore
parish. In 1965, Brown entered the University of Sydney
to study law and was a resident of Wesley College
until 1968 when he went down from the University and became a cadet journalist on the Dubbo newspaper, The Daily Liberal.
the following year and after Officer Training School graduated as a second lieutenant. He served as a platoon commander of the Third Training Battalion in Singleton, New South Wales
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
and the co-author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of books dealing with crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, forensic science, disasters and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Early life
Brown was born in Dubbo, New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and was the second son of a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
, Samuel Brown, and the grandson of a Methodist Minister, The Reverend E E Hynes. He was educated at state schools in Dubbo before attending Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, as a boarder in 1963 and 1964. Brown's father had taught at Newington (1932-39) before becoming a legal practitioner and his grandfather was Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at Newington whilst serving in the Stanmore
Stanmore, New South Wales
Stanmore is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. Stanmore is located 6 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Marrickville Council.-History:...
parish. In 1965, Brown entered the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
to study law and was a resident of Wesley College
Wesley College, University of Sydney
Wesley College is a Protestant co-residential college of over 230 students within the University of Sydney. The College occupies a site on the main campus of the University of Sydney and was built on a sub-grant of Crown Land.- Academic profile :...
until 1968 when he went down from the University and became a cadet journalist on the Dubbo newspaper, The Daily Liberal.
Military service
Brown was called up for National ServiceNational service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
the following year and after Officer Training School graduated as a second lieutenant. He served as a platoon commander of the Third Training Battalion in Singleton, New South Wales
Singleton, New South Wales
-Industry & Commerce:Major industries near Singleton include coal mining, energy generation, light industry, vineyards, horse breeding and cattle production. Dairying was once a mainstay in the area, but has declined....
.
Writing career
He joined the staff of the Sydney Morning Herald in 1972 and remains there today as a senior writer and editor. He covered the Azaria Chamberlain case for the Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/maddy-disappearance-has-big-parallels/2007/09/12/1189276808723.htmlPublications
- You're leaving tomorrow: conscripts and correspondents caught up in the Vietnam War (Nth Syd, Random House 2007) ISBN 9781741665819
- Cold Blooded Murder: true crimes that rocked Australia (Syd, Lothian 2006) ISBN 0734409613
- Australia's Worst Disasters (Sth Melb, Lothian 2002) ISBN 0734403380
- Bombs, Guns and Knives: violent crime in Australia (Syd, New Holland 2000) ISBN 1864366680
- Australian Crime: chilling tales of our time (Syd, Lansdowne 1993, 1995, 2001, 2004) ISBN 1863023127
- Rorting: the great Australian crime (Syd, Lansdowne 1999) ISBN 1863026053
- Justice and Nightmares: successes and failures of forensic science in Australia and New Zealand (Syd, University of New South Wales Press 1992) ISBN 0868400610