Margaret Jones

Who was Margaret Jones?

Margaret Mary Jones was an Australian journalist, noted for being one of the first accredited to China after the Cultural Revolution, and first female Foreign Editor on any Australian newspaper. Described as a 'trailblazer for women journalists', she wrote for John Fairfax Limited for a total of thirty-three years.

Margaret was born in Rockhampton, Queensland the youngest of six children of John Jones, an employee of the Rockhampton Harbour Board for around 40 years. After a Catholic education in Rockhampton, she commenced teacher training in Brisbane, but abandoned it for life as a cadet journalist. There is an anecdote about her having a youthful article accepted by The Times.