Rob Chalmers

Robin Donald Chalmers (14 July 1929 – 27 July 2011) was an independent Australian political journalist and commentator. The Canberra Press Gallery's longest serving member, from 1951 to 2011, his career spanned over 60 years reporting on the Parliament of Australia. Chiefly using the mediums of print and radio, his audience consisted mainly of other well-informed interested parties in the media, politics, industry and government, not a face often seen by the mainstream general public; he was, as described by the prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, "a journalist's journalist" . In the later half of Chalmers career, he was best known for his roles with the independent, economic and political, weekly newsletter ''Inside Canberra''.

Chalmer's lasting legacy are his unmatched milestones in Australian history of a fifty, and then a further sixty-year career working within the walls of Parliament House. Both were given a mention, and officially recorded in the hansard of parliamentary sessions of the dates 7 March 2001 in The Australian House of Representatives and 8 March 2001 in The Australian Senate. Motion of Condolences upon his death were made on 16 August 2011, in The House of Representatives, and in The Senate on 17 August 2011. An indication of the respect in which Chalmers was held in the Parliament is evident in the statements made both by Gillard and leader of the opposition Tony Abbott. Abbott's condolence motion on 16 August stated; "Rob Chalmers was not the father of the House, but he was certainly the father of the press gallery. And while the gallery does not run this country, it certainly has a vast influence on this House." Provided by Wikipedia