After two and a half years of publishing daily news online and a monthly printed paper, the Hawkesbury Post is closing.

This isn’t something we ever wanted to write - but the economics of running a local newspaper, even one with extraordinary reach and engagement, have become impossible to ignore. Like many others around the country, we’ve run headfirst into the reality that local journalism doesn’t pay for itself - no matter how strong the audience or how important the work.

We’re proud of what we built, but more than that, we’re grateful to have been part of something bigger - a community that showed again and again it wanted real reporting. Not spin. Not press releases. But proper, old-fashioned journalism. At times, it felt like writing a chapter of Cops and Robbers - with all the best plot twists, except we weren’t clever enough to make it up.

You told us you wanted to know how decisions were made, where your rates were going, and who stood to benefit. You asked questions, turned up to meetings, changed your vote when you thought it mattered. You pushed back. And we hope, in some small way, we helped your voice carry a little further.

To the small businesses who supported us with advertising: thank you. You helped keep the wheels turning. To the generous individuals who donated: you kept us in print longer than we thought possible. We’re not sure we’ll ever be able to thank you enough. As for Council - well, they preferred other platforms. We’re sure it was nothing personal. We assume they just didn’t want too many people reading their ads.

The Post was run on a volunteer basis - the two of us, doing our best to hold a spotlight steady while the rest of the room tried to look away.

While the paper is closing, our Facebook page will stay live, and we’re holding onto all the Hawkesbury Post intellectual property - just in case.

It’s been a great chapter - not so much a noble quest, more like like running a marathon in thongs - not ideal, but we made it as far as we could.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for caring. And thanks for reminding all of us why the local paper still matters.

— The Hawkesbury Post