Malcolm Brown (journalist)

Brown was born in Dubbo, New South Wales, 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[2] before attending Newington College, Sydney, as a boarder in 1963 and 1964.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]

Brown was called up for National Service 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.[6]

Brown joined the staff of the Sydney Morning Herald in 1972 and retired on 30 August 2012 as a senior writer and editor. He covered the Azaria Chamberlain case for The Herald.[7] ABC TV's Australian Story covered his career on 29 October 2012 in an episode titled "A Man of His Word".[8]

• You're leaving tomorrow: conscripts and correspondents caught up in the Vietnam War (Nth Syd, Random House 2007) ISBN 978-1-74166-581-9
• Cold Blooded Murder: true crimes that rocked Australia (Syd, Lothian 2006) ISBN 0-7344-0961-3
• Australia's Worst Disasters (Sth Melb, Lothian 2002) ISBN 0-7344-0338-0
• Bombs, Guns and Knives: violent crime in Australia (Syd, New Holland 2000) ISBN 1-86436-668-0
• Australian Crime: chilling tales of our time (Syd, Lansdowne 1993, 1995, 2001, 2004) ISBN 1-86302-312-7
• Rorting: the great Australian crime (Syd, Lansdowne 1999) ISBN 1-86302-605-3
• Justice and Nightmares: successes and failures of forensic science in Australia and New Zealand (Syd, University of New South Wales Press 1992) ISBN 0-86840-061-0