Fleur Bainger decided she wanted to be a journalist when she was just 11 years old.
Growing up on a cattle farm in South Australia, she craved a career where no two days are the same, where there’s unparalleled access to fascinating people, and where global roaming is part of the deal.
She kicked off as a rural reporter for ABC radio, was presenting the statewide Country Hour within two years, then progressed to roving reporter for the highest rating breakfast radio program in WA, Breakfast with Eoin Cameron on 720 ABC Perth.
While moonlighting as a radio producer across multiple programs and after creating ABC WA’s first podcast, she switched to freelance writing across multiple state, national and international magazines, books and newspapers. Fleur has covered news and current affairs, lifestyle features, earned the plum job of restaurant reviewer and has lived her passion as a travel writer.
After more than 20 years in journalism, there’s still nothing else she’d rather be doing.
Throughout her career, fellow journalists – strangers and peers - have asked Fleur for advice on how she’s scored roles with ABC Radio, set up a thriving freelancing business and become the go-to writer for top tier publications such as Australian Traveller, Lonely Planet and Australian Geographic.
In 2021, Fleur launched a professional writing mentorship program, to help anyone with a passion for writing turn their dreams into a successful career.
Fleur shares what she’s learned over the past two decades, a rare thing in a highly competitive industry where there’s plenty of smoke and mirrors around who to contact, how to pitch and what to charge. She teaches the skills she’s developed to move people with her writing, ensuring repeated work and an enviable reputation. Importantly, she builds writers’ confidence.
Fleur’s aim is to create an even higher standard of writing for the next generation. Words have a singular power to open doors, an ability she believes everyone deserves to have.
Learn more about her mentorships, here.
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