Our team
Publisher / CEO: Kathryn Garton
Managing Editor: Troy Dodds
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 4722 2998
Journalists: Nathan Taylor, Emily Chate, Ally Hall
Photographer: Melinda Sanders
Sales Executives: Andrew Harris, Angela Jevdich, Maria Van Den Broek
Production Team: Ian Beard, Kacey Wilson, Madeline Dantier
Accounts Manager: Amanda Coskerie
Our history
For more than 30 years, The Western Weekender has been the heartbeat of Penrith.
The Western Weekender is a local, independent publication that covers the Penrith Local Government Area. (Explainer: What is the Penrith Local Government Area?)
Across print and digital, the Weekender has a loyal and dedicated readership and offers an extraordinary reach for advertisers.
Started in 1991 by a group of businessmen keen to shed Penrith’s image of being a down-and-out city, the Weekender grew to become a true voice for the people of the region.
As Penrith and its surrounds grew and the area became a major regional city, The Western Weekender grew with it. Today, it boasts more than 80 pages each Thursday, including unrivalled coverage of local news and sport.
The Weekender provides a mix of up-to-date and breaking news, community stories, lifestyle columns and features, business stories, auto content, sports stories and much, much more. It also encompasses dedicated real estate content, crosswords, quizzes and competitions. The newspaper is fully sectionalised, making it easy to read and allowing advertisers to target specific markets.
Over the years, the Weekender has been there for all the big events in Penrith. We were there for the 1991, 2003 and 2021 rugby league grand finals, where the Panthers triumphed. We were there when the Olympic Games came to Penrith, and we were there when political scandals engulfed the area. When news breaks, you can rely on our journalists to be there. That is our promise and commitment to you – no matter what our competitors may be doing, we guarantee you a local, on the ground newsroom. Penrith news, by Penrith people, for Penrith people.
The Western Weekender is proud that its editorial, sales, production and administration staff are all based in Penrith.
In 2009, the Weekender was purchased by MediaView Pty Ltd, and under that ownership, grew to become a true force in local media.
In 2015, the Weekender was purchased by the Western Sydney Publishing Group, owned by Kathryn Garton. It ensured the Weekender’s ownership returned to local hands.
The Western Weekender continues to provide Penrith residents with the complete local newspaper, full of engaging content and targeted advertising.
Online, The Western Weekender continues to evolve from the traditional local newspaper format, providing up-to-date news on the website, plus regular updates across social media.
The Western Weekender is a true icon in Penrith and a local business success story in its own right.
Publication Day: Thursday
Editorial Deadline: Wednesday 12pm
Advertising Deadline: Tuesday 5pm
Contact Information
Phone: (02) 4722 2998
Address: PO Box 7105, South Penrith, NSW 2750
News tips and feedback: [email protected]
Sales enquiries: [email protected]