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Charles Bean, you were born in Bathurst and educated in both Australia and England. You returned home in 1904 going on to become a journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald. When the First World War started, calls went out for reporters. Charles, how did you get the position as Australia’s official war correspondent, and what did the job involve?

Competition for the right to cover the war was fierce and during his interview Bean’s instructions (.docx 528kB) were clear. Appointment to the position placed Bean in unknown territory (.docx 528kB) as it differed slightly from that of a true journalist and was unique.