Cheryl Cartwright moved to Canberra from Melbourne in 1978 to work as a secretary for Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. In 1980 she enrolled in university studies and in 1984 returned to Provisional Parliament House as a journalist. She worked in the Press Gallery before moving to Adelaide in 1988 but returned to Canberra in 1990 as a reporter in the new Parliament House.

In this excerpt, Cheryl recalls how the smallness of the building and the closeness of the offices, including the Press Gallery, allowed her and the 2GB team to break the news of Treasurer Paul Keating’s balanced budget in 1987, despite the journalists being in Budget lock up.

Cheryl Cartwright was recorded for the Oral History program by historian Barry York in 2009 and 2010. The full interview is not currently available online but can be listened to in the Australian Prime Ministers Centre. Please contact the Centre prior to your visit and quote the reference number OHI 161.