Farewell (and bon voyage) to our matriarch
Opinion
There are colleagues and then there is Rosie McMutrie, the designer who worked diligently behind the scenes here at The Southern Cross for decades.
Not only did she make our words look good on a page, she was the glue that held our little team together.
Rosie’s first day at the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide was 13 April 1988.
“I came in for three days to help with the launch of the Catholic News Centre,” she said during her retirement speech. “Thirty-eight-and-a-half years later… I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
There was never a dull moment. Rosie worked with 10 newspaper editors in her time at the Archdiocese. She was privileged to meet and work alongside seven archbishops and bishops, countless journalists, and loved her interactions with Solstice Media and our printers.
The Southern Cross newspaper team 2026. From Left” Christina Francis, editor Richard Evans, designer Rosie McMutrie, Tim Coyle, Katie Spain and Mary Coombe.
She watched the Saint Francis Xavier’s Cathedral being built, saw the installation of the organ which closed the Cathedral for many months, and was there when the newspaper captured the death of popes, and elections that followed, even working on a Sunday after the death of one pope to make sure we met our deadline the next day.
Rosie cherished the simple workday moments. She loved interacting with our printers and always gave praise for the great work they did.
She and her colleagues shared an impressive ability to bring a crowd together for a comms office gatherings and her football tipping, and her love for the Adelaide Crows is legendary.
Rosie is the first to admit she has the gift of the gab. If Sr Liz or one of her many associates didn’t turn up for a chat at Rosie’s desk, you knew it would be a slow news week.
She has the kind of personality that brings an office together and a laugh that lights it up. The office won’t be the same without her.
During her farewell gathering, the Catholic Archdiocese community gathered to hear The Southern Cross editor Richard Evans and Archbishop Patrick O’Regan share their thanks for a career most only dream of; a job you actually enjoy – deep in your soul.
How do you thank a colleague who became a friend to so many? Words on a page don’t do her justice. So, as we wave Rosie on to her next exciting chapter (the long lunch and cruise ship chapter) I’ll leave you with the Archbishop O’Regan’s wise words.
Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide staff gather for Rosie McMutrie’s farewell.
“It’s not just the big achievements that we can pin on a board, but it’s the day-by-day faithfulness of turning up and making a difference that matter. You bring not only a vast array of skills but a gentle and beautiful way of expressing that,” he said.
“In a world that is very ephemeral – meaning it’s ‘here today, gone tomorrow’, we know the importance of keeping a record and keeping the memory alive and I think that’s what your work does. Thank you for being that living memory as well.”
