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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Lainie Anderson? An and-erson.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lainie Anderson
OAM
Anderson in 2026
Born1969 or 1970 (age 56–57)
Cleve, South Australia
Education
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • historian
  • novelist
SpouseMax Anderson
Children2
Academic background
ThesisMurder mystery as history: the indomitable Miss Cocks. re-presenting pioneer policewoman Kate Cocks (2024)
Academic work
DisciplineCreative writing
InstitutionsUniversity of South Australia
Websitelainieanderson.com.au

Lainie Lee Anderson (born 1969/1970) is an Australian novelist, historian and former journalist.

Anderson received her education in journalism from the University of South Australia, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990. She started off as a journalist in the Victoria region before becoming a political journalist for the Herald Sun in Melbourne and later a sub-editor of The Times in London. Anderson came back to Adelaide in 2000 to work in public relations, journalism and broadcasting after working as a columnist for Sunday Mail from 2007 to 2023.

In 2010, Anderson founded a resource network called Mining Family Matters and in 2011–2012 conducted research on the 1919 England-to-Australia air race as part of the Churchill Fellowship, which resulted in publication of the book Long Flight Home and participation in the production of the documentary The Greatest Air Race. In 2024, Anderson pursued her doctoral studies at her alma mater on the biography of South Australian policewoman Kate Cocks, which was the starting point for her historical crime fictions.

Early life and education

[edit]

Lainie Lee Anderson[1] was born in Cleve, South Australia between 1969 and 1970.[2] She attended Minlaton High School in the Yorke Peninsula. Inspired by her English and Australian history teacher, she took up an interest in journalism.[3] Anderson enrolled at the University of South Australia in 1987, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 1990.[4]

Career

[edit]

Sunraysia Daily hired Anderson in Mildura, Victoria. Afterwards, she was employed by the Shepparton News and The Weekly Times. In Melbourne, she worked as a political journalist for the Herald Sun from 1995 to 1998. In the late 1990s, Anderson worked for several Fleet Street papers in London.[3] She later joined The Times as a sub-editor from 1999 to 2001.[5]

In 2000, Anderson returned to Adelaide to take up the role of public relations manager with the South Australian Tourism Commission.[3] She would continue to work there until 2005. Anderson later served the same role for Education Adelaide from 2006 to 2009. She also started writing a weekly column in the Sunday Mail from 2007 to 2023. At the same time, Anderson was also a radio host in FIVEaa from 2008 to 2011.[5] In 2009, Anderson covered the story of the Vickers Vimy airplane stored at Adelaide Airport, and that inspired her to do more research about the 1919 flight from England to Australia made by South Australians Ross and Keith Smith along with their mechanics.[3]

At the start of 2010, Anderson and Alicia Ranford founded Mining Family Matters, a resource website for the families connected with the mining and resources industries, especially those impacted by fly-in fly-out (FIFO) operations in distant locations.[3] The website created a Survival Guide for mining families in French and Dutch. Until 2022, Anderson served among its directors.[4] On 8 December 2011, the duo served as witnesses in a public hearing held by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Australia in Adelaide for its inquiry into the FIFO workforce[6]

Anderson was elected to the board of the Adelaide Riverbank Authority for a term that ended in 2018.[5] She was also on the executive committees of the History Council of South Australia, the History Trust of South Australia and the Federation of Australian Historical Societies.[3]

The historic Vickers Vimy on display at Adelaide Airport, September 2025

Tracing back to her earlier work, in 2016, Anderson received the Churchill Fellowship for researching the historical importance of the 1919 air race.[4] This fellowship was officially conferred in 2017. During her research, she visited nine countries.[3] Anderson's research led to the publication of the book titled Long Flight Home which tells the story of the 1919 air race, published by Wakefield Press. She was also involved in producing the documentary film titled The Greatest Air Race hosted by astronaut Andy Thomas.[4] In relations to this, Anderson was appointed as an ambassador and coordinator for the Epic Flight Centenary by the history trust in 2019.[7] She was also selected as a member of the South Australian Regional Selection Committee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.[5]

During the COVID-19 lockdown period in 2020, Anderson started her investigation on the life and career of policewoman Kate Cocks. This research transformed into PhD thesis in communications at her alma mater[3] based on research in State Library of South Australia and South Australia Police archives.[8] Anderson's thesis was written in 2024 when she was awarded Doctor of Philosophy degree.[4] This case study became the basis for murder mystery works which involves historical characters and events.[8] As a result of the research Anderson has made a two-book deal with Hachette Australia concerning The Death of Dora Black and Murder mystery Murder on North Terrace.[3]

Anderson advocated for voluntary assisted dying and volunteered as a media advisor and spokesperson for Voluntary Assisted Dying South Australia.[5] She claims that her involvement in the matter was due to her dad being an advocate for it prior to his death by cancer in 2009.[3] In 2021, Anderson got elected to the board of Reconciliation South Australia, working there up to 2024. She has been an ambassador for the Hutt Street Centre.[5] Anderson pulled out of Adelaide Writers' Week in January 2026, alongside numerous other writers, in protest against the removal of Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from the list of participants by the festival board.[9]

Honours and awards

[edit]

In 2011, Anderson and her Mining Family Matters co-founder Ranford won the a joint national award for the Australian Mining Prospect Award for community interaction. In 2012, they she shared the a People's Choice Award at the South Australia Telstra Business Awards. In 2013, she they again shared the Brand South Australia Regional Award for Innovation. In 2015, she once again earned an the Australian Mining Prospect Award. In the same year, she was jointly awarded the Health Award at the South Australian Regional Awards.[5]

In 2023, Anderson received the Emerging Historian of the Year award from the History Council of South Australia.[10][11] For her contribution to community history, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2026 Australia Day Honours.[5][12]

Personal life

[edit]

Anderson lives in Adelaide with her husband, Max.[13] They have twin sons,[14] Harry and Jack.[4]

Publications

[edit]
  • Anderson, Lainie (2019). Long Flight Home. Wakefield Press. ISBN 978-1-74305-663-9.
  • Anderson, Lainie (8 November 2022). "Hidden women of history: Kate Cocks, the pioneering policewoman who fought crime and ran a home for babies—but was no saint". The Conversation. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  • Anderson, Lainie (2024). "From Fact to Historic Fiction and Beyond: A Journalist's Journey into a Parallel Academic Universe". A/B: Auto/Biography Studies. 39 (3): 715–728. doi:10.1080/08989575.2024.2429319.
  • Anderson, Lainie (28 August 2024). The Death of Dora Black. A Petticoat Police Mystery. Hachette Australia. ISBN 9780733652073.
  • Anderson, Lainie (30 September 2025). Murder on North Terrace. A Petticoat Police Mystery. Hachette Australia. ISBN 9780733652097.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Appendix C – List of witnesses, hearings and inspections". Parliament of Australia. 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 12 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  2. ↑ Anderson, Lainie (4 April 2015). "Lainie Anderson: Suddenly, at 45, I'm feeling my age — dammit!". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "QA | Lainie Anderson". Hills Wanderer. Archived from the original on 12 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lainie Anderson". Winston Churchill Trust. Archived from the original on 27 January 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Australia Day 2026 Honours List: Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division" (PDF). Governor-General of Australia. Office of the Governor-General. 26 January 2026. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mining Family Matters". ABC listen. 8 August 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Patron: Lainie Anderson". History Trust of South Australia. Archived from the original on 10 April 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  8. 1 2 Gannon, Genevieve (2 September 2024). "Book Club: The Death of Dora Black by Lainie Anderson". The Australian Women's Weekly. Archived from the original on 11 December 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  9. ↑ Karakulak, Helen (9 January 2026). "Writers' Week under threat of collapse as list of writers leaving nears 100". InDaily. Archived from the original on 20 August 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  10. ↑ "'Wonder Women': Celebrating SA's weird and wonderful women". History Trust of South Australia. 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 3 December 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "Newsletter". History Council of South Australia. 14 June 2023. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  12. ↑ Koch, Rhiannon (27 January 2026). "Australia Day honours awarded to Adelaide University community". Adelaide University. Archived from the original on 12 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "Lainie Anderson". Hachette Australia. Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 17 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "Lainie Anderson". Wakefield Press. Archived from the original on 12 September 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
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