To describe Dianne Sattler, one needs a lexicon of 'F' words: forthright, fierce, fearsome, formidable, and funny. Foolish, however, has never applied. So, when the now-retired inaugural editor of STM agreed to a meeting with her former protégé, she undoubtedly saw through the thinly veiled pretext.
Arriving dressed in her signature black—a monochrome palette perhaps mirroring the ink in her veins—Sattler added a splash of flair with leopard-print heels. Even in those commanding shoes, which clicked authoritatively across the concrete floor of Long Chim, her stature remained diminutive. Yet, her influence on Western Australia's media landscape has been anything but small.
The Driving Vision Behind a Media Phenomenon
Our meeting, ostensibly to commemorate the 21st anniversary of STM, required the support of her original colleagues: deputy editor Jan Hallam, check sub-editor Martin Saxon, and food critic Gail Williams. They unanimously attest that Sattler's vision was the engine behind the magazine's instant success upon its newsprint launch on February 8, 2004.
"It took a lot of energy from a lot of people but it was really Di's vision that made STM the talk of the town," Hallam says. That vision was built on a foundation of quality journalism, local stories, and powerful imagery.
Former managing director Ish Davies recalls a leader who never shied from a confrontation. "I'd have a number of people text me in advance if she was on her way to my office," Davies says. "But that fire was part of her make-up and what made her good at what she did."
A Career Forged in a Male-Dominated Industry
Sattler's tenacity was honed in a different era. She began her career in Sydney in the 1960s, a time when workplace gender discrimination was rampant. She recalls being denied a reporter role because she was married and "would need to leave work early to go home and cook her husband dinner."
That husband was Howard Sattler, the well-known Perth radio host. The couple moved to Perth in 1968, where Dianne quickly found work at The West Australian. Her career path included pivotal roles at now-defunct publications like The Sunday Independent and The Western Mail, where she edited Perth's first gloss colour newspaper magazine.
One of her most famous career moments involved the 1979 visit of Prince Charles to Cottesloe Beach. While various parties claim credit, Sattler maintains the iconic photo of model Jane Priest kissing the Prince was orchestrated from her office. "The result was one of the most iconic pictures of the 70s," she states.
Building a Legacy and a Winning Team
After a stint running a PR firm with Howard, Sattler returned to newspapers post-divorce, joining The Sunday Times in 1995. When the idea for a new magazine was conceived in 2003 to challenge The West Australian's dominance, Sattler was the natural choice to lead it.
STM was an immediate hit, boosting The Sunday Times' circulation and becoming woven into Perth's social fabric. In 2007, it evolved from newsprint to a glossy magazine, a change Sattler believes may have been influenced by a congratulatory visit from Lachlan Murdoch.
Under her leadership, STM became a launchpad for WA talent like models Gemma Ward and Megan Gale, and secured early interviews with sporting greats like Daniel Ricciardo and Minjee Lee. Perhaps more importantly, it told powerful local human stories, such as former senator Louise Pratt's interview about her relationship with her transgender partner.
Her success was bolstered by a carefully assembled team. Hallam was her thoughtful lieutenant, while stylist Teagan Sewell and designer Adam Lloyd were credited with elevating the magazine's aesthetic. Check sub-editor Martin Saxon, a witty wordsmith, was one of the few who would give Sattler as good as he got.
"She was a bloody good operator," Saxon says. "She built from scratch the incredibly successful Western Mail magazine in the early 80s, then did it all again with STM in the 2000s."
Reflecting on a career marked by high standards and fierce determination, the team agrees the experience was both exhausting and fun. For Sattler, a woman who preferred to stay behind the scenes, her legacy is undeniable. The story of STM's birth is, inextricably, the story of Dianne Sattler.
