Mr Sommerlad was a giant in the newspaper industry throughout the New England region for many years.

Mr Sommerlad was the younger son of the late EC Sommerlad, another giant of the newspaper industry who had been the editor and proprietor of newspapers in Inverell, Glen Innes and Armidale.

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Before following in his father's footsteps, David was educated at Sydney Grammar School where, in addition to his studies, he was prominent in sport, representing the school in football, cricket and athletics.

After serving his cadetship as a journalist on the Newcastle Sun, including a period in its Sydney office, he went to England in 1951 for further experience.

For 14 months he was on the literary staff of the Yorkshire Observer at Bradford, in the heart of the British woollen industry, and also took the opportunity to travel through the United Kingdom and Ireland, and most of the countries of Western Europe and Scandinavia. This included attending the Olympic Games in Helsinki.

A number of articles Mr Sommerlad sent from Bradford were published in The Inverell Times.

He was about to take up an appointment in London's famous Fleet Street when he was suddenly recalled to Australia when his father became ill. EC Sommerlad died in 1952.

He joined The Inverell Times as senior reporter in October 1952.

In January 1953 Mr Sommerlad was appointed managing editor of the Glen Innes Examiner, before returning to Inverell the following year as managing editor of The Inverell Times.

For more than two decades - 1955 to 1977 - he was the Times' managing editor, and from 1971 he was also managing editor of the Examiner until 1977.

He then moved to The Armidale Express as manager from 1977 to 1981, before becoming executive editor of Rural Press Limited from 1982 to 1988.

Mr Sommerlad had a long involvement with the NSW Country Press Association, where his father had served as secretary and president for almost 20 years.

The younger Sommerlad would also become a life member after serving as president from 1983 to 1986, then as executive editor from 1988 to 2003.

He had also been elected president in 1987, the same year he was awarded life membership.

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