A NINE‑YEAR‑OLD Thornlands local is bringing his neighbourhood closer together, one newsletter at a time.
Jonah Hanbury, a Year 4 student with a growing passion for journalism, has launched a monthly community newsletter that’s quickly becoming a local favourite among residents on his street and the surrounding area.
Jonah says the idea began simply as “a fun project,” but it has already evolved into something much bigger.
“I wanted to connect people with each other and see what people had been up to and share good and exciting news,” he said.
What started as a single‑page bulletin has now doubled in size as neighbours eagerly send him stories, updates and ideas to include.
Each edition features Jonah’s signature touches – a fun fact, a comedy corner, and a commitment to keeping the content upbeat.
“I like to only write positive things to make people smile,” he said.
But he’s not afraid to tackle topics that matter.
His favourite story so far has been an article about the local park, where he highlighted the need for renovations and expressed his hope to speak with the council.
“I like writing about things like that because I think it will be important to lots of people in the neighbourhood and I like to try and help people,” he said.
The community has embraced Jonah’s efforts wholeheartedly.
After each issue is posted to the neighbourhood Facebook group, he receives a flood of encouraging comments.
“Lots of well-done’s and content for the next newsletter,” he said.
Jonah’s ambitions don’t stop at two pages.
He hopes to expand the newsletter further and even dreams of turning journalism into a career one day.
He’s already thinking like a future editor, exploring the idea of inviting local businesses to advertise to help cover printing costs.
One business, Bianca Stubbs Real Estate, has stepped in to print the newsletter for free after Jonah ran into trouble producing his first issue.
In return, he proudly features her name in each edition.
For now, Jonah is focused on growing his project and continuing to bring neighbours together, proving that community spirit can come from even the smallest journalist on the street.
