John Iremonger migrated from London with his family to settle in Sydney in 1952.
He studied history and politics at Sydney University and moved to the Australian National University (ANU) to undertake postgraduate studies in history. While at the ANU, Iremonger became involved in the establishment of the ANU Press and was founding editor of the ANU Historical Journal. In 1971 he became production manager of ANU Press.
Iremonger was involved in the Australian Labor Party campaigns of 1972 and 1975 and in 1973 joined the staff of the member for the ACT, Kep Enderby. With Dick Hall, he co-wrote, The Makers and the Breakers about the November 1975 dismissal of the Whitlam government.
Returning to Sydney in 1977 Iremonger established the publishing house Hale & Iremonger with Sylvia Hale. He was later approached to join Allen & Unwin where he stayed throughout the 1980s. In early 1990 he became publisher at Melbourne University Press before returning to Allen & Unwin in 1994.
Iremonger was a founding member of the National Advisory Council of the ABC, board member of the Australian Museum, member and then deputy chairman of the Literature Board of the Australia Council, and president of the Library Society in NSW. He received a Doctorate of Letters from the University of Melbourne in 2001.
In 2004 Allen & Unwin instituted the annual John Iremonger Award for Writing on Public Issues in his memory.
Source: 'At the Heart of a Nation's Cultural Life' by Michael Sexton ( Sydney Morning Herald, 24 August 2002 p.42)
