In a place like Jervis Bay, it is easy to assume people know what is happening around them. Yet many locals shared the same experience: hearing about a great event after it happened or discovering an interesting business only by chance. That gap is exactly what Sam Tannous set out to change.
As the founder of Jervis Bay Weekend Magazine, Sam created an independent media platform that shines a light on the people, events and ideas shaping the region. In doing so she has become one of the area’s quiet ‘connectors’, helping locals engage more deeply with where they live and helping visitors understand that Jervis Bay is far more than just another holiday destination.
“There was a complete lack of news about Jervis Bay. There was no media outlet dedicated to what was happening here” Sam said.
A lifelong calling
For Sam, media was never a late‑career pivot. It was something she had imagined since childhood. She remembers creating her own newspapers on a typewriter and handing them out to friends and family. Every school work‑experience opportunity led her towards journalism and magazines.
Her first real break came at aged nineteen, when her uncle gave her what she still calls ‘the best Christmas present’ she ever received: a role as editorial assistant on an adventure magazine called Out There, published through the Paddy Palin outdoor retail group. That early opportunity launched a career spanning more than three decades across journalism, publishing, public relations and corporate communications.
“Getting a job on a magazine at nineteen was my dream come true.”
Sam later moved into senior communications roles in Sydney, including Head of Corporate Communications for an ASX‑listed company, before running her own boutique PR and corporate communications agency for fifteen years.
Seeing the opportunity
After years working in corporate, Sam moved from Sydney to Jervis Bay initially for what she thought would be a short sabbatical. Instead, the lifestyle and the community changed her plans and she never left. We’re glad she didn’t.
While launching an arts and culture initiative called Arts Muster, she realised there was no dedicated media platform covering the region. Publications existed for neighbouring coastal towns, but nothing focused specifically on Jervis Bay. At the same time, she noticed something many locals have experienced themselves – people were often discovering great things in the area only after they had happened.
“I would hear people say they went to something amazing the weekend before and think, I would have loved to go to that – but I didn’t know it was on.”
So Sam created a platform to bring those stories together, ensuring that no-one missed the opportunity to read about what’s going on in region. Jervis Bay Weekend Magazine was born.
More than a what’s‑on guide
Today, the magazine publishes weekly, alongside a monthly wellbeing edition. Together they reflect just how much activity exists across the region. But the magazine is not simply a what’s‑on guide. Sam’s aim is to help readers make better use of their leisure time – something increasingly precious in busy lives. Every story must pass three tests: is it about leisure time, is it newsworthy, and what can the reader do after reading it?
“When someone reads a story and feels inspired, we want them to take the next step – visit somewhere, book something or explore something locally.”
Locals and visitors
The audience is a mix of locals and frequent visitors from key tourism markets such as Sydney and Canberra. Many readers have strong connections to the region through holiday homes or family. They often use the magazine to decide when they will visit and what they will do once they arrive.
“People read the magazine when they’re already thinking about how they’re going to spend their time.”
With a weekly readership of some 4000 people, and a website that receives a monthly average of 80,000 impressions in the off-season, Jervis Bay Weekend Magazine makes it a valuable platform for local restaurants, events, tourism operators and small businesses looking to reach an engaged regional audience.
Supporting the local business community
Sam has also played an important role in supporting the wider small business ecosystem, including initiatives with Greenhouse Huskisson. Through events, collaborations and storytelling, the magazine has helped amplify conversations around regional entrepreneurship and small business growth.
More recently, Sam launched a new initiative called The Biz – a dedicated platform designed to connect local business owners with opportunities, grants, education programs and collaboration. She is also involved in the Greenhouse Small Business Seminars which piloted in 2025 and will return this year.
“Small businesses here need a place to connect and discover opportunities they might otherwise miss.”
Creativity beyond publishing
Outside publishing, Sam has always maintained a strong creative life. She began playing the violin at the age of five and today performs with the O’Carallan Trio in Jervis Bay and the Milton Ulladulla Symphony Orchestra. If that wasn’t enough, she’s also a talented textile artist in felt making, indigo dyeing and Japanese shibori techniques – an art practice she has developed over the past two decades.
“When you spend a lot of time doing ‘head work’, it’s important to have something creative your hands can do.”
Arts Muster
That creative passion also led to the creation of Arts Muster an annual event in Huskisson combining workshops, artisan markets and promotional support for makers and craftspeople. The aim is simple: create more opportunities for artists to share their work and generate income.
“It’s incredibly difficult for artists to make a living from their work. Arts Muster exists to create more opportunities for them.”
Looking ahead
After years interviewing local entrepreneurs, artists and innovators, Sam believes the region is entering an exciting phase of growth. From emerging businesses in places like the Woollamia industrial area to the expanding hospitality and creative sectors, Jervis Bay continues to attract talented people choosing to build something meaningful in a regional setting.
“There’s an incredible amount of talent tucked away in pockets of Jervis Bay.”
Through Jervis Bay Weekend Magazine, Sam continues to uncover those stories and share them with a wider audience. Not just reporting on the region but helping connect the community that makes it thrive.
For more information on Jervis Bay Weekend Magazine, you can contact Sam at hello@jervisbayweekend.com.au.