Sunrise: Natalie Barr discovers her 1987 rejection letter from Channel Seven

She may host Australia’s most popular breakfast show, but during the early days of her career Natalie Barr was struggling to get a foot in the door at Channel Seven.

The 54-year-old was clearing out her childhood home in Bunbury, WA, when she discovered a rejection letter from Seven’s Perth bureau, dated June 1987.

Her mother Julie had kept the letter, which Natalie received at age 19, as a reminder of how far her daughter had come in her journalism career.

Natalie had applied for an entry-level job in the Perth newsroom but was told there weren’t any ‘suitable positions’ for her.

However, the HR manager reassured the young reporter they would keep her details ‘on file’ for future job openings.

‘Keep trying, kids, that’s the lesson here,’ said Natalie, who is now one of Seven’s most high-profile presenters. 

She revealed there was a large pile of similar rejection letters, but it did not stop her determination to succeed in the industry.

‘Basically every television network, radio station and newspaper in the entire state rejected me,’ she said. 

Her expression of interest was one of many she had sent to media outlets, such as the ABC and the Sunday Times, when she was a budding reporter.

She found the letter during a visit to her home town, which coincided with a week-long series of segments promoting Western Australia. 

During her search, Natalie and her mother also uncovered family photos and school reports.

Natalie became a co-host of Sunrise in March 2021 after Samantha Armytage resigned from the position.

She had previously been the show’s long-serving newsreader.