Caroline Jones pioneered the 'revelatory' interview on TDT

Caroline Jones, OA and Australian Living Treasure, died the day before the 2022 national election, where Australians voted, perhaps more unambiguously than ever before, for a change in our political system towards integrity, unity and justice for the poor, women, climate and the Aborigines.

The above goals were paramount in Caroline Jones' 53 years of journalistic work with the ABC, culminating in her compering ABC TV's The Australian Story and her Search For Meaning radio series.

Caroline became the trailblazer for female TV journalists in Australia when she joined This Day Tonight, Australia's first and highest rating national TV current affairs program in 1968 as the first female reporter in the history of Australian TV.

TDT was a ground-breaking daily TV current affairs program, which set the stage for many of its subsequent off-shoots, including the still running The 7.30 Report.

It was therefore befitting for the current compere of The 7.30 Report, Leigh Sales, to honour Caroline Jones with a tribute as she began the ABC TV's 2022 federal election-day coverage.

She said she owed much of her career to the 'warrior for women' who kicked down the door for female reporters in Australia as host of ABC flagship programs.

The reason you are watching a woman anchor the ABC's federal election coverage tonight is because trailblazers like Caroline Jones did the heavy lifting over decades. …she was a great encourager of her colleagues and we pay tribute to her incredible public service, her grace and her impeccable character.

Numerous further tributes followed on social media.

The group, Women in Media printed one of her quotes on a t-shirt that read:

I know there is a special place in heaven for women who help other women.

ABC reporter Annabel Crabb called her 'A superb woman. Clever, brave, funny and generous.'

Former ABC managing director Mark Scott praised her as 'a giant of Australian journalism', while Lisa Wilkinson said she was 'a pioneer in particular for generations of female journalists' and became 'the gold standard'.