Rupert Murdoch’s sister, Janet Calvert-Jones has stepped down from her role as chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times after 20 years at the helm. She remains on the board after her retirement today, marked by a lunch in Melbourne to honour her contribution. It was attended by News Limited chairman and chief executive John Hartigan, Herald & Weekly Times managing director Peter Blunden, Julian Clarke, who served as HWT managing director for 16 years until his retirement in 2007, and employees. Julian Clarke will replace Mrs Calvert-Jones as chairman. Janet Calvert-Jones says she was honoured to serve as chairman and expressed her appreciation for “the wonderful contribution” of those who work for HWT: “I have had a fascinating and fulfilling time.” She recalled the childhood experience of visiting her father, Keith Murdoch, in his office at the ‘Herald’ which, she says, “taught me how much he cared for his employees. "This had such a lasting impression on me that when I accepted the chairmanship I knew that the one important thing I could offer would be to re-energise the family atmosphere that existed at HWT in his day."