If you were a Toronto Star reporter in the mid-’70s, you knew better than to mess with Ted Bolwell, an Australian expat with the temperament of a Tasmanian devil.

“He was tough as nails and had a tongue on him that could carve you up like a turkey if you didn’t perform to his standards,” said veteran automotive journalist Norris McDonald, who worked with Bolwell at the Star.

For all of his toughness, Bolwell was a well-liked editor who left a mark on famed publications in both Canada and the United States.

He died Sunday, soon after a hip replacement operation. He was 85.

Bolwell was born in Victoria, Australia, and began started his career at the Melbourne Herald, one of the country’s biggest newspapers.

At 25 years old, he moved to Toronto to work for the CBC, editing radio news for a few months. He had a nine-year stint at the Globe and Mail in various roles, including as the national editor and editor of the paper’s weekly magazine.

“He did not tolerate mistakes and errors,” said John Ferguson, a close friend of Bolwell’s. “You wouldn’t want him editing your copy, it better be clean.”

In 1967, he made his first foray into American media, working as the assistant city editor at the New York Times for three years. He then performed several roles at Time magazine, before arriving at the Star in 1973. Within a few months, he became managing editor.