After a brief stint working for 'the other side' in the public relations industry, Heather decided to jump ship and follow her passion for journalism.
The switch led her to the red dust of the Pilbara where she cut her teeth covering the region's news from the coastal town of Port Hedland.
Her most memorable moment up north was breaking the story of the man in Newman who casually drove his plane to the pub for a beer.
After the boom went bust, Heather decided to move back home to Perth where she began reporting for WAtoday in 2015.
If she's not sitting at the back of a court room covering the crime round, she's probably trawling the internet for weird and quirky social media stories – a favourite being the world's most confusing parking dispute.
And with a name like Heather, she's also unwittingly become the weather reporter and is expected to always know when it's going to rain – especially if the boss wants to play golf that day.
When she's not working, Heather is known for being overly competitive at quiz nights and being generally useless at erecting a tent.
She also loves cheering on the Fremantle Dockers, spending the day at the beach and water skiing.
If you've got a tip, you can contact Heather by email: heather.mcneill@fairfaxmedia.com.au or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.