In an email to staff this morning, Ms Torney announced she would finish at the national broadcaster in September to take up the position as CEO of the State Library Victoria.

“For 20 years I have had the great pleasure of working with the industry’s best and brightest,” she said.

“During that time, barely a day has passed where I haven’t recognised what a privilege it is to work in journalism and how proud I am to work at the ABC.

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“There will be plenty of time to say goodbye over the next couple of months, but today I send my heartfelt thanks to you all for helping make this chapter of my career so rewarding.”

Head of newsgathering Craig McMurtrie will act as director of news from September.

Ms Torney, who took on the role in 2009, began her journalism career as a radio and TV reporter, later working as producer, bureau chief and editor.

She joined the ABC in 1995 and, prior to assuming the news director role, was the founding executive producer of Insiders and headed the Asia-Pacific News Centre.

ABC chairman James Spigelman said the board was “very sorry” to see Ms Torney move on.

“She has been a strong leader of the News Division and on her watch she has transformed the services on offer to Australians everywhere,” he said.

“I am confident that she will make an outstanding contribution to the public services delivered by Australia’s library community.”