WSJ ME aiming for return to Australia?

Wall Street Journal managing editor Robert Thomson, a native of Australia, may return to his home country to run News Corp.’s operations in that country, reports Stephen Mayne for the Sydney Morning Herald, and was recently in the country looking for schools for his children.

Mayne writes, “Thomson is a Melbourne boy who turns 50 on March 11, the same day Rupert Murdoch turns 80, and would like to finish his career in Australia.

“However, this deliberation over a possible return to Australia for Thomson has been going on for a couple of years.

“Thomson’s Wikipedia entry notes that he was in Melbourne last month picking up an honorary doctorate and speaking at the RMIT graduation ceremony.

“Was that recent visit Down Under the pre-cursor to the News Ltd succession?

“School starts in two weeks so we can either expect an announcement shortly or believe the story that Thomson has his hands full trying to eke out a return on the ridiculous $US6 billion News Corp paid for Dow Jones in 2007.”

Read more here. UPDATE: A Dow Jones spokeswoman denies that Thomson is leaving here.