Media essays

A history of The Age newspaper

By Nonie Stava

(essay -- 2004)

Ripe old Age: 150 years of Melbourne's greatest newspaper
'Since 1854 it has played a pivotal role in the life of Victoria, mirroring its transformation from gold rush boom state, to birthplace of Federation, through two World Wars, a depression and the modern era, to the vibrant place it is today.'
- Michael Gawenda, Editor-in-chief (The Age)
Spoken from the heart, these words of praise refer to The Age - Melbourne's oldest newspaper. Quickly approaching its 150th anniversary, the publication has progressed greatly over the years, contributing immensely to the Australian newspaper industry.
However, smooth sailing is not a term best used when discussing the history and development of The Age. Since its launch by Henry and James Cooke on 17 October, 1854, The Age has encountered many trials and tribulations; reaching great highs, and even greater lows. Despite many set backs it has become an exemplary daily newspaper - reining superior over its competitors. Ambrose Pratt, the writer of David Syme: The father of protection in Australia, attributing The Age's success 'Not to its ability to interpret and represent public opinion on the questions of the day…but because it favors no section of the community, and attempts to do justice to all.'History of the Australian newspaper industry
Providing a context in which to place the development of The Age (which was one of many newspapers to emerge during colonial Australia), is the history of the Australian newspaper industry.
The nation's first official newspaper - the 'Sydney Gazette, was published 200 years ago on 5 March, 1803, by the transported convict, George Howe,' says Victor Isaacs and Rod Kirkpatrick the compositors of The Australian Press - a bicentennial retrospect. Much like the Royal Gazette of early modern century Europe, the Sydney Gazette was compiled from news collected inside the offices of Government. As a weekly publication it consisted of four, three columned pages of portfolio size; its initial function being to provide greater circulation to Government orders. Cursed with high production costs due to the need to import newsprint, it failed in 1842 during the New South Wales colony's first depression.
The Australian, started by W.C. Wentworth and Robert Wardell in 1824, was another significant colonial newspaper. Outspoken, independent, and not at all respectful of authority, 'It appealed to a new social grouping of urban shopkeepers, professionals, and locally based traders and merchants,' says Isaacs and Kirkpatrick. Originally intended to compete with the Sydney Gazette, it fared similar financial problems - closing in 1848.
Despite this, the prevalence of colonial papers did start to increase during the 1830s. According to Isaacs and Kirkpatrick, 'By the late 1830s, within each capital city of the Australian colonies, there was intense competition to satisfy the interests and tastes of the large and diverse leading public.' Editors began to give specific interest to particular groups and geographical areas. Furthermore, via their tendency to publish local poetry and, later, fiction, nineteenth-century newspapers and their editors were essentially responsible for the growth of Australian literature.
Of particular interest is the latter half of the 20th century, where a focus on the sporting arena saw the introduction of specialist publications like Referee and the Sporting Globe. This period also saw the Murdoch (Fairfax) and Packer corporations exercise their dominance within the media circuit.

From this point onwards, these two media moguls brought about many changes within the industry. The 'folding' of smaller publications into larger ones was a common occurrence, with Packer's Australian Financial Times merging with the Bulletin in March 1962. Many smaller newspapers benefited from the growth of these two empires. For example, after purchase by Fairfax in 1969, 'The Age was able to print and distribute at the same time as other newspapers in Melbourne,' says Isaacs and Kirkpatrick.
The domination of the Packer and Murdoch corporations has since then, for seen the closure of the Herald and Weekly Times, and established the structure of the media industry we have today.
Photography is also worth mentioning in relation to the history of the Australian newspaper industry. Publications nation-wide were quick to take on this new technology which provided them with a visual supplement to accompany their articles. Starting with black and white, and then color, photography has now reached the digital age. Containing the most memorable historical front-page photographs, Kathleen Whelan's book - Photography of the age: newspaper photography in Australia, highlights the ever changing photographic styles and trends throughout the history of Australian journalism.

David Syme: the most influential proprietor of The Age
Those who have written about The Age, attribute its ability to establish itself within the competitive and harsh Australian newspaper industry to David Syme - the man who owned and edited the publication from 1860 to his death in 1908.
Born on 2 October, 1827, in North Berwick, Scotland, Syme began his time in Australia in 1851, where he worked as a road contractor in Eldorado, Victoria. Driven by a taste for newspapers developed during earlier in life; in 1856 he 'Put some capital into a partnership with his brother Ebenezer, who had recently become the sole proprietor of the two-year-old daily, The Age,' says Syme's grandson Ranald Macdonald and writer of David Syme.
After his brother's death in 1860, Syme (now the sole proprietor of The Age) went about restructuring and establishing an editorial stance which was aligned with his own ideas and opinions. According to Charles Edward Sayers, the writer of David Syme: a life, 'David Syme as editor and publisher formulated and influenced the policies of the Government.' From 1860-1880, 'Land reform, creation of local industry and constitutional reform were the initial focal points of Syme's editorial policy,' says Macdonald. He also supported secular education (the idea that no religious group should have access to state money for its schools) and was interested in agricultural advancement.
Pushing for a “protective” policy in favor of native productions against the imported, competing article, Syme became known as the “father of protection.” 'The goal of Syme's policy was the creation of a nation which should be able to supply the whole of its needs and be independent of other countries for its means of subsistence,' says Pratt.
In his battle for land reform, Syme also spoke out about squatters. According to Pratt, Syme held the belief that 'The squatters who now hold it (land) and, without the shadow of a title, presume to claim it for their own in perpetuity, are robbers and public enemies.'
Due to his nose for political malfeasance, bribery and burecratic extravagance, Syme published a number of stories which made specific allegations into the actions of parliamentation and the Government - opening the doors to a series of libel cases against himself.
With reference to one case, Sayers says 'Syme was prosecuted for criminal libel because, after uncovering what it claimed was a plot to indict the Government and one Charles Darling, The Age published two articles naming John Denniston Wood, the member of a prominent squatter family.' Mr Wood 'Claimed that Syme had published libelous and defamatory information and calculated to incite a breach of peace,' says Sayers. As a result, Syme appeared in the Melbourne City Court on 20 September, 1865, where he was committed for trial, and later proven to be libelous.
The strength of the newspaper developed after the 1886 elections, which brought about increased circulation of The Age. The 1880s known as the “boom” years, saw the newspaper 'Attack excessive expenditure of railway development and sweated labor, and also promote innovative agricultural techniques,' says Macdonald.
Syme was able to reduce the price of The Age to one penny from three pence, which, according to Sayers, 'ensured it was within the reach of the slenderest purse.' It is this period of time where 'Mr Syme was The Age, and The Age was Mr Syme,' says Pratt. Via The Age, Pratt believes 'Syme gained the trust of the Victorian public who believed in its honesty of purpose and the policy it advocated.'
'During the formative life of the State of Victoria The Age led almost every radical campaign for political, social and economic advancement. Under David Syme's ownership and control - from 1860 to his death in 1908 - The Age was the mouthpiece of the popular movements of the time, achieving a circulation of 120,000 copies per day on 10 August, 1899,' says Sayers.
In recognition of this noble man and his great achievements, The Age web site plays host to historical photographs taken of Syme during his proprietorship, as well as some of the buildings owned by the publication throughout its history.

Middle period: the time between Syme & Macdonald
The period of time between the proprietorships of David Syme and his grandson Ranald Macdonald, is an era sometimes referred to as the “bronze age” of The Age. According to Sybil Nolan, the writer of “Half a Century of Obscurity: The Age, 1908-1896,” 'Journalist accounts of The Age in these years generally suggest that the paper was second-rate, outdated in both its outlook and appearance.' 'It is inevitably criticized not only for its increasing conservatism, but for its failure to keep pace with innovations in layout and editorial technique,' says Nolan.
Central to The Age's difficulties during this middle period, was its struggle for commercial independence. According to Nolan, 'By WW2, the newspaper's circulation had dropped to 96,000 and profitability has declined dramatically.' Journalists and staff were subjected to ridiculous working conditions. 'In the reporters' room there was just one typewriter, the lighting was poor, and of course there was no proper heating or cooling,' says Nolan. Other publications faced similar problems after the great depression, but for some reason The Age faired worse.
According to Nolan, some of The Age's financial problems have been attributed to the clauses of David Syme's will, which 'Placed a number of extremely restrictive conditions on his heirs.' Syme's will declared that the Age business should remain in the possession of his widow and their five sons - insisting that Geoffrey and Herbert run the newspaper. Worst of all, however, 'Was the stipulation that the profits generated by The Age business should be distributed to the beneficiaries of his trust. This meant that there was no formal allowance for profits to be ploughed back into the development of the newspaper,' says Nolan.
'David Syme's will had two effects. On one hand, it meant that the paper could not be wholly or partly sold off during the difficult years of the 1930s, but it also meant that the Age business struggled on as an undercapitalized, old-fashioned family firm until the late 1940s,' says Nolan.
Saving the business from foreseeable failure, was the proprietorship of Oswald Syme, which came about in 1942 after his brother Geoffrey's death. With a business 35,000 pounds in the red, and with no funds in reserve, Oswald was left with the difficult task of turning The Age's financial situation around.
As the only remaining member of the trust, he 'Was able to convince the Supreme Court to allow his business to be incorporated,' says Nolan. Thus, 'In June 1948, the public company David Syme & Co. Ltd was established and 400,000 pounds raised through the sale of non-voting preference shares,' says Nolan.
Incorporation had other advantages besides allowing capital-raising: it created a stable structure within which Syme family ownership could continue, and brought the firm into a taxation regime more favorable to reinvestment in the business.

Thus, according to Nolan, 'In Australian journalism history, Oswald Syme is a transitional figure, linking the influential political broadsheet of the late nineteenth century to the elegant, modern journal The Age became in the 1970s.'

~Fairfax and beyond~
Oswald Syme's financial resurrection of The Age completely realigned the future of the publication. Possessing a stable economic outlook for the first time, 'In 1948 The Age attracted the attention of Warwick Fairfax, then chairman of John Fairfax & Sons, who offered to buy The Age outright or to contribute the capital its ownership needed while taking control of its management,' says Nolan. On these terms, 'Oswald Syme and the other David Syme trust members rejected Fairfax's offer,' says Nolan. However, she believes 'The refusal of a partnership probably resulted from Fairfax's insistence that it should have the right to nominate the paper's general manager.'
'The most interesting potential buyer, [however], was Rupert Murdoch, who, after the death of his father, inherited control of his family's small media company, News Limited,' says Nolan. After purchasing 30,000 David Syme & Co. Ltd shares from Sir Arthur Warner in 1959, Murdoch attempted to put forward an offer, but it is not known whether correspondence ever occurred between himself and the company's trustees.
In 1966, however, Warwick finally got his way - an agreement bringing Fairfax into the ownership of The Age. 'The failed round of negotiations helped David Syme & Co. Ltd to obtain better terms when its management was finally ready to make a deal,' says Nolan. 'Agreeing that the two companies would be equal partners in the decision-making so long as Syme family members held ten per cent or more of the total shareholding, David Syme & Co. Ltd was able to safeguard the paper's commercial independence,' says Nolan.
Since the Fairfax takeover, The Age has gone through many structural and behind the scene changes. Embracing advances in technology, The Age became Australia's first online newspaper - offering its readers an up-to-date alternative to broad sheet. Digital technology introduced in the mid-90s allowed The Age to use digital cameras for the first time at the Atlanta Olympic Games. The publication's style, layout and structure, has maintained a progressive nature - allowing for the addition and constant updating of special sections and inserts such as; The Good Weekend, Green Guide, and the entertainment section of The Age.
As noted on The Age's online version, one of The Age's most recent developments has been its $220 million investment in a new printing facility at Tullamarine. Representing one of the most important and exciting developments in the company's 150-year history, the world-class printing plant was one of Victoria's largest construction projects.
Designed by architect Ken Sowerby, and completed in 2002, the printing facility is striking in design and efficiency. The new facility has endeavored to greatly improve the working conditions of the newspaper, whose production staff previously worked in cramped and difficult conditions at Spencer Street. Most importantly, however, the new facility has brought about increased color, higher quality, and continued to improve The Age's sections, magazines and other publications.John Kilner: an inside perspective
Witness of many changes and developments to The Age, is current journalist and head of the Education section - John Kilner. Employed at the publication over the past 15 years - Kilner's most recent achievement is the production of the 2004 Mini Age.
Part of The Age's own 150th anniversary celebrations, the supplement is 'Dedicated to the people, who over the past 150 years, have labored long hours with the best interests of the publication at heart,' says Kilner. Documenting significant changes to The Age, such as; the addition of the “Odd Spot,” alterations to the newspaper's masthead, photography, as well as the ways in which advertisements have progressed over the years, readers of The Age, are provided with a glance into the inner-workings of their favorite daily.
Kilner also uses the Mini Age as a tool to advertise celebratory events the newspaper will be putting on. 'The Age is conducting a 150th anniversary schools program this year,' says Kilner. Three events and activities; “Our Victoria -The Age Art Challenge,” “150 years - 150 books - 150 words,” and “Photographic Forums,” will be conducted throughout the year - as will a forum involving Age journalists and a cartoon exhibition/competition.
In a recent telephone interview, Kilner explored and described some of The Age's developments he has seen. Commencing employment there in August 1989, he believes the style and layout of the newspaper has changed greatly over the years. According to Kilner, The Age's 'Greater use of supplements has attempted to gain a greater audience and readership.' Kilner says 'The overall look itself has altered, incorporating a friendlier design with the use of larger headings, more color and breakouts.'
He believes the style and focus of The Age's content has progressed greatly in recent years. 'Because of the prevalence of new technologies such as Internet, radio and television, the newspaper's influence has greatly declined,' says Kilner. Therefore, a lessened emphasis on hard-breaking news has increased the amount of feature and behind-the-scene type articles.
Of particular interest to Kilner is the question of whether or not The Age has improved during his time there. He believes it to be a big debate within the paper, because they have 'Certainly tried to improve it.' Kilner says, 'It's had to compare one time with another because of the advances in technology.' Despite believing personally that 'The quality of journalists is better - thus the paper is better,' Kilner concludes that everyone has their own view on this debate with the real answer lying with the customer.
Gaining its power during the proprietorship of David Syme, The Age has transformed into a publication who's social and political influence is said to be unmatched by any other Australian newspaper. Thus, despite its differing style, structure, and layout, those who exerted sweat, blood and tears at the hands of the paper, would be proud of The Age as we know it today.

~TIMELINE~
1854-1941
- 17 October, 1854: The Age was launched by the Cooke Brothers, Henry and James.
- June 1856: Ebenezer Syme bought The Age.
- September 1856: David Syme became a partner with his brother.
- March 1860: Ebenezer died leaving David the sole proprietor of the newspaper.
- 1868: Circulation had grown to 15,000 copies per day.
- 10 August, 1899: The newspaper's circulation was at 120, 000 copies a day.
- 14 February, 1908: Davis Syme died. His sons, Herbert and Geoffrey took over the proprietorship.
- 29 December, 1941: The first front page without classified advertising was published
1942-1968
- 1948-1964: Oswald Syme was proprietor.
- 16 March, 1949: The Green Guide launched (first free weekly radio guide March 12-18, 1949 “The Age Radio Guide”)
- 1 October, 1960: New Collins street building announced.
- 20 October, 1966: Ranald Macdonald (David Syme's great grandson) and Graham Perkins take charge.
- 14 December, 1966: Fairfax partnership begins.
- 14 March, 1967: Art/Entertainment pages released.
- 12 August, 1967: Masthead change.
- 10 February, 1968: The Age is an 84-page paper.
- 11 November, 1968: Listed as a top 10 newspaper.
- 28 December, 1968: Sunday paper announced.
1969-1989
- 8 January, 1969: New typeface introduced.
- 6 October, 1969: Completion of Spencer street move.
- 27 October, 1970: Computers! New sections in business and new column executive.
- 30 November, 1976: First Epicure Column.
- 25 November, 1978: 160-page paper produced.
- 28 August, 1979: The Age Good Food Guide launched.
- 6 February, 1982: Saturday Extra begins.
- 18 September, 1982: Last issue of large print Age.
- 19 July, 1983: Paper produced entirely by photocomposition using cold type.
- 14 September, 1983: Syme family sells shares to Fairfax.
- 27 September, 1985: Entertainment Guide (E.G.) launched; Good Weekend launched.
- 7 December, 1987: Warwick Fairfax formally assumes control as new Fairfax head; $2.5 billion takeover of John Fairfax Ltd.
- 20 August, 1989: State newsagents open for the first time on a Sunday to sell full Sunday papers.
1990-1999
- 8 May, 1991: Greg Taylor appointed chairman of the company's executive committee. First time in 150 years that chief operating officer will be based in Sydney rather than Melbourne.
- 25 March, 1992: $208 million public shares issued.
- 26 July, 1992: New charter of editorial independence for The Age and The Sunday Age formalized.
- 6 February, 1993: Michael Gawenda rejoins The Age.
- 28 December, 1993: The Age begins to use recycled paper.
- 3 March, 1995: John Fairfax Group Pty Ltd becomes John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd CAN 003 357 720.
- 5 May, 1996: Week ending May 5, Monday-to-Friday sales figures of 236,674 highest average sales since week ending April 10, 1982.
- 1 July, 1996: Metro begins (daily section).
- 6 September, 1997: Michael Gawenda appointed editor.
- 12 October, 1997: Sunday Age new sections; Sunday Drive, Sunday Money, Sunday Property; Applause (previously called Cue), Inside Story (previously called Agenda).
- 9 March, 1998: New-look format for The Age (new redesign and layout).
- 8 December, 1999: The Age's company name, David Syme & Co. Limited, is changed to The Age Company Ltd. David Syme & Co. Limited will be retained by The Age as a registered trademark.
2000-Present
- 1 July, 2000: The GST causes the Victorian price of The Age on weekdays to rise by 10 per cent.
- 30 January, 2001: Epicure section is re-launched as a full-color tabloid.
- 1 September, 2001: Price of Saturday Age rises to $1.90.
- 1 April, 2002: The price of the Monday to Friday Age rises to $1.20 a day. The increase, the first since the introduction of the GST in 2000, has been forced by rising costs.
- 15 November, 2002: Sunday Age Agenda section, produced at Tullamarine.

~BIBLIOGRAPHY~
-- “About The Age.” In Information about The Age, <http://www.theage.com.au/about.asp> (25-3-04).
-- Forbes, Cameron. The best of The Age: 1980-81. Thomas Nelson Australia, Melbourne, Vic, 1981.
-- Hutton, Geoffrey & Les Turner (Eds). 125 years of Age. West Melbourne, VIC: Thomas Nelson (Australia), 1979.
-- Isaacs, Victor & Rod Kirkpatrick (ends). The Australian press: a bicentennial retrospect, Australian newspaper history group, Snap Printing, Queensland: Australia, 2003.
-- Kilner, John (Ed). Mini Age. The Age- 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000, 2004.
-- Macdonald, Ranald. David Syme. Cheltenham, VIC: Vantage House, 1982.
-- Nolan, Sybil. Half a century of obscurity: The Age, 1908-1964. Ejournalist Australian Media Traditions Conference 2001, <http//www.ejournalism.au.com> (25-3-04).
-- Pratt, Ambrose. David Syme: the father of protection in Australia. / With introd. By the hon. Alfred Deakin, London: Ward, Lock, 1908.
-- Sayers, Charles Edward. David Syme: a life. Melbourne; Cheshire, [1965].
--“The Story of The Age.” In The Age education, <http://www.education.theage.com.au/history.asp> (25-3-04).
-- Whelan, Kathleen. Photography of the age: newspaper photography in Australia. Sydney, N.S.W: Hale & Iremonger, c.1993.
~INTERVIEWS~
-- Kilner, John (Education Journalist - The Age). Telephone Interview, 2-4-04.

Click here to go back to our LaTrobe writers page