How a national newspaper struggled for decades to define Australia's political and cultural identity
In short: Founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1964, The Australian was a daring gamble on national unity in a market dominated by local interests. It survived years of financial losses to become a powerful, often polarizing, voice in Australian life, shaping political discourse and investigative journalism for over half a century.
When Rupert Murdoch launched The Australian on 15 July 1964, the concept of a national daily newspaper was widely viewed as commercially unfeasible. Newspapers of the era relied heavily on local advertising, and the logistics of printing in Canberra and flying plates to other cities were daunting. For its first several decades, the paper operated at a loss, struggling to find its footing as the third national title in the country.
The publication has undergone significant editorial shifts, moving toward a self-described centre-right position under the long-term influence of Murdoch and editors like Chris Mitchell. This conservative direction has frequently sparked debate. In 1975, journalists struck over the paper's campaign against the Whitlam government, and in 2010, the Greens leader Bob Brown famously accused the outlet of attempting to act as a determinant of democracy rather than a neutral observer. Despite these controversies, the paper has been credited with high-impact investigative work, such as the 2005 AWB oil-for-wheat scandal reporting and the 2018 podcast The Teachers Pet, which generated new leads in the disappearance of Lynette Dawson.
Today, the paper maintains a broad reach, reporting a readership of 2,394,000 across print and online platforms as of September 2019. It has evolved from its print-only origins to include a Chinese language website and a digital paywall, which launched in 2011. In 2023, Michelle Gunn made history as the first woman to serve as editor-in-chief. While it remains a lightning rod for criticism regarding its political stance and climate change coverage, it continues to exert significant influence through its annual Richest 250 list and its role as one of only two national daily newspapers in Australia.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Australian
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