Ink in the Blood: (1987–2016), He Worked As a Reporter, Staff of Arts Melbourne, City of Melbourne, for 17 February 2018 Subeditor and Feature Writer

Home , Keith Dunstan, MX (newspaper), The Argus (Melbourne), The Herald (Melbourne)

AUTHOR THANKS TO Andrew Stephens is a writer and The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Ron Tandberg and editor. A former Age journalist Rachel Buchanan for their opening remarks; the 5 October 2017 – Ink in the Blood: (1987–2016), he worked as a reporter, staff of Arts Melbourne, City of Melbourne, for 17 February 2018 subeditor and feature writer. He did The life of Melbourne’s his cadetship at The Sun News-Pictorial commissioning and guiding this project; Ron City Gallery (1983–87) when there were still Tandberg, cartoonist; Michelle Stillman, Fairfax Melbourne Town Hall newspapers typewriters. librarian; Rachel Buchanan, Germaine Greer The life of isbn 978-1-74250-901-3 archivist; Sandy Shaw, Newsboys Foundation CEO; melbourne.vic.gov.au/ Melbourne’s newspapers have Ken Williams, Dean Donoghue, Michael Gawenda, Melbourne’s citygallery Jim Pavlidis, Robin Cowcher, Rod Kirkpatrick, newspapers long had a daily race against the Kenny Pittock, Stephen Armstrong, Victor Issacs, clock to reflect the city’s life and Bob Urquhart, Catherine Reade, Siobahn Dee and Stella Marr. Special thanks to Kenneth, Timothy personality, and connect it to the and Adelaide. world. They have deeply affected the psychogeography of our metropolis.

INK IN THE BLOOD

BLOOD IN THE INK

when theypatchthroughacall. passing themon,eventotheEditor views, andtheyaren’t shyabout a bitsharp.Theyarevital,theyhave voices: somewarm,dry, some characterised bytheirdistinctive These womenareefficientandlargely apart from the telephonists themselves. exactly wheretheswitchboardroomis No oneinthebuildingseems toknow through now.’ messages delivered.‘Just puttingyou in, hotnewsofcorruptionlistenedto, public. Ads areplaced,classifiedstyped encounter thegeneralandopinionated managers, typistsandseniorexecutives where reporters,editors,advertising no-nonsense andarethejunction field thesecalls.Theyarebriskand its heart—theswitchboardoperators of thenewspaperoffice—orperhapsat advertisers, newsagents.Inthebowels nutters, queries,suggestions, up. News tips,complaints,publicists, The phonesring,theswitchlights The switch 8.00am will stay with most of them. will staywithmostofthem. traumatised. Fragments ofshorthand stone toothercareers;afewwillflee, others willusetheplaceasastepping Some willriselikecream(orhelium); of sport,business,artsorfeatures. or stepintothealternativerealities welfare, industrial,religionorpolice, as stateandfederalpolitics,thecourts, claws onhotlycontested‘rounds’such proper arises.Thentheymaygettheir as getting cups of tea, before a cadetship year runningimportanterrandssuch out ofsecondaryschoolwillspenda ST loops.Thecopy-boysand-girlsfresh teaching themsomeshortformsand of cadetsrangedaroundthetable.She’s teacher MrsTravis hashernewgaggle of theH&WTbuilding,shorthand Facing outoftheExhibitionStreet side class Shorthand 9.30am connecting withthecommunity. complaints, butitisagreatwayof Often thisinvolveshearingreader ringing phonesatunattendeddesks. encouraged by editors to always answer else intheirjournalistictoolboxare equipment morethanalmostanything The manyreporterswhowillusethis of thenewsorganisationisinplace. staff arealltrainedupandthelifeblood have workedhard,theswitchboard or reporters.Thephonetechnicians St buildingbeforedesks,filingcabinets telephones goesintothenewSpencer 1969, thebatteryofstate-of-the-art relocating thenewspaperofficein When theDavid Syme &Costaffare Reporters 9.00am CLOCKS. CLOCKS. AND TICKING BUSY HANDS STORY OF THIS IS A

consumption dropped35percent. World War II,H&WTnewsprint dayshift guysremember how, during edition. Paper isexpensiveandthe the machineryforthisevening’s be carefullymovedandfedinto Huge boltsofnewsprintmust Paperchase 12.00pm phone inthestoryforTheHerald her notebookwithinthehour. She’ll sorted outandwrittenlonghandin She hastogetthegutsofthiscase stenographers she’sseenatParliament. she wisheshastheskillsof to herbyMrsTravis. It’s nerve-racking: nervously scribblesshorthandtaught is heard.Inthebackrowayoungcadet At themagistrate’scourt,firstcase Halls ofpower 11.00am They allknowhername. she meetsinthecourseofaday. It’s tiringbutshelovestheall-sorts fruit buns,biscuits,sandwiches. to therabblesofjournalists.Tea, coffee, to themenincomposingroom, journalists) tothewomeninclassifieds, (called ChipboardRow bydisrespectful executives alongMahogany Row and callseveryone‘love’,fromthe She doestheroundsofbuilding The tealady 10.30am purposed, scrunchedupanddiscarded. read, carried,sold,advertised,re- of theirnewspapereverywhere:being infiltrate thecity. Theyseeevidence They gotopressconferences. walk everywhere.Theymeetcontacts. deciphered, typewritersassaulted.They Dictaphones areproffered,shorthand consulted. Libraryclippingsperused. Melway directoriesanddictionaries Calls aremade.Phonebooksand opportunities. Reporters arebriefed. who hasbeenassignedtowhat,picture Then, theysortouttoday’snews-list, industry, today’sfish’n’chip wrapper. day’s paper—now, astheysayinthe They brieflyanalysetheprevious department. And,ofcourse,theEditor. interstate bureauxandthegraphics editor, alongwithpeoplefromthe editor, businesseditorandsports news editor, pictorialeditor, arts are peoplesuchasthechief-of-staff, team meetingabout10am.There editors meetingatbreakfast,theSun on FlindersStreet, theseniorHerald the Herald &Weekly Times building News conferencebeginsvery earlyat News conference 10.00am religion, arts, sport and business. religion, arts,sportandbusiness. concerning health,socialwelfare, reporters hookintonewsandbriefings and thehighercourts,whileother Parliament, Trades Hall, policerounds by hercolleaguesaroundtownat printers. Thecadet’spaceismatched proof-readers, stone-sub,comps,and hits thenewsdesk,subs,check-subs, line ofdefencebeforethecadet’sreport and namesasshetypes.She’sthefirst questions littlethings,querieswords copytakers, Jean’s notjustatypist—she through Jean thecopytaker. Likeallthe the locker rooms. the lockerrooms. onslaught ofshiftworkerstrailinginto ensure theplaceisreadyfornext serviced, suppliesordered;andcleaners checked andreplenished,machinery cut, trimmedorinkedcorrectly. Inkis ‘spoils’—newspapers thatweren’t be salvaged;norcan‘overs’and the building:suchvictimscannot cause atremendousboom,shaking of papertoppleofftheforkliftand day backthen.Sometimesthebolts averaged 340,000–350,000salesa Despite this,TheHerald andTheSun

almost disappearby2016. and subeditingpracticesthatwill evidence ofcommissioning,editing newspaper materialculture’,and instructions—important piecesof proofs andcopymarkedwithprinter’s typescripts, pasteduppages,galley will contain‘carboncopiesof is GermaineGreer. interesting challengeforChristians’. She’s written‘Rationalism –An with herfirstpublishedarticle. thrilled seeinghernameinFarrago student paper. Sheisprobably in 1959,notbyabigdaily, buta Her careerislaunchedinMelbourne Budding journo 2.00pm Melbourne. for whatistopicalanddivisivein They have beenthebarometer ideas fornewsstoriesandfeatures. local community, aswellsparking worth have providedinsightsintothe to writeandposttheirtwo-bob’s passionate readerswhotakethetime journalists, theseoftenfeistyand daily letterspages.For editorsand for Melbourne’s newspapers—the pay) towhathaslongbeenamainstay collectively contributed(without they makeitplain:letter-writershave They froth,theyrage,praiseand Letters totheEditor 1.30pm There’s somethingforeveryone. editors andjournalistscall‘hardnews’. compelling andwell-readaswhat Leunig, Tandberg: theseareas Weg, Keith Dunstan,BobMillington, law notices,marketprices,Corinella, strips, shippingnews,stockexchange, classifieds, letters-to-the-editor, comic- activity. Thecrossword,deathnotices, reading thepaperisusualmorning leaning againsttimber beams— their tea-rooms,loading-dockworkers clerks attheirdesks,shop-ladiesin workplaces—porters intheirbooths, are theidentifyinguniform.At their Age). Blueoverallsandboilersuits Weekly Times) orSpencer Street (The such asFlindersStreet (theHerald & newspapers have theirpresseson-site, the verycentre.Likewise,big trade ofFlindersLane—clingto district andsome—suchastherag the fringesofcentralbusiness heavier industriesgrimilyinhabit city centre’sworkforceisdiverse: screens. Inthemid-20thcentury, the are thedaysbeforeswipingtiny and catchupwiththenews.These lunchtime peopleeatsandwiches the riveralongsiderailyards, Elizabeth Streets, anddownby Swanston, Bourke,Collinsor Gardens, theparkbenchesalong In theCitySquare,Treasury City workers 1.00pm column. ‘Heart Balm’, thepaper’ssexadvisory in Australia seemstohave heardof and neverread’.Equally, everyone abomination, nottobespokenof Many regardTruthas‘ascandalous voice fortheneglectedcommonman. a scandalsheettosomebutothers wild menofTruth,apaperhethinksis receives afarmorevividonewiththe joins TheSun—agoodeducation—but looking forajobasjournalist.He He hasarrivedfromNew Zealand Truth 2.30pm and printjournalists’. a ‘micro-historyofprintjournalism her futurearchivistwilldescribeas an inklingsheiscataloguingwhat editors andsubeditors.Shemighthave have manywrittenexchangeswith press cardforVietnam—she will including ephemerasuchasher1971 print journalism.Amongallthis— correspondence associatedwithher will archivealmosteverypieceof that, consciousofposterity, she conservationist. Shedoesn’t know journalist, broadcaster, feministand Melbourne-born internationalauthor, establishing alongcareerasthe book-form withTheFemale Eunuch, insatiable abilityforwritinginto that inadecadeshe’llturnthis in Melbourne andaroundtheworld, hundreds she’llwritefornewspapers She doesn’t knowthisisthefirstof 6

4 This archive Thisarchive 5 Her name

to findanews-standonthecityblocks. know thatin40yearsitwillbedifficult become athingofthepast.He doesn’t seller knowthatnews-standswillsoon especially thecommuters.Littledoesthis the biologicalclocksofpopulace, This isthenewsanditlodgedin Times andallthemagazines. The SportingGlobe,TruthWeekly The AgeandAustralian. Nearby are warm paper:TheSunNews-Pictorial, Here theyare,crispandsmellingofinky- front counterwiththeotherpapers. station, otherstakeprideofplaceatthe to theboyswhowillstandoutside his stacksofafternoonpapers:somego and Fuel Buildings riseopposite.He has Station sinceearlymorning.TheGas He hasbeenathisstandFlindersStreet The newsagent hands. paperless, whereyoucan’t holditinyour called awebsite:wherethenewspaperis items beinguploadedontosomething newspaper deliverywillinvolvenews drivers’ imaginationsthatoneday will beapartments.It isbeyondthese Press Club,orwherethefloorsabove will beafetedrestaurantcalledThe where thegroundfloorofthisbuilding The drivershave noinklingofafuture incarnations, horsesandcarriages. of thisbuildingwere,inprevious The drivers’trucksoutthefront newspapers sincethe1920s. have beenthemostpopularVictorian later, TheHerald Sun.Together, these The Herald , TheSunNews-Pictorial, and, significant ashousingthepublicationof called ‘theHerald building’,historically Sun. Thetrucksdepartwhatisusually and thelateshiftwilldotomorrow’s The Herald goesoutinvariouseditions The loadingbaymenarechangingshifts: Truck drivers 4.30pm ‘rivers ofgold’. waves ofadsflowinginareknownas vehicle foradvertising,theluscious times whennewspapersarethebest the fuelforeditorialengine,andat are tryingtoinfluencethem. Yet adsare editorial floorbecausetheythink Journalists don’t likethemonthe advertising andeditorialpeople. There isafiercelinebetweenthe Advertising room 4.00pm on theground. evolve intoclassics,othersbecomescraps human nature,doworkingroughs.Some of thefragilitiesandsteeliersides Cartoonists, guidedbyadeepperception prepare maps,tables,panelsand‘do-ups’. have beenbriefed.Thegraphicartists and thecartoonistsgraphicartists The day’sbigeventsarebecomingclear Cartoonists 3.30pm role foryoungpeople. continues todaywithawiderwelfare in theNewsboys Club(founded1893) Newsboys Foundation, whoseheritage remains acommittedmember ofthe usually workedsixdaysaweek,and age 10to16,loveditssocialnature, laughed.’ He wasanewsboyfrom just calledout“’Erald, ‘Erald!” Everyone dog-tired. Andthen,automatically, I tram andIwasgoinghome, think aboutit…[Onenight]Igotonthis hours, callingout‘Erald, andnoteven have beenabout 14.You’d bedoingitfor Extra, Home andFinal editions.‘Iwould be droppedoffathisspot:City, City from theshop,andlatereditionswould school, collecthisHeralds andmagazines Bourke St Coles.He wouldraceinfrom Melbourne Town Hall, KingsHotel and Bob Urquhart hadvariousspots:outside in theirhomesuburbs.Former newsboy do localpaperroundsinthemornings pocket money, whileotherboyswould work fortwohoursorso,earningtheir into thecitystraightafterschooland the dailynews.Theseboyswouldcome personality tothestreet-sidesellingof tough littlenuggetswhobroughtmuch them areputationasbeinglovably Their larrikinways,though,earned remembered andstillmuch-missed. legendary inMelbourne, romantically the tworailwaystations,arealmost on manycitycornersandinfrontof trot pasthim.Newsboys, noisilyevident city workersheadingfortramsandtrains ‘ He yellsout‘Getcha ’Erald ‘ere’orsimply Newsboys 5.00pm ’ as loud as he possibly can as Eeeerald!’ asloudhepossiblycan

collar andtie’. buttons, programcomputersandwear longer gettheirhandsdirtybutpush an ageofprintingwhere‘printersno letterpresses injunkheaps,weare 2017, withabandonedLinotypesand decade. then-worst advertisingmarketina seven months,thankstoAustralia’s morning paper, shutsdownafteronly scrolling theirdevices.Express, a by whichtimecommutersprefer 19–39 agegroups,andlastsuntil2015, an afternoonnewspaperhabitinthe MX provesahugesuccess,succouring and Melbourne Express (Fairfax). tabloids MX(publishedbyNews Ltd) and tramseats:thefreecommuter phenomenon willgraceemptytrain Decades later, in2001,anew the lineuntilcleanerscome. office worker. It willgoupanddown young mother, anightshiftworker, an the seat.It willbereadbyastudent, and comics.He foldsitandleaves iton news, workingthroughtotheletters back page)thenflipsitaroundtoread with the‘other’frontpage(Sport, finishes reading. He alwaysstarts of fish’n’chips andsalt’n’vinegar, he Bridge intotheplatformsreeking aloft. AsthetrainpassesunderPrinces his sideandSunNews-Pictorial the youngmanhashislunchboxat On thered-rattlerfromsuburbs, Commuters 6.00pm open withherclarioncall. shows agirlofferingthepaper, mouth figure—an earlyposterforTheAge selling inwhichgirlsdidoccasionally tradition ofraucousnewspaper- they cry, continuingthatlong ‘This isSirius!Getyourhere!’ & Weekly Times andAge buildings. such astheoldArgus,Herald daughters becomenewsgirlsatplaces fellowship, Buchanan andher a State LibraryofVictoria creative the publication,producedaspartof plus 175oftheirmastheads.To mark produced inMelbourne since1838, it documents525deadnewspapers newspaper aboutnewspapers.Inside, free copiesofMelbourne Sirius,a daughters arehandingout525 is abouttoclose.Buchanan and Fairfax printingcentreatTullamarine Paper hasjustbeenlaunched,andthe broadsheet to‘compact’,TheSaturday when TheAgehasjustmovedfrom with twoofherdaughters,atatime last daysofnewspapers,isonthestreet Buchanan, authorofStopPress: the On aMarch dayin2014,Rachel university lecturerandanarchivist. then ajournalist,historian, She wasonceastringer, thenacadet, Newsgirls serious voices of editors in conference. serious voicesofeditorsinconference. of machines,theslappaper, the is especiallyrichwiththethrum of peopleinvolved.Its soundtrack together andtoportraythediversity the processofhowanewspapercomes has anotherdrivingidea:todemystify magazines suchasLife,butthisfilm is apopularone,pickedupfrom film. Theideaof‘a-day-in-the-life’ The companyaskshimtomakea ‘Aah, notus,mate.People makepapers.’ are goingtoreplace everyone soon.’ ‘Hey Andy, say shere thatmachines People make papers 8.30pm ten-hour day. A goodtradesmansets2500wordsina each letterishandpickedandinserted. newspapers: typeissetbyhand,and and lungs’ofpioneeringcolonial typesetting andpressworkisthe‘heart image together. InearlyMelbourne, various disciplinesbringtypeand a laptop.Pre-digital,workersfrom now existswithintheconfinesof with machinesandhordesofstaff What onceoccupiedmanyrooms Compositors 8.00pm dominated byanassembly line. rhythms of an industrial environment’ rooms have ‘fewoftheordered Melbourne’s newspaperpublishing By theendof19thcentury 7

In In

11 11 the boredomwithaStalactites souvlaki. yellow overcoatandgoouttosoothe channels). Thenshe’llputonherbright the scanner(whichpicksuppolice deliver thefirstedition,andlistento in Russell Street policestation to stomp uptothepolicemediaunit cinema. Shehastomonitorphones, as anartswritershe’dratherbeatthe much consideredapunishmentand late-shift policerounds—it’spretty She’s notsurewhyshe’sbeenputon Night shiftcadet 1.00am opportunity. and motorlistingsfortheirperfect Saturday Age,toscourtherealestate wrestle withanenormouscopyofthe later decades,peoplewilllineupto just asitdoesonweekendswhen,in between: itcomesinblackandwhite— Good news,badnewsandeverythingin let thecrowdsthroughbarriers. dumped ontoamakeshiftdeskandstaff near theentrance,bundlesare Students andparentswaitanxiously for the1968matriculationexams. the Victorian Leaving Certificateresults edition containsasupplementlisting out onatrolleyintheloadingbay. This bundles ofTheAgewillbetrundled It isJanuary 1969andsoonthefirst Matric students 11.30pm room. Sortof.’ a littleimaginationintothetwilight loo andlockerroom,transformedwith locker room.Actually, itwasthemen’s meagre facilitieswiththemen’s looand was sonamedbecauseitsharedits times gave birthtoTheBogBar. This ‘At taken. unlocked anddrinkscouldthenbe in acupboardthesubs’room,was this, thefridge,cunninglyoutofsight the battingwithcry:“All up.”At 1 second editionwenttopressaround subeditor, DeanDonoghue,‘whenthe language’. ‘Every night,’saysformer own freemasonryofritualsandcoded it becomesaninstitution,with‘its can sayforsurewhenthisstarted,but Sun, theyhave TheSubs’ Club.No one beaver away intothenight,so,atThe journalists, particularlysubeditors, holes closertoofficedesks. Many There arealsolessofficialdrinking around thecornerfromTheAge. Street whiletheGoldenAge isjust Phoenix servicestheH&WTinFlinders drinking. It isthe1970s–80sand office’: journalistsareknownforheavy Pubs areoftenreferredtoas‘thebranch The Phoenix Golden Age and 9.00pm am, the chief subeditor would open am, thechiefsubeditorwouldopen , the make-do spirit of the The Age,themake-dospiritof 12

horror. Histeagoescold. repeatedly. He sitsdowntoreadthe television imageshewilllatersee, are somehowmoresearingthanthe fireballs, peoplejumpingandfalling— the event.Still pictures—aeroplane on America’tellshimtheessenceof in cataclysmandtheheadline‘War visited onlyayearagoappearstobe what heislookingat—thecity September 12,2001,hecannotbelieve paper itisashock.Thismorning, when heopenshishome-delivered He isnotamorning-radioperson,so Big news 6.00am and itscharacter. that knittogetheritspeople,events be other‘stories’—thetalesofthecity It’s yesterday’snews.Today, therewill crest onTheSunsaying‘Dailyatdawn’. newspaper alongthefootpath, and gustsofchillwindblowbits various lengthsofcitystreet.It iscold municipal workersareoutsweeping Early-opener businessownersand Street sweepers 5.00am

12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 obvious.’ naturally. London Bridge perfectly shouldbe rhyming slangfor feet, meant silver beet, frombottle theLondon Bridge?” Silvers oldboy,feet, you could fetch meanother you’rethat “While actually meant: onyour quitecleartoapatched member,request, silvers!” Thiswas acleverly disguised you’re bypuzzled “While theplea: onyour were ‘Uninitiated guests author: often correspondencewith inemailed journalist, (2017),Donoghue, Dean SunandAge make black, Cinesound, andwhite Papers FredSchepisi, (1965), director, People 26 (February), p14. ManLast Standing’, ANHGNewsletter, (2004), Rod Kirkpatrick, ‘HotMetal: Rob,, ibid.,p111. Kirkpatrick, Dailies p111. Access, , One history capitals,colonial ashort (2016), inthe Rod Kirkpatrick, Dailies 15 (November), p1. the Linefor Express’, ANHGNewsletter, (2001), Rod Kirkpatrick, ‘Goodbye: Endof wereluminaries there.’ toget theirstart andsome throughpassed itsportals rates, andbetter. Many journalist atalented , anditpaidmetro The AgeorHerald asametropolitan basis, like newspaper Truthnewsstands. was runonaprofessional letterson sold ofthose tobe collections me toproduce Balm” three “Heart books, ‘Forwith author: my itlater sins, fell to correspondence inemailed journalist, KenWilliams, (2017), Truth, Germaine Greer archive ibid. paper php?request=multimedia&irn=86704scope gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu. PRINT JOURNALISM1959-2010 http:// University ofMelbourne, 2014.0046 Germaine Greer archive (2017), Farrago (1959), University ofMelbourne, p3. p10. editions, , Southbank The Herald Years andFifty One Hundred ofNews from Lockwood, Kim(1990), inGaylard, Geoff, what dobetter.’ we could working, whatabout we were what wasn’t doing, whatwhat they was thought happening, ladies—and TheAge, we would talkabout the newspaper, includingtheswitchboard would from invite people everyof section tohaveto try where monthlylunches we 1997–2004, ‘Iused withauthor: ininterview Michael (2017),Gawenda, Age Age andSun Editor Editor

Digits to Digital

INK COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4 This is a story of busy hands and ticking clocks. As Melbourne’s big papers have traded the groan of the mechanical TOP TOP TOP TOP age for the click of the digital world, there have inevitably been Angus O’Callaghan, This battery of telephones Mark Strizic, At Flinders Street Ron Tandberg, Same blood It begins before the digital age—when newspapers rustle in your News stand Flinders Street, waiting for desks and users Station, c1955, photographic group, 2017, ink on paper. fewer human digits involved. Many elements of the industry’s c 1968–71; ‘Marvell ous was photographed in May paper. Purchased 2005, City of Purchased 2017, City of hands, and publishing involves many skilled employees. These Melbourne’ series copyright 1969 when The Age moved Melbourne Art and Heritage Melbourne Art and Heritage IN THE multi-tiered labour force have become redundant or re-purposed; Angus O’Callaghan. into its then-new—and now- Collection. Collection. workers’ fingers meddle with ink, paper, machinery, photographs Purchased 2015, City of demolished—Spencer Street SECOND FROM TOP SECOND FROM TOP others have been retrained to inhabit a web-based world that Melbourne Art and Heritage building. Courtesy of Fairfax and words, all in a race against the relentless hands of the clock. In 1986, Rene Casson wheels Alex Gunn & Sons (lantern Collection. Syndication. boasts astonishing speed, flexibility, and once-unimaginable her last cups of tea along the slide specialists), The Herald It is hard manual labour, and a noisy affair, too. The clickety- SECOND FROM TOP SECOND FROM TOP fourth-floor corridor, after 27 and Weekly Times, c1926, delivery-systems for readers, who have themselves been re-branded Alex Gunn & Sons (lantern Alex Gunn & Sons (lantern years at The Age. Courtesy of glass slides. Purchased 2011, BLOOD clack and zip of typewriters, reporters gossiping, printing presses slide specialists), The Herald slide specialists), The Herald Fairfax Syndication. City of Melbourne Art and ‘audiences’. and Weekly Times, c1926, and Weekly Times, c1926, Heritage Collection. screaming, editors and compositors yelling, delivery trucks roaring, glass slides. Purchased 2011, glass slides. Purchased 2011, THIRD FROM TOP City of Melbourne Art and City of Melbourne Art and As the physical object of the newspaper has become a smaller The Age switchboard in newspaper bundles thumping on to the footpath, newsboys Heritage Collection. Heritage Collection. concern, beset by multiple online competitors, so too have 1987. Photograph: Mark squawking: this is the truculent newspaper business for most of its THIRD FROM TOP THIRD FROM TOP Wilson. Courtesy of Fairfax we witnessed a profound change to the way newspapers—as The Argus, June 30, The Argus, June 30, Syndication. history in Melbourne. July 21 and August 5, 1869. July 21 and August 5, 1869. physical objects and as a cultural phenomenon—impinge on the Private collection. Private collection. A bustling hand-made industry, it resembles some vast orchestra, urban fabric and, more deeply, the way they have influenced the BOTTOM BOTTOM disseminating printed information, much of it with a local Rachel Buchanan, Notes written in shorthand. psychogeography of the city. Melbourne Sirius, 2013 (detail). focus. These papers are institutions, interdependent with their Private collection. communities. Here, we explore the life of this city’s daily newspaper cycle and the many types of people whose hands and minds have helped define what is marvellous—and not—about Melbourne.

The News in Brief

1 Taylor, Brian, 1997, 1796 1854 1960s ‘200 Years of Printing Printing in Australia begins with George The Age is born. Television draws advertising and readers, in Australia’, Biblionews, Hughes cranking out inked paper on resulting in a continuing trend of fewer 22, p11-16. 1869 2 Kirkpatrick, Rod, 2003, a modest woodscrew press at Sydney’s newspapers and lower circulations. With its lineage in The Port Phillip Herald and ‘Bicentenary of the First government house.1 Printing Press in Victoria’, The Melbourne Morning Herald (1849), The 1989 ANHG Newsletter, 1803 Herald becomes the city’s big afternoon paper. The Sunday Herald, The Sunday Sun 25 (December), p13. Victoria’s first printing press is brought to and The Sunday Age are launched. 3 Morrison, Elizabeth, 1890s 2001, ‘Newspapers’, in Port Phillip by Lieutenant-Governor David Davison, Graeme, Hirst, A ‘prolific and diverse press’ flourishes 1990 Collins, using it to print the Garrison and John, and Macintyre, without competition from other media,6 The Sun News-Pictorial and The Herald Stuart, eds., The Oxford General Orders.2 Companion to Australian and technological change brings typesetting merge to become The Herald Sun. In 1991, History, Melbourne, Oxford 1838 machines such as the Linotype from Sunday Herald and Sunday Sun close to University Press, p470. It is John Pascoe Fawkner who makes the Baltimore. Most early papers are dominated make way for The Sunday Herald Sun. 4 Morrison, ibid, p470. first Melbourne newspaper, the single-page by local news, with special supplements 5 Blainey, Geoffrey, 1986, 1990–2017 in Van Oudtshoorn, handwritten Melbourne Advertiser.3 The containing ‘the latest news from Europe’ Nic, Victoria, History as The internet emerges and while roughly tenth issue of the Melbourne Advertiser is when boats come in—that news being up It Happened, Herald & the same number of papers are being Weekly Times, p7. in printed form but Fawkner later cancels to 14 weeks old.7 Even so, during the first published as a century earlier, for a 6 Morrison, ibid, p471. publication (he had neglected to register ten to fifteen years of publication of the first population almost six times greater, print 7 Mayer, Henry, 1964, the paper).4 Australian newspapers, it is ‘an achievement The press in Australia, circulations continue to drastically decline, Lansdown Press, p11. to produce a legible newspaper’.8 1840 especially between 2000–2017.9 Even so, 8 Kirkpatrick, Rod, 2016, Dailies in the colonial The Port Phillip Herald, printed on a hand- 1922 printed newspapers persist, including the capitals, a short history, operated press, is the forerunner of today’s The Sun-News Pictorial is born. high-quality newcomer The Saturday Paper One Access, p117. Herald Sun.5 (2013). 9 Morrison, ibid, p471, and 1957 Kirkpatrick, Rod, 2017,: ‘Circulation figures: 1846 The Argus closes. print and digital’, ANHG The Argus is born. Newsletter, 91 (February), p9. AUTHOR THANKS TO Andrew Stephens is a writer and The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Ron Tandberg and editor. A former Age journalist Rachel Buchanan for their opening remarks; the 5 October 2017 – Ink in the Blood: (1987–2016), he worked as a reporter, staff of Arts Melbourne, City of Melbourne, for 17 February 2018 subeditor and feature writer. He did The life of Melbourne’s his cadetship at The Sun News-Pictorial commissioning and guiding this project; Ron City Gallery (1983–87) when there were still Tandberg, cartoonist; Michelle Stillman, Fairfax Melbourne Town Hall newspapers typewriters. librarian; Rachel Buchanan, Germaine Greer The life of isbn 978-1-74250-901-3 archivist; Sandy Shaw, Newsboys Foundation CEO; melbourne.vic.gov.au/ Melbourne’s newspapers have Ken Williams, Dean Donoghue, Michael Gawenda, Melbourne’s citygallery Jim Pavlidis, Robin Cowcher, Rod Kirkpatrick, newspapers long had a daily race against the Kenny Pittock, Stephen Armstrong, Victor Issacs, clock to reflect the city’s life and Bob Urquhart, Catherine Reade, Siobahn Dee and Stella Marr. Special thanks to Kenneth, Timothy personality, and connect it to the and Adelaide. world. They have deeply affected the psychogeography of our metropolis.

INK IN THE BLOOD