The Age
The first edition of The Age appeared on the 17th of October 1854, printed by three Melbourne businessmen: brothers John and Henry Cooke and Walter Powell. These men had arrived from New Zealand in the 1840s to build a new life in Australia. Their venture struggled financially within its first two years. In June 1856, the Cookes sold the struggling paper at auction for £2,000 to Ebenezer Syme and James McEwan. Ebenezer Syme was a Scottish-born businessman who would soon transform the publication into a dominant force in Victorian politics. The first edition under the new owners emerged on the 17th of June 1856, marking a fresh start for the newspaper.
David Syme, Ebenezer's brother, quickly came to dominate the paper both editorially and managerially after Ebenezer died in 1860. David held the position of editor-in-chief until his death in 1908, though he relied on a succession of editors for day-to-day work. Under his control, The Age became Victoria's leading newspaper. By 1890, it was selling 100,000 copies daily, making it one of the most successful newspapers globally. The paper supported liberal politicians like Graham Berry and George Higinbotham while helping careers of figures such as Alfred Deakin and Charles Pearson. David Syme originally favored free trade but later converted to protectionism, believing Victoria needed tariff barriers to develop manufacturing industries.
In 1964, Ranald Macdonald appointed himself managing director at age 26 and two years later brought in Graham Perkin as editor. This partnership radically changed the paper's format and shifted its editorial line from conservative liberalism to left liberalism. The new direction emphasized issues including race, gender, disability rights, and environmental concerns. It also marked opposition to White Australia policies and the death penalty. The Liberal Premier of Victoria, Henry Bolte, subsequently called The Age that pinko rag, a label conservatives have maintained ever since.
The paper became more supportive of the Australian Labor Party after years of usually backing the Coalition. In 1975, The Age played a leading role in exposing the Loans Affair, one of the scandals contributing to the demise of the Whitlam government. Its editorial on the 15th of October 1975 began with the words Go now, go decently, stating clearly that the Whitlam government had run its course. That editorial would be Perkin's last; he died the next day. After his death, The Age returned to a more moderate liberal position while criticizing Whitlam's dismissal later that year but supporting Malcolm Fraser's Liberal government in its early years.
In 1984, The Age reported what became known as The Age Tapes affair, revealing recordings made by police of alleged corrupt dealings between organized crime figures, politicians, and public officials. This reporting sparked the Stewart Royal Commission. The paper's extensive coverage of malpractice in Australia's banking sector led to a Royal Commission being announced by the Turnbull government into the financial services industry. Journalist Adele Ferguson received the Gold Walkley for this groundbreaking work.
A series of stories published between 2009 and 2015 about alleged corruption involving subsidiaries of Australia's central bank, the Reserve Bank, resulted in Australia's first ever prosecutions of companies and businessmen for foreign bribery. The Age's reporting of the Unaoil international bribery scandal triggered investigations by anti-corruption agencies across the UK, US, Europe, and Australia. Several businessmen pleaded guilty for paying bribes in nine countries over 17 years. These investigative efforts established The Age as a newspaper of record for Australia with dozens of Walkley Awards won by its journalists.
The Age was published from offices on Collins Street until 1969 when it moved to 250 Spencer Street, earning the nickname The Spencer Street Soviet favored by some critics. In March 2013, the newspaper transitioned from its traditional broadsheet format to the smaller tabloid or compact format alongside its Fairfax stablemate The Sydney Morning Herald. This change preceded moves toward online publication and subscription models.
In July 2003, the $220 million five-storey Age Print Centre opened at Tullamarine, producing publications for both Fairfax and commercial clients including The Australian Financial Review and the Bendigo Advertiser. The building was sold in 2014, transferring printing to regional presses. After acquisition by Nine Entertainment, headquarters moved to 717 Bourke Street to co-locate with new owners. The masthead received multiple updates since 1854, with the most recent redesign occurring in 2002 featuring Electra bold type and a stylized version of the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
On the 26th of July 2018, Nine Entertainment Co. and Fairfax Media announced terms for their merger to become Australia's largest media company. Nine shareholders would own 51.1 per cent of the combined entity while Fairfax shareholders owned 48.9 per cent. In 1972, John Fairfax Holdings bought a majority of David Syme's shares before purchasing all remaining shares in 1983. By 1999, David Syme & Co. became The Age Company Ltd, finally ending the Syme family connection.
The paper faced financial challenges during the early 20th century when David Syme's will prevented equity sales during his sons' lifetimes. This arrangement starved the paper of investment capital for 40 years. Under Sir Geoffrey Syme from 1908 to 1942, The Age lost market share to competitors like The Argus and the tabloid The Sun News-Pictorial. Only classified advertisement sections kept the paper profitable through the 1940s when circulation fell below 1900 levels and political influence declined significantly.
Graham Perkin served as editor from 1966 to 1972, transforming the newspaper's identity during a critical period. He died the day after publishing his final editorial on the 15th of October 1975 calling for Whitlam's resignation. Michael Gawenda succeeded him in 1997 and remained until 2004, followed by Andrew Jaspan who served until 2007. Paul Ramadge took over from 2008 to 2012 before Andrew Holden led from 2012 to 2016.
Mark Forbes was stood down in December 2016 pending results of a sexual harassment investigation and replaced by Alex Lavelle who served four years as chief editor. Gay Alcorn became editor in September 2020, the first woman to hold the position in the paper's history, leaving in December 2022 and succeeded by Patrick Elligett in January 2023. Current journalists include co-editors Emma Breheny and Ellen Fraser of The Age Good Food Guide 2024, investigative journalist Nick McKenzie, and federal politics reporters Paul Sakkal and Lisa Visentin.
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Common questions
When did The Age newspaper first appear in Melbourne?
The first edition of The Age appeared on the 17th of October 1854. It was printed by three Melbourne businessmen: brothers John and Henry Cooke and Walter Powell.
Who bought The Age after it struggled financially in its early years?
Ebenezer Syme and James McEwan purchased The Age at auction for £2,000 in June 1856. Ebenezer Syme transformed the publication into a dominant force in Victorian politics following this acquisition.
What major political scandals did The Age expose during the 1970s and 1980s?
In 1975, The Age played a leading role in exposing the Loans Affair which contributed to the demise of the Whitlam government. In 1984, The Age reported what became known as The Age Tapes affair revealing recordings made by police of alleged corrupt dealings between organized crime figures and politicians.
How many copies of The Age were sold daily by 1890 under David Syme's control?
By 1890, The Age was selling 100,000 copies daily making it one of the most successful newspapers globally. Under his control, The Age became Victoria's leading newspaper while supporting liberal politicians like Graham Berry and George Higinbotham.
When did Nine Entertainment Co. announce terms for their merger with Fairfax Media?
On the 26th of July 2018, Nine Entertainment Co. and Fairfax Media announced terms for their merger to become Australia's largest media company. Nine shareholders would own 51.1 per cent of the combined entity while Fairfax shareholders owned 48.9 per cent.