The first number of the
New Triad appeared in August 1927, an updated version of the
Triad which was founded in New Zealand by
C. N. Baeyertz in 1892. Baeyertz and
Frank Morton were the main contributors to the
Triad, their subjects and style establishing a loyal subscription base. The Australian edition began in 1915, but by 1926, three years after Morton's death and with a new editor,
L. L. Woolacott, the
Triad was losing money. Relieving the strain on Art in Australia Ltd which had bought the magazine in 1926,
Ernest Watt, a director of the company, purchased the
Triad in March 1927. He took the magazine in a different direction, renaming it the
New Triad, and editing the magazine with
Hugh McCrae. The new look magazine included articles on motoring, horse racing, society and lawn tennis. It also offered regular competitions, crosswords and a more professional layout, bringing it close to the standard of
Home and
Art in Australia. Literary contributors to the
New Triad included
Louis Esson,
R. D. FitzGerald, Hugh McCrae,
Vance Palmer,
Dora Wilcox,
David McKee Wright and
Les Robinson (qq.v.). But, despite the change in format and a significant circulation, the
New Triad did not last a year. Its last number appeared in July 1928.