Cirrus@Austlit

‘Since the publication of the first newspaper in Australia in 1803, newspapers have occupied an important place in Australian life, providing both a unique commentary on and even shaping the communities in which they have been circulated. Australian newspapers have variously served as transmitters of government orders and regulations to providers of shipping news, agricultural reports, news of auctions and property sales, birth, deaths and marriages and advertisements. Both guiding and reflecting public opinion, they have served as political instrument and people’s advocate, commenting on matters of national importance and of the minutiae of daily life – generally with the commercial imperative to sell copies and stay afloat.’ (p. 28)