The Age
The Age is a Melbourne-based daily newspaper first published in 1854. Now owned by Nine Entertainment, it is distributed in print and online, mainly across Victoria, with additional circulation in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and parts of South Australia and southern New South Wales. It shares content with its sister publication, The Sydney Morning Herald. Recognised as a newspaper of record in Australia, The Age has a strong track record in investigative journalism, earning its reporters dozens of Walkley Awards, the country’s top journalism honour. By September 2024, its monthly readership had dropped to 4.55 million, down from 5.4 million in March 2020.
The paper was launched on 17 October 1854 by three Melbourne businessmen: brothers John and Henry Cooke, who had arrived from New Zealand in the 1840s, and Walter Powell. It struggled initially, and in June 1856 the Cookes sold it at auction for £2,000 to Ebenezer Syme, a Scottish-born businessman, and James McEwan, an ironmonger. The first edition under the new owners appeared on 17 June 1856. From the start, the paper championed liberal causes, advocating for expanded citizenship rights, representative institutions, free commerce, religious freedom, and personal liberty. Ebenezer Syme was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly soon after the purchase, and his brother David Syme quickly took control of both editorial and management. After Ebenezer died in 1860, David served as editor-in-chief until his death in 1908, though day-to-day editing was handled by a series of others.
In 1882, The Age ran an eight-part series by journalist George E. Morrison, who had secretly sailed as a crew member on the brigantine slave ship *Lavinia* to the New Hebrides, observing the blackbirding trade. Initially written with mild criticism, the series—titled "A Cruise in a Queensland Slaver. By a Medical Student"—was later revised by Morrison, who provided a sharp denunciation of the slave trade in Queensland. The articles, along with editorials and letters to the editor, prompted greater government intervention. By 1891, David Syme had bought out Ebenezer’s heirs and the McEwans, becoming sole proprietor. He turned *The Age* into Victoria’s leading newspaper, with daily sales reaching 100,000 by 1890, making it one of the world’s most successful papers.
Under David Syme, *The Age* wielded significant political influence in Victoria, backing liberal figures like Graham Berry, George Higinbotham, and George Turner, while journalists such as Alfred Deakin and Charles Pearson advanced their careers through the paper. Syme shifted from free trade to protectionism, believing tariffs were needed to develop Victoria’s manufacturing. In the 1890s, the paper strongly supported Australian federation and the White Australia policy. After David’s death in 1908, control passed to his three sons, with eldest son Herbert serving as general manager until 1939. David’s will barred the sale of equity during his sons’ lifetimes, preserving family control but starving the paper of investment for four decades.
Under Sir Geoffrey Syme (1908–42) and editors Gottlieb Schuler and Harold Campbell, *The Age* failed to modernise, losing market share to *The Argus* and the tabloid *The Sun News-Pictorial*. Only its classified ads kept it profitable. By the 1940s, circulation had fallen below 1900 levels, and its political influence waned. Historians describe the paper in this period as second-rate, outdated, and increasingly conservative. In 1942, David’s last surviving son, Oswald, took over and began modernising the paper’s appearance and news coverage, removing classifieds from the front page and introducing photographs—long after rivals had done so. In 1948, needing outside capital, Oswald persuaded a court to overturn his father’s will, floating David Syme and Co. as a public company and selling £400,000 in shares. This funded a technical upgrade and fended off a takeover bid by the Fairfax family, publishers of *The Sydney Morning Herald*. The revival allowed *The Age* to recover commercially, and in 1957 it gained a major boost when *The Argus* ceased publication.
- founders
- John Cooke, Henry Cooke, Walter Powell
- owner
- Nine Entertainment
- nationality
- Australian
- known_for
- Investigative reporting, newspaper of record for Australia
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The Age was founded by three Melbourne businessmen: brothers John and Henry Cooke (who arrived from New Zealand in the 1840s) and Walter Powell. The first edition appeared on 17 October 1854. The venture was not initially a success, and in June 1856 the Cookes sold the paper to Ebenezer Syme and James McEwan for £2,000 at auction. From its foundation the paper was self-consciously liberal in its politics, supporting 'the removal of all restrictions upon freedom of commerce, freedom of religion and—to the utmost extent that is compatible with public morality—upon freedom of personal action'. Ebenezer Syme was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly shortly after buying The Age, and his brother David Syme soon came to dominate the paper. When Ebenezer died in 1860 David became editor-in-chief, a position he retained until his death in 1908. In 1882 The Age published an eight-part series by journalist George E. Morrison, 'A Cruise in a Queensland Slaver. By a Medical Student', which led to expanded government intervention in the slave trade. Under Syme's control The Age exercised enormous political power in Victoria, supporting liberal politicians such as Graham Berry, George Higinbotham and George Turner. During the 1890s it was a leading supporter of Australian federation and of the White Australia policy. After David Syme's death, the paper remained in the hands of his three sons. David Syme's will prevented the sale of any equity during his sons' lifetimes, starving the paper of investment capital for 40 years. Under management of Sir Geoffrey Syme (1908–42), The Age was unable to modernise and gradually lost market share. In 1948, Oswald Syme persuaded the courts to overturn his father's will and floated David Syme and Co. as a public company, selling £400,000 worth of shares. This enabled a technical upgrade and defeated a takeover attempt by the Fairfax family. In 1966, the Syme family shareholders joined with Fairfax to create a 50/50 voting partnership which guaranteed editorial independence and forestalled takeover moves. This lasted for 17 years, until Fairfax bought controlling interest in 1972.
Reader's Guide
The Age's significance lies in its long history as a newspaper of record for Australia and its influence on Victorian and national politics, particularly under the Syme family's control. It played a key role in exposing the slave trade in Queensland through George E. Morrison's 1882 series. The paper supported Australian federation and the White Australia policy in the 1890s. In the 1960s and 1970s, under managing director Ranald Macdonald and editor Graham Perkin, The Age shifted to a 'left liberalism', supporting the Whitlam government while also exposing the Loans Affair. Its editorial on 15 October 1975, 'Go now, go decently', began: 'We will say it straight, and clear, and at once. The Whitlam government has run its course.' It would be Perkin's last editorial; he died the next day. After Perkin's death, The Age returned to a more moderate liberal position. The Age has maintained a stable of leading editorial cartoonists, notably Les Tanner, Bruce Petty, Ron Tandberg and Michael Leunig. Its political influence in later decades derived less from editorials than from opinions expressed by journalists, cartoonists, feature writers and guest columnists. The newspaper shares some articles with its sister paper The Sydney Morning Herald. The Age was published from offices in Collins Street until 1969, when it moved to 250 Spencer Street (hence the nickname 'The Spencer Street Soviet' favoured by some critics). In 2003, it opened a new printing centre at Tullamarine. The headquarters moved again in 2009 to Collins Street opposite Southern Cross station, and since acquisition by Nine Entertainment, to the former's 717 Bourke Street.
Did You Know?
- The first edition of The Age appeared on 17 October 1854.
- In 1882, The Age published an eight-part series by George E. Morrison, 'A Cruise in a Queensland Slaver. By a Medical Student', which led to expanded government intervention in the slave trade.
- David Syme's will prevented the sale of any equity in the paper during his sons' lifetimes, starving the paper of investment capital for 40 years.
- The Age's editorial on 15 October 1975, 'Go now, go decently', called for Whitlam's resignation; it was editor Graham Perkin's last editorial, as he died the next day.
- The Age was nicknamed 'The Spencer Street Soviet' by some critics after moving to 250 Spencer Street in 1969.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Age most known for?
It has built a lasting reputation for investigative reporting, a body of work that has earned its journalists dozens of Walkley Awards, the country's most prestigious journalism prize.
Who owns The Age today?
The Age is currently operated under Nine Entertainment, the large Australian media conglomerate.
How large is The Age's readership?
As of September 2024, its monthly readership stood at approximately 4.55 million, underscoring its status as one of the most widely read newspapers in the country.
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