The ''Geelong News'' is a free weekly paper delivered to houses in the
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...
region in Victoria, Australia. It is published on Wednesdays with a circulation of over 70,000 copies. The focus of most
stories are local community issues and sport. Recently the newspaper
started producing different content for different parts of Geelong.
History
The ''Geelong News'' was first published as the ''Belmont and Highton News'' on 21 July 1965. The first edition was delivered to 4000 local households.
The publisher of the new newspaper was Dick Horniblow who was 27 years old at the time. He completed a Diploma of Agriculture, before working for three years at the ''
Weekly Times
''The Herald and Weekly Times'' Pty Ltd (HWT) is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by News Pty Ltd, which as News Ltd, purchased the HWT in 1987.
Newspapers
The HWT's newspaper interests dat ...
'',
''The Sun'', and ''The Herald''. He then worked for the
Australian Associated Press
Australian Associated Press Ltd (AAP) is an Australian news agency. It was founded in 1935 by Keith Murdoch.
AAP employs around 90 journalists who work in bureaus in all states and territories of Australia except the Northern Territory. It al ...
in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, worked with the ''
Gippsland Times
The ''Gippsland Times'' is a newspaper published in Sale, Victoria, Australia since 1861. It is now part of Fairfax Media's group of regional newspapers.
Its full title is ''The Gippsland Times and Maffra Spectator'', reflecting a takeover of th ...
'' in
Sale, then was appointed editor of the ''
Traralgon Journal
The ''Traralgon Journal'' was an English language newspaper published in Traralgon, Victoria in Australia. From 1883 until 1923 the newspaper was published as the ''Gippsland Farmer's Journal''.
History
The ''Traralgon Record'' was a weekly n ...
''.
The first issues were produced by Mr Horniblow and his wife Helen from their home in Hawthorn Avenue,
Belmont. The newspaper moved to an office in High Street, Belmont in April 1966. At the same time circulation of the paper expanded to cover the adjoining suburb of
Grovedale
Grovedale is a southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. At the , Grovedale had a population of 14,869.
History
Toponymy
The locality was originally named ''Germantown'' because several families of German Lutheran origin had settled th ...
.
The name of the paper changed to the ''Geelong Suburban News'' in September 1968, when separate editions were launched for the suburbs of
Newtown and
Geelong West
Geelong West is a commercial and residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. When Geelong was founded, the area was known as Kildare but its name was changed to Geelong West in 1875. The main street is Pakington Street. At the 2016 c ...
. By 1970 the newspaper covered the entire Geelong area.
1973 saw Horniblow, his brother Bryan Horniblow, and business partner purchase the ''
Ballarat News''. The Geelong News moved from High Street to Victoria House in Moorabool Street in 1975, by which time 25 permanent staff were employed by the group.
West Web printers was added to the Geelong News group in 1976, and in 1980 the group was acquired by the ''
Geelong Advertiser
The ''Geelong Advertiser'' is a daily newspaper circulating in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, the Bellarine Peninsula, and surrounding areas. First published on 21 November 1840, the ''Geelong Advertiser'' is the oldest newspaper title in Victo ...
'' group, which was then a
subsidiary
A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...
of
The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd
''The Herald and Weekly Times'' Pty Ltd (HWT) is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by News Pty Ltd, which as News Ltd, purchased the HWT in 1987.
Newspapers
The HWT's newspaper interests dat ...
.
See also
* ''
Geelong Advertiser
The ''Geelong Advertiser'' is a daily newspaper circulating in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, the Bellarine Peninsula, and surrounding areas. First published on 21 November 1840, the ''Geelong Advertiser'' is the oldest newspaper title in Victo ...
''
* ''
Geelong Independent
The ''Geelong Independent'' is a local free weekly newspaper delivered to houses in the Geelong region in Victoria.
The newspaper was first published on 31 October 1986 and was started by a group of local businessmen - mostly real estate agen ...
''
References
*Peter Begg (1990). ''Geelong – The First 150 Years''. Globe Press. ISBN
0-9592863-5-7
About the Geelong News
External links
Official website
Newspapers established in 1965
Mass media in Geelong
Newspapers published in Victoria (state)
Weekly newspapers published in Australia
News Corp Australia
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