THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
A bi-monthly tabloid, the Desert Sun, was published in Port Pirie by Flinders Travel Service in December, 1973/January, 1974. The paper was produced in conjunction with the Commonwealth Railways for travellers aboard the Indian-Pacific, the TransAustralian and The Ghan. It mostly contained articles promoting tourism and it also chronicled the restoration and re-opening of the historic Pich Richi Railway. The last edition held by the State Library is Vol. 1 No. 4 (June/July 1974). Nothing ventured, nothing gained On May 30, 1973, a new venture began for 17 South Australian country newspapers. Venture announced in its first edition that it was “a new publication for country people which is wholly-owned and produced by country people.” It said that as part of their local paper, more than 51,000 homes would receive Venture every week at no extra cost. The editor and owner of The Naracoorte Herald, Harry Peake, was chairman of directors. The other five directors were Peter Marston (Mount Barker), Darnley Taylor (Renmark), Ray Naulty (Port Pirie), Paul Milnes (Victor Harbor) and Michael Hambidge (Murray Bridge). Brian Nelson, who had served a two year stint as editor of the SA Journal of Industry for Stock Journal Publishers Pty Ltd, was appointed general manager. He said Venture had four aims: • To provide an additional service for the readers of country newspapers by producing a publication, which by virtue of its larger circulation, could provide more expensive in-depth features • To provide an effective forum where the views of all country people could be heard • To provide a medium which would attract advertising support to ensure money spent in this direction would find its way back to the country and help the districts concerned • To strongly support any action which was in the common interests of country people Newspapers carrying Venture as an insert were: The Pennant, The Chronicle, The Islander, Pinnaroo Times, Jamestown Review Times, Kingston Leader, Victor Harbor Times, Burra Record, The Naracoorte Herald, The Loxton News, The Murray Pioneer, The River News,
The Murray Valley Standard, The Southern Argus, Mount Barker Courier, Border Watch, The South Eastern Times. Venture proved to be a great success and continued publishing until October, 1992. Its last issue was Vol. 19, No. 382. The 1970s also saw the publishing of Scope magazine which was an insert in the Port Lincoln Times, West Coast Sentinel, Eyre Peninsula Tribune, Whyalla News, The Transcontinental, The Recorder and The Northern Argus. The monthly magazine, first published in May, 1973, was printed at Whyalla and was very successful over a number of years. Its last edition was in December, 1982. A community paper – The Lakelander – was first published at Meningie, on the edge of Lake Albert, on June 25, 1976. The paper is published about 48 weeks a year and covers a large area including Salt Creek, Tailem Bend, Narrung, Coonalpyn and Tintinara. The Coober Pedy Regional Times, a free newspaper established in 1982 by the dedicated volunteer work of local residents in the Far North opal mining town, is published fortnightly, and distributes 4500 copies. Prior to 1982, Coober Pedy was served by a newspaper known as Opal Chips which later became the Coober Pedy Times before being incorporated into the Coober Pedy Regional Times Association Inc. The Mount Lofty Star, published at Stirling in the Adelaide Hills, hit the streets in February, 1983. It was owned and published by Quatre Nominees Pty Ltd., incorporated in Western Australia, for the first 15 editions. In the edition of June 3, it was announced on Page 3 that the new owner was Regional Press Pty Ltd, a new company formed by Star staff members. No records of the paper are kept by the State Library or Country Press SA Inc. and it is not known when it closed. Promoting country papers In 1984, the Country Press Association of S.A. Inc. published its first edition of Country Press Week as part of SA Country Newspaper Week. The once a year paper to promote SA’s Country Press has been a great success and is still published today, but under the title of Showcase.
32 T HROU G H OU R E Y E S > 100 y e a r s o f C ou n t r y P r e s s SA I n c . , 1912 – 2012