The Australian Newspaper History Group, which emerged from a conference on local newspapers and local identities at Chiltern in north-eastern Victoria in October 1999, is an example of whatindividuals rather than committees can achieve
A few weeks later he single-handedly published the first issue of the Australian Newspaper History Group Newsletter. That first issue carried only four A4 pages, but it was a start. Isaacs published a second issue in November (again 4pp), a third in January 2000 (8pp) and a fourth in February (10pp). Then he asked his growing ANHG readership whether anyone would like to take over the editorship from him. I put up my hand and built on the solid foundation that Isaacs had laid. Ten issues appeared in the first 15 months, but since 2001 the newsletter has appeared five times a year, without fail.
The size since 2001 has generally been 20 pages (about 10,500 words). Issue No 50 will appear this month. The newsletter breaks up items into sections that deal with current events in the capital-city dailies, online news as produced by newspapers, and provincial and suburban papers (the items are short, but are sourced so that readers can find out more if they wish). There are also sections on newspaper history (the old stuff) and on recent publications (books, theses, journal, magazine and major newspaper articles) of relevance to newspaper historians.
The newsletter has 230 electronic subscribers (who pay nothing) and 23 hard-copy subscribers (individuals pay $50 for ten issues). The subscribers include National and State Libraries, newspaper researchers, editors, managers, journalists, academics
and librarians.
The ANHG has published nine books and is working on its grandest publication yet: a comprehensive bibliography of Australian newspaper history. It will be the second edition of the bibliography, but this edition will dwarf the first edition. The ANHG plans to publish early in 2009 an index to the first 50 issues of its newsletter. All this from the initiation of one man and the taking up of the baton by two or three others.
The founder remembers
Let Victor Isaacs tell in his own words what led to the formation of the Australian Newspaper History Group. He says, “I had long had an interest in newspapers – their history as well as current topics. I was growing increasingly frustrated that there seemed to be no place to pursue this interest in Australia. There was no organisation of like-minded people, and there was no journal about the subject.
“In mid-1999, I finally decided that since there was no organisation, I would just have to found one. I drafted a form letter and sent it to the newspaper librarians of major libraries, university faculties of journalism and history, historical societies around the country, and daily and Sunday newspapers. I had no idea what sort of reaction I would get.
“Very soon after I sent the letter, I walked into the newspaper room at the National Library of Australia. The newspaper librarian said to me, ‘That was an interesting letter we received from you. No doubt, you know about the forthcoming newspaper history conference in Chiltern.’
“No, I didn’t. Clearly, there were other people who shared my interest!
If I had not sent my letter, I would possibly never have heard about the conference.
On the other hand, if I had known about this conference, I possibly would not have sent my letter. I received an approximately 30 per cent response to my letter, which is a pretty good response for that type of thing.
“Meanwhile, I went to the conference in October 1999. It was a weekend filled with papers about newspaper history of overwhelming interest. I thought this is what I have been looking for all my life. The final session of the conference was entitled ‘Where do we go from here?’ I followed up on the letter, by raising the idea of a newspaper history group and journal. There was agreement that what we did not want yet another formal, academic magazine. There was a view that an informal journal keeping people in touch would be very useful.
“On this basis, I put together the first issue of the ANHG Newsletter. I sent gratis copies to everybody who hadreplied to my letter and everybody who had attended the conference. I received very gratifying responses. The ANHG was away.”
If you want to sample, or subscribe to, the ANHG Newsletter, email Rod Kirkpatrick at:
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