The Canberra Times was launched in 1926 by Thomas Shakespeare along with his oldest son Arthur Shakespeare and two younger sons Christopher and James.[1] The newspaper's headquarters were originally located in the Civic retail precinct, in Cooyong Street and Mort Street, in blocks bought by Thomas Shakespeare in the first sale of Canberra leases in 1924.[2]
The newspaper's first issue was published on 3 September 1926.[2] It was the second paper to be printed in the city, the first being The Federal Capital Pioneer.[3][4] Between September 1926 and February 1928, the newspaper was a weekly issue. The first daily issue was 28 February 1928.[2] In June 1956, The Canberra Times converted from broadsheet to tabloid format.[5]
Arthur Shakespeare sold the paper to John Fairfax Ltd in 1964,[2] on the condition that it continue to advocate for Canberra.[6] Soon after, in July 1964, the format was switched back to broadsheet and printing was moved to Fairfax's newly installed press in Fyshwick.[5] Offices remained open in the Civic retail precinct until April 1987 when The Canberra Times moved its entire operation to the new office of The Federal Capital Press of Australia, also in Fyshwick.[7]
In 1988, the paper and the Federal Capital Press was sold to Kerry Packer's Australian Consolidated Press for a total amount of $250 million,[8] which in turn sold it to Kerry Stokes in 1989 for a price greater than $65 million.[9]Rural Press Limited bought the paper from Stokes in August 1998 for $160 million.[10] The Times rejoined the Fairfax stable in 2007 when Rural Press merged with Fairfax.[11] The paper first went online on 31 March 1997.[citation needed]
In 2008, The Canberra Times printed a formal apology[12] after the paper published an essay in which Irfan Yusuf falsely accused American historian Daniel Pipes of suggesting that Muslims deserved to be slaughtered as Jews were during The Holocaust.[13][14]
On 17 October 2008, The Canberra Times was distributed with a sticker advertising the ACTLabor Party on the front page. Complaints about the sticker prompted the general manager, Ken Nichols, to issue an explanation.[15]
In October 2013, Fairfax Media announced that The Canberra Times would be restructured to join the Australian Community Media Group of regional, agricultural and community newspapers, shifting from the metropolitan news division of Fairfax.[16][17] A new editorial leadership team was appointed in November 2015, with Grant Newton as editor of the newspaper and Scott Hannaford as deputy editor and news director.[18]
In March 2016, staff at the newspaper were told there would be a restructure at The Canberra Times and that the paper would move from a broadsheet format to a tabloid.[19] Fairfax Media also announced they would be cutting 12 jobs from the newspaper's staff.[20]
In September 2021, The Canberra Times moved from its Fyshwick headquarters to an office building on Marcus Clarke Street in Civic.[21]
Content
The Guide
The Guide was launched in July 1988, as a television and radio guide.[22]
Notable staff
The paper's editors have included Jack Waterford and Michelle Grattan (1993–95), the first female editor of a metropolitan daily newspaper in Australia. A recent editor-in-chief, Peter Fray, left in January 2009 to edit The Sydney Morning Herald. He was succeeded by Rod Quinn, formerly of the Newcastle Herald.[23] He announced the formation of a new senior editorial team in 2012.[24] Since 2015[update], the managing editor is John-Paul Moloney.[18][25]
^ abcdClayton, C.J. (24 April 1987). "Our first issue was in 1926". The Canberra Times. Vol. 61, no. 18, 630. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: John Fairfax and Sons. p. 2. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"National Newspaper in Canberra". The Canberra Times. Vol. 38, no. 10, 836. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: John Fairfax Limited. 1 May 1964. p. 1. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^Salins, Christine (24 April 1987). "Our move to Fyshwick". The Canberra Times. Vol. 61, no. 18, 830. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: John Fairfax and Sons. p. 1. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^
Wright, Tony (12 January 1988). "Sale of Federal Capital Press goes through". The Canberra Times. Vol. 62, no. 19, 091. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Consolidated Press. p. 1. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^Wright, Tony (4 July 1989). "Kerry Stokes buys The Canberra Times". The Canberra Times. Vol. 63, no. 19, 627. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Federal Capital Press. p. 1. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Apology to Daniel Pipes". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Fairfax Media. 13 September 2008. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^Nichols, Ken (17 October 2008). "Sticker ads separate to editorial content". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^Jackson, Sally (16 October 2013). "Canberra Times no longer a metro". The Australian. Sydney: News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
^"THE GUIDE". The Canberra Times. Vol. 62, no. 19, 271. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: John Fairfax and Sons. 11 July 1988. p. 21. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^"New editor". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Fairfax Media. 3 February 2009. p. 2. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via NewsBank.
^"Geoff Pryor's book of cartoons on sale". The Canberra Times. Vol. 54, no. 16, 132. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. 25 November 1979. p. 3. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^Wright, Jessica (1 March 2008). "After a colourful 30 years, Pryor's stellar career draws to a close". The Canberra Times. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Fairfax Media. p. 2. ProQuest1020376292.
