The Toowoomba Chronicle

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The Toowoomba Chronicle
Thechronicle.svg
ToowoombaChronicleFrontPage.png
Type Daily newspaper
Format Tabloid
Owner(s) News Corp Australia
Editor Steve Etwell
News editorWill Hunter
Founded1922
LanguageEnglish
Headquarters Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Level 1/5 Keefe St
Toowoomba QLD 4350
Circulation 22,808 Monday-Friday
30,270 Saturday
Website thechronicle.com.au

The Toowoomba Chronicle is a daily newspaper serving Toowoomba, the Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs regional areas in Queensland, Australia.

Contents

As of 2016, the newspaper is owned by News Corp Australia, [1] and forms part of their Regional Media network. [2]

In 2008, the audited circulation of The Toowoomba Chronicle was 22,808 Monday to Friday and 30,270 on Saturday. [3]

History

The Darling Downs Gazette , founded at Drayton by Arthur Sidney Lyon, began publication in a wooden shanty on 10 June 1858.[ citation needed ] It moved to the burgeoning town of Toowoomba and merged with The Chronicle in 1922. [ citation needed ]The Chronicle, founded by Darius Hunt, began as a fourpenny weekly on 4 July 1861 in a coachbuilder's shop in James Street.[ citation needed ] On 4 February 1876, William Henry Groom became sole proprietor, beginning nearly half a century of family control of a newspaper that he transformed into a powerful and persuasive political weapon.[ citation needed ]

Archibald Meston was one of the editors. [4]

In 1922 the Dunn family acquired the Gazette and the two newspapers were amalgamated as the Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette. The combined newspaper was published first on 2 October 1922. On 20 October 1969 The Chronicle format was changed from broadsheet to tabloid. The Chronicle and the Downs Star merged on 1 October 1970 under a new company Toowoomba Newspapers Pty Ltd. The newspaper was relaunched as Toowoomba's Mail in September 2003.

In 1988, Australian Provincial Newspapers Ltd (APN) acquired a 50% share in Toowoomba Newspapers. [5]

Notable Breaking Stories

Encores owner named in alleged sex scandal

The Toowoomba Chronicle reported on breakthrough claims regarding a previous Toowoomba Grammar School teacher’s relationship with her student. The alleged private school sex scandal was identified between a prominent teacher and business woman, and former student. The student alleged that this long-running sexual relationship started when he was thirteen years old and the teacher was 29. Whilst the teacher has denied these claims, she was sued for more than $1 million and private notes between the pair were used in court as evidence. [6]

AFP corruption scandal

Reporting on the “biggest corruption scandal to hit the national police force in decades”, The Toowoomba Chronicle covered the dismissal of two senior Australian Federal Police officers. This “Sydney Mafia” scandal saw The Chronicle follow accusations of fraud. In this case, the story surrounded the inappropriate use of Australian Federal Police credit cards to buy goods for personal use including white goods, such as televisions and Xboxes. It broke news of alleged use of police vehicles for personal reasons. and revealed that thirty nine Australian Federal Police members have been suspended in the last two years and 22 Australian Federal Police officers have been fired. [7]

Buried Treasure

In 2018, The Toowoomba Chronicle broke the news that there more than 5,600 coins had been unearthed at a worksite. [8] The reason for the buried treasure was reported as a result of a family that fled Germany due to religious discrimination and stored it for safekeeping.

Eleven Year Flood Anniversary

The Toowoomba Chronicle reflected on 10 January 2011, describing it as an "unforgettable date for many people across Toowoomba City. In reviewing the effects of the 2011 floods on the Queensland community, this was a notable Toowoomba Chronicle tabloid.

Historical Archives

Being founded in 1922, the Toowoomba Chronicle’s previous publications include many articles that illustrate the historical progression of the city of Toowoomba. As such, archives are captured of previously published newspapers to encapsulate the city’s history. Here, in excess of 1.5 million negatives that were published in the Toowoomba Chronicle (from 1953 - 2002) and 37,000 editions of the newspaper (from 1861 - 2009) are stored in the University of Southern Queensland. These can be accessed by contacting the Regional Council Local History Library. [9]

Trove has also recently added over sixteen years of The Toowoomba Chronicle’s previous publications in digitised form to their library. This was facilitated by a partnership between the National Library of Australia and the State Library of Queensland. The Trove also holds The Toowoomba Chronicle’s articles that were published from 1861 -1902. [10]

These archived articles draw light to significant moments in Toowoomba’s history, such as the Great Depression Camp for unemployed men. A saved June 1931 publication provides a photograph of the camp’s setting, which features a tent that was received by the camp from the Toowoomba Girl Guides. The location of the camps are also provided by archives from The Chronicle. [11]

Historical exhibitions

In celebration of the newspaper’s one hundred and fiftieth birthday, an exhibition titled “Toowoomba Through The Chronicle Lens” at the Cobb+Co Museum was built and marketed. This featured the championed Walkley Award winning image by The Chronicle’s Photographer Nev Madsen that illustrates a flood rescue scene. This Chronicle photograph also received a Best Community and Regional Photography category award. This exhibition also featured other pieces of The Chronicle’s history, with previous Chronicle photographers: Dave Noonan, Bev Lacey and Kevin Farmer’s images on display for the exhibition’s spectators. These works included an elephant race, a man comforting a sick horse and a car that drove off a bridge while towing a caravan. These images that resonated with The Toowoomba Chronicle’s audiences over time were selected as highlights of the exhibition. [12]

Circulation and distribution

The Toowoomba Chronicle is available via print edition, desktop format, mobile format and a digital edition. Readers can subscribe to receive one of three different packages, namely: Full Digital Access, Weekend Paper Delivery or a 7-Day Paper Delivery. Payments for these are received on a weekly basis by The Chronicle.

Social media

On social media outlet Facebook, the Chronicle’s stories are also circulated. During the year of 2020, the most distributed post about Prince Charles and Camilla reached 1.4 million people, achieved 900 reactions and over 1,100 comments.

On Instagram, The Toowoomba Chronicle run under the handle @twbachronicle. Their content includes a summary post of their "top stories" that are released frequently to break news in time to their followers. The account is normally related to community news. Their top engaging posts are regarding school formals. The Instagram account also draws attention to social issues, such as the acknowledgement of R U OK? Day. The account has a following of approximately 4,531.

Launch of App

The Toowoomba Chronicle can also be reached on via an App. Released on 20 August 2015, the free application displays news, with a similar layout to the website. APN Newspapers [13] describes this medium as a way to “bring all the news that matters in your community” to a mobile phone or tablet format.

Launch of updated website

During October 2020, The Toowoomba Chronicle re-launched their website. This update was made with hopes to create a “faster, cleaner and more enhanced user experience”. [14] With this website renewal, the navigation bar was placed at the front, with local news placed first. Along with this, there is a drop down bar for different subject matters that are covered by The Toowoomba Chronicle. A link to the daily edition of the newspaper is also provided on the top left of the home page, where subscribers can access their rewards without Courier-Mail. The Chronicle has described the reason for this modernisation to be a result of “extensive research” and a product of feedback from their tabloid subscribers around the nation.

Contributors

Current Contributors

NameTitle
Morgan Burley [15] Reporter
John HeeneyPhotographer
Jason GibbsSports Editor
Tom GillespieJournalist
Peter HardwickCourt Reporter
Meghan HarrisDigital Producer
Susan HartlandDesigner
Will HunterDeputy Editor
Neville MadsenPhotographer
Kate McCormackJournalist
Rhylea MillarJournalist
Michael NolanCrime Reporter
Jarrad PotterJournalist
Sean TeumaSports Reporter

Previous notable contributors

NameTitle
Steve Elwell [16] Editor for 40 years

Digitisation

The paper has been digitised as part of the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program of the National Library of Australia. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toowoomba</span> City in Queensland, Australia

Toowoomba is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is 125 km (78 mi) west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 census was 142,163, having grown at an average annual rate of 1.45% over the previous two decades. Toowoomba is the second-most-populous inland city in the country after the nation's capital of Canberra, and hence the largest city on the Darling Downs. It is the second largest regional centre in Queensland, often referred to as the capital of the Darling Downs.

Charles Douglas Eastaughffe was an early Australian settler, later becoming a police trooper and Chief Constable of Dalby, Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Henry Groom</span> Australian politician

William Henry Groom was an Australian publican, newspaper proprietor, and politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Queensland from 1862 to 1901 and of the Parliament of Australia in 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clifton, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Clifton is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Clifton had a population of 1,456 people.

The modern history of Toowoomba begins in the 19th century. Europeans began exploring and settling in the area from 1816 on-wards. By the end of the 1840s the rich lands around Toowoomba were being used for agriculture. 12 suburban allotments at Drayton were surveyed in 1849. Small commercial settlements were growing with schools and churches also being built. The first council election took place in 1861 and the telegraph connection to Brisbane was established in 1862. Between 1868 and 1886, several new railway lines from Toowoomba were opened. Throughout the 21st century the city prospered with new hospitals, large industrial buildings and education facilities established. Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport was opened in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsworth, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Pittsworth is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Pittsworth had a population of 3,294 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allora, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Allora is a rural town and locality in the Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Allora had a population of 1,223 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyburn, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Leyburn is a rural town in the Southern Downs Region and a locality split between the South Downs Region and the Toowoomba Region in Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Leyburn had a population of 476 people.

The Fraser Coast Chronicle is an online newspaper serving the Fraser Coast area in Queensland, Australia. It was started as the Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser.

<i>Daily Mercury</i> Daily newspaper serving Mackay, Queensland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowenville, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Bowenville is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. The town's economy rested on the rail industry and with the winding down of the railways the population declined. In the 2016 census, the locality of Bowenville had a population of 250 people.

Provincial Newspapers (QLD) Ltd. (PNQ) was a regionally-based newspaper publishing enterprise established in Queensland, Australia on 1 April 1968, lasting for 20 years until it was taken over in 1988 by Australian Provincial Newspapers.

<i>The Western Star</i> (Queensland) Australian newspaper

The Western Star and Roma Advertiser, later published as the Western Star, is one of the longest continuously published newspapers in outback Queensland. It was published in Roma from 27 March 1875 to 1948, before continuing as the Western Star from 1948 to the present day.

<i>Darling Downs Gazette</i> Former newspaper in Queensland, Australia

The Darling Downs Gazette was a newspaper published from 1848 to 1922 in Drayton and Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia.

<i>Bowen Independent</i> Australian newspaper

The Bowen Independent is a newspaper published in Bowen, Queensland, Australia.

Des V. McGovern was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. A Queensland state and Australia national representative winger, he played his club football in Toowoomba, where he later become a successful coach and well-known radio match commentator.

Umbiram is a rural locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Umbiram had a population of 139 people.

References

  1. ↑ Burrowes, Tim (29 December 2016) News Corp completes takeover of APN's regional newspapers, Mumbrella . Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  2. ↑ Samios, Zoe (14 March 2018) News Corp's regional Queensland publications move to premium digital subscription model, Mumbrella . Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). Average Net Paid Sales for October–December 2008 (metro and larger regional titles)/January–June 2008 (other regional titles).
  4. ↑ "MR. A. MESTON". The Brisbane Courier . National Library of Australia. 12 March 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  5. ↑ The Toowoomba Chronicle. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  6. ↑ Marsh, V. (2021, March 19). Encores Owner Named in Alleged Sex Scandal. Retrieved from pressreader: https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-chronicle-8992/20210319/281479279179248
  7. ↑ O'Brien, N. (2022, Jan 5). pressreader. Retrieved from AFP Corruption scandal : https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-chronicle-8992/20220105/281616718711153
  8. ↑ Newton, M. (2020, October 24). Buried Treasure. Retrieved from pressreader: https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-chronicle-8992/20201024/textview
  9. ↑ University of Southern Queensland. (2021). Historical Collections. Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
  10. ↑ Admin, J. (2019, May 30). More historical Toowoomba newspapers now available via Trove. Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
  11. ↑ Barker, B., & Lamb, L. (2009). Charity and the Work Ethic in a 1930s Depression Era Itinerant’s Camp on the Toowoomba Range Escarpment, Queensland. The Archaeology of Poverty and Human Dignity, 263-279.
  12. ↑ "Queensland Museum Network". www.museum.qld.gov.au.
  13. ↑ APN Newspapers Pty Ltd. (n.d.). The Chronicle. Retrieved from AppAdvice : https://appadvice.com/app/the-chronicle/1006563932
  14. ↑ "Welcome to our brand new website, built with you in mind". The Chronicle. 30 September 2020.
  15. ↑ News Regional Media . (2020, December 8). YOUR TRUSTED NEWS FOR TOOWOOMBA. Retrieved from News Regional Media : https://media.news.com.au/newsregionalmedia/nrm/the-toowoomba-chronicle.html
  16. ↑ News Regional Media . (2020, December 8). YOUR TRUSTED NEWS FOR TOOWOOMBA. Retrieved from News Regional Media : https://media.news.com.au/newsregionalmedia/nrm/the-toowoomba-chronicle.html
  17. ↑ "Newspaper Digitisation Program". Trove. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
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