This year marks 130 years since the Corryong Courier first hit the streets to bring all the news to the people of the Upper Murray.

The first issue of the Courier was on January 25, 1894 and since then has only undergone six changes of ownership.

The paper has provided a communication means for the people of the Upper Murray and has enjoyed the support of the community throughout its history.

Former Victorian Attorney-General T.W Mitchell said in his book, Man from Snowy River in 1981, “A country newspaper gives a certain standing and cohesion to the district concerned.”

Owners

The original owners of the Courier were H H Parnaby & A Albert with manager at the time being A T Bartlett. After this time Peter Seaton became owner, before handing over to T E Jeans & W G Jeans (exact dates unknown).

In 1937 William ‘Bill’ McClure moved to Corryong from Lockhart and took ownership of the Courier. In 1951, the time came for William to hand over the ‘local rag’ to his son, Col McClure.

Col took great pride in running the Courier and after 42 years at the helm, kept the business in the family when Col’s daughter Cyndie and Mark Collins took the reins in 1993.

It was at this time that the production of the Courier became largely computerised and while the large printing presses were no longer required, the same love was given to the newspaper each week in delivering the news to locals.

After 19 years of the Courier being run by Mark and Cyndie, their daughter Jade Moscrop and son Liam became involved in the business in early 2012. (Liam left the business in 2015).

Throughout its history the owners have acknowledged that they could not produce such a successful publication without the hard work of their employees and contributors and generosity of advertisers and consider this the reason of the newspaper’s success.

Sites

The Courier has had a number of homes around Corryong over the years. In the early days, it was produced in the main street across from the Corryong Post office. The operations were then moved to opposite the Corryong Consolidated School. Around 1934/35, the Courier had a new home at Donaldson Street (corner of Donaldson and Wheeler streets). Over nearly 70 years around 3,500 issues of the Courier were produced here.

In 2003 the Courier moved to its current location, ironically back to where it all began across the road from the Post office at 1/41 Hanson Street.

Production

The production of the newspaper has changed many times in its long history. Jeans Bros. hand set across 13 and half ems tabloid and in 1937 when William McClure took over, it was set by linotype across 13 em broadsheet. This changed again in 1951 when Col McClure set by linotype across 10 ems tabloid 7pt.face.

At the end of 1992 the Corryong Courier was one of very few country newspapers entirely printed in its own town. It is understood that it was the second last newspaper in Victoria to use the ‘hot metal’ and flat-bed press method of publication.

From 1993 the Courier was set by computer across 8 ems, 8 pt. face; maintaining a similar format to Col McClure’s but implemented modern methods to produce the paper. An online version of the paper was introduced in 2021 and it has its own website and Facebook page ensuring the Courier is available to all sections of the community and its wider readership.

The First Issue

The proprietor of the first issue was Mr H H Parnaby and the cost was 3d a copy (16/-year).

His editorial in the first issue on Thursday 25 1894 was as follows:

“For the cause that lacks assistance,
For the wrongs that need resistance,
For the future in the distance,
And the good that we can do.”

“In making our first bow to the public of Corryong and the Upper Murray we feel it duty bound to tender an apology for the non-appearance of the Courier at the time set forth in our prospectus.

“Now that we are here however, we shall endeavour to remedy the error by making up for lost time.

“It is a fact patent to all the inhabitants that the interests of this district have been neglected through inadequate press representation.

“In our columns will be found an abridements of the ideas which it will be the duty of the Courier to promulgate.

“We take this opportunity of giving utterance to our views, believing they will meet with the support of the those who have the welfare of Corryong at heart.”

This article appeared in the Corryong Courier, 15 February 2024.