General News
24 June, 2024
150 Years of History
For the past year, The Wimmera Mail-Times has celebrated a majestic milestone: 150 years of publishing
Born as an idea in a small hut on Firebrace Street to becoming one of the biggest tri-weeklies in AUstralia, the paper has lived through the highs and lows of the region.
From Apsley to Ararat and from Hopetoun to Harrow, the Mail-Times has recorded it all.
As part of our celebrations, readers can read three special online editions,
A dream becomes a reality
The Wimmera Mail-Times' roots go back to the gold rush and squatters, when the newspaper's first editor, Edward Stephens, began work with his one man staff at midnight on Sunday, June 29, 1873.
As the name suggests, The Wimmera Mail-Times is result of a merger between The Horsham Times and The West Wimmera Mail in 1959.
Both papers have storied histories in the region, one that The Mail-Times continues to tell to this day.
When our first edition was printed on July 1, 1873, the newspaper consisted of four pages.
In those days the railroad had not reached the district, there was no telegraph and the telephone was unknown.
Stephens had needed determination to start his newspaper because there were critics who said a town as little as Horsham did not need the press.
But one man's encouragement confirmed his decision to begin. Stephens chose the right time.
A historic journey
July 1, 1873: Editor Edward Stephens and apprentice Edwin Boase produce the first edition of the Horsham Times from a log hut in Firebrace Street. Horsham boasts a population of 350 people.
1883: Fred Martin buys the Horsham Times from Edward Stephens.
January 29, 1887: Englishmen Thomas Waghorn Comyns and Joseph Henry Comfort publish the first edition of the West Wimmera Mail on the corner of Natimuk's Main Street and Lake Road.
1888: Comfort and Comyns sell the West Wimmera Mail to a Natimuk-based consortium.
Early 1889: W. Giles buys the West Wimmera Mail.
1897: George Ward buys a half interest in the Horsham Times.
June 1899: Alfred Lockwood buys the West Wimmera Mail, starting a family legacy which has lasted more than 100 years.
1920: George Ward dies. Fred Martin sells his interest in the Horsham Times to the Ward family and Jack Ward takes over, starting a 40-year reign at the helm.
January 1938: The first Linotype machine arrives in Natimuk.
1951: Alfred Lockwood hands over the reins of the West Wimmera Mail to his sons Frank and Allan.
1953: The West Wimmera Mail switches from weekly to bi-weekly publication and seeks business in Horsham.
Mid 1950s: A chance meeting in London between Douglas Lockwood and a young Rupert Murdoch leads to formation of a new company.
1956: The West Wimmera Mail opens an office in Firebrace Street, Horsham.
1957: The West Wimmera Mail imports a press from England and begins publishing in Horsham.
September 1959: The West Wimmera Mail and the Horsham Times merge to form The Wimmera Mail-Times. Frank and Allan Lockwood hold the positions of manager and editor respectively.
1960: The Mail-Times moves its printing press and office to Wilson Street, Horsham.
May 10, 1966: The Mail-Times is printed in Hamilton after fire at the paper's Wilson Street office damages its $40,000 Cossar press.
May 30, 1975: Price of the Mail-Times rises to 12 cents. A note accompanying the price rise announcement reads: ''The New York Times on Sundays is $1. We hope we do not reach that stage!''
1978: A Goss Community Press is installed at the Wimmera Mail-Times' Wilson Street office. The Mail-Times buys its first three type-setting computers.
July 30, 1984: Founding manager of the Mail-Times Frank Lockwood retires and is replaced by Barry Bellman.
July 5, 1985: Founding editor of the Mail-Times Allan Lockwood retires. Long-time chief-of-staff Maurie Lawson takes over as editor.
June, 1988: The Mail-Times' news department moves into a new headquarters in a $500,000 expansion plan after the company buys an empty half of the next-door Grabsch building.
September 5, 1990: New Zealand-based company Independent Newspapers Ltd buys Australian companies the Wimmera Mail-Times, Geelong Advertiser, Bendigo Advertiser and Gordon and Gotch Ltd.
April 1994: The Mail-Times upgrades to a PC and Mac-based computer system, using Pongrass newspaper make-up software.
April 26, 1996: Premier Jeff Kennett opens a Mail-Times photographic gallery at the newspaper's Wilson Street offices.
January 1, 1997: Maurie Lawson ends a 12-year reign as editor of the Mail-Times. UK-born Tony Curran is his replacement.
January 1999: Tony Curran leaves the Mail-Times to take up an appointment in New Zealand. Paul Haynes is his replacement.
April 2000: Longtime and award-winning Mail-Times journalist Danny Lannen replaces Paul Haynes.
December 11, 2000: The Mail-Times completes a $400,000 computer systems upgrade and produces the first paper using Cybergraphic newspaper make-up software.
January 25, 2001: The presses roll for the last time in Horsham. The Mail-Times is produced in Horsham and printed at Bendigo before couriers ferry the papers back to the Wimmera.
2002: The Wimmera Mail-Times wins Australia's highest journalism accolade, the Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism, for its series on the Wimmera River titled North to Nowhere.
July 1, 2002: Wimmera Mail-Times ownership transfers from Independent Newspapers to the Australian-owned Rural Press Ltd.
November 3, 2002: The first edition of the Mail-Times to be printed in Ballarat rolls off the presses.
May 17, 2004: Rod Case becomes editor of the Mail-Times, taking over from Danny Lannen.
May 2007: Rural Press merged with Fairfax Media.
November 2012: Georgia Bailey appointed new editor. Rod Case becomes editor of the Bendigo Advertiser.
June 2015: Luke Horton takes over as editor.
March 2017: Following as two two-year tenure as deputy editor at The Standard in Warrnambool, Jessica Grimble becomes editor of The Mail-Times.
December 2018: Fairfax Media merges with Nine Entertainment.
April 2019: Nine sells 160 regional publications to Antony Catalano and Alex Waislitz, who create Australian Community Media.
October 2020: Ben Fraser becomes editor of the Mail-Times.