The Chronicle (Canberra)

{{Infobox newspaper | name = The Chronicle | logo = | image = | caption = | type = Weekly newspaper | format = Compact | owners = Australian Community Media | publisher = | editor = | chief_editor = | associate_editor = | staff_writers = | founded = {{start date and age|1981|09|16|df=yes}} | language = | ceased_publication = {{end date and age|2020|04|7|df=yes}} | headquarters = 9 Pirie Street, Fyshwick, ACT | circulation = | ISSN = | oclc = | website = | price = }} '''The Chronicle''' was a free weekly community newspaper in Canberra, Australia. It was published by Australian Community Media from the Fyshwick headquarters of The Canberra Times and was funded through advertising.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Scanlon |first=Joni |date=6 September 2011 |title=Veteran sees newspaper flourish |newspaper=The Canberra Times |publisher=Fairfax Media |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=5 |id={{ProQuest|1020415878}}}}</ref> Its suspension of print publication was announced on 8 April 2020 by unrelated publication City News.<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine |date=8 April 2020 |title='The Chronicle' suspends publication |url=https://citynews.com.au/2020/the-chronicle-suspends-publication/ |access-date=6 December 2020 |magazine=Canberra CityNews |language=en-AU}}</ref>

== Background == The Canberra Chronicle was announced as a 'new newspaper for Canberra' in August 1981,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=14 August 1981 |title=Canberra Chronicle: a new newspaper for Canberra |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127064242 |access-date=18 December 2020 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=55 |issue=16,758}}</ref> with the first issue available on 16 September that year.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 September 1981 |title=New paper out today |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126846288 |access-date=18 December 2020 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=56 |issue=16,791}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Bachelard |first=Michael |date=16 September 1991 |title=The Chronicle marks decade of local news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122384464 |access-date=18 December 2020 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=66 |issue=20,610}}</ref> It was described as a free weekly suburban newspaper covering the local scene and complementing The Canberra Times through its same publisher, The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd.<ref name=":0" /> Initially it had an editorial team of three people including Graham Cooke,<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 September 1981 |title=Times guest tipster - Graham Cooke |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126844274 |access-date=19 March 2024 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |department=Saturday Guide |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=56 |issue=16,780}}</ref> but it has also been said to have started with only one staff member (separate to the Times).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Benson |first=Andrew |date=20 September 2011 |title=Committed to quality |newspaper=The Canberra Times |publisher=Fairfax Media |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=30 |id={{ProQuest|1020413512}}}}</ref> Founding editor Garry Raffaele has described the team as six advertising staff and an editor, and borrowing Times staff on Fridays.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 September 2011 |title=Editors reflect on journey |newspaper=The Canberra Times |publisher=Fairfax Media |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=30 |id={{ProQuest|1020413450}}}}</ref> There was an original print run of 75,200, which by its tenth anniversary in September 1991, increased to more than 90,000 copies.<ref name=":1" /> The Chronicle, alongside the Times, moved headquarters from Braddon to a new building in Fyshwick in April 1987.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hobbs |first=Philip |date=8 April 1987 |title=The Times moves into its new home |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118183797 |access-date=19 March 2024 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=61 |issue=18,814}}</ref>

In 1988, the Chronicle was cleared by the Australian Press Council of a bias allegation regarding election candidate coverage.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 March 1988 |title='Chronicle' cleared of bias allegation |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101979882 |access-date=19 March 2024 |work=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=62 |issue=19,140}}</ref>

The paper, alongside The Canberra Times, was sold by John Fairfax Ltd to Kerry Stokes in 1989.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wright |first=Tony |date=4 July 1989 |title=Kerry Stokes buys The Canberra Times |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122280503 |access-date=18 December 2020 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |volume=63 |issue=19,627 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 2014, the Queanbeyan City Council proposed withdrawing advertising funds from The Chronicle and other local papers, in lieu of publishing their own newsletter-style newspaper.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 May 2014 |title=Queanbeyan's local newspaper |newspaper=The Queanbeyan Age |publisher=Fairfax Media |location=Queanbeyan, New South Wales |page=8 |id={{ProQuest|1530211588}}}}</ref> The plan for a council-run paper was debated and did not win majority support and undertook no further action.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Connery |first=Georgina |date=29 May 2014 |title=Council rejects plan to produce newspaper |newspaper=The Canberra Times |publisher=Fairfax Media |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=4 |id={{ProQuest|1529534787}}}}</ref>

In the issue of Tuesday 7 April 2020, the front page stated that it would not be published the following fortnights (14 April and 21 April) due to a short recess.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 April 2020 |title=Easter is still a feast-er |newspaper=The Chronicle |publisher=Australian Community Media}}</ref> It was planned that the next issue would be published on 28 April, but this did not occur. The Chronicle's planned publication suspension was covered in the unrelated City News,<ref name=":2" /> and was not published thereafter, making it the final issue.

== Title history == In early January 1990, The Chronicle split into Northside Chronicle and Southside Chronicle, then later added the Valley Chronicle in 1991 for concurrent publishing of the trio of titles. These covered news, events and sport specifically for the North, the South (Woden, Weston Creek and South Canberra) and Tuggeranong.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 September 1991 |title=We've got Canberra covered! |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122385223 |access-date=5 November 2023 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=13 |type=Advertising |via=National Library of Australia |volume=66 |issue=20,614}}</ref> These expanded with additions of the City Chronicle and Belconnen Chronicle in 1992, and Queanbeyan Chronicle from 1993. The Gungahlin Chronicle was added in 1995.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 July 1995 |title=A new Chronicle for Gungahlin |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128285519 |access-date=18 December 2020 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=70 |issue=21,993}}</ref>

The subsequent Tuggeranong Chronicle was previously known as the Weston Creek-Woden Valley View, Valley View and the Valley Chronicle. Promotions in June 1993 highlighted the five editions (Northside, Southside, Belconnen, Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan) as covering the Canberra and Queanbeyan (including Jerrabomberra) market reaching over 111,000 homes from the following month.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 June 1993 |title=The Queanbeyan Chronicle: attract more customers by advertising in all five editions of The Chronicle! |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127235436 |access-date=5 November 2023 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |page=8 |type=Advertising |via=National Library of Australia |volume=67 |issue=21,258}}</ref>

These local versions including City Chronicle were merged into the main title in July 2014. The Queanbeyan Chronicle was merged with the Queanbeyan Age in August 2016,<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 August 2016 |title=A new chapter for The Queanbeyan Age |url=https://www.queanbeyanage.com.au/story/4075970/a-new-chapter-for-the-queanbeyan-age/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=4 November 2023 |newspaper=The Queanbeyan Age |publisher=Fairfax Media |location=Queanbeyan, New South Wales |language=en-AU |id={{ProQuest|1809114280}}}}</ref> subject to titling changes. {| class="wikitable" |+ !Title !Approximate dates !Notes |- |Canberra Chronicle |Vol. 1, no. 1 (16 September 1981) - Vol. 7, no. 318 (5 July 1988) |First original titling |- |The Chronicle |Vol. 7, no. 319 (12 July 1988) - Vol. 8, no. 378 (19 December 1989) |Sometimes listed as Chronicle (Canberra ACT) |- |Northside Chronicle |Vol. 8, no. 379 (23 January 1990) - (29 July 2014) |Initial dual split, then concurrent with additional regional titles until 2014 merge. |- |Southside Chronicle |Vol. 8, no. 379 (23 January 1990) - (29 July 2014) |Initial dual split, then concurrent with additional regional titles until 2014 merge. |- |The Valley Chronicle |Vol. 8, no. 427 (15 January 1991) - Vol. 10, no. 490 (27 April 1992) |Concurrent and later merged in 1992. |- |The Tuggeranong Chronicle |Vol. 10, no. 491 (4 May 1992) - circa 2003 |Merged concurrent title. Previously known as Weston Creek-Woden Valley View, Valley View and the Valley Chronicle. |- |The Belconnen Chronicle |Vol. 10, no. 493 (18 May 1992) - Vol. 24, no. 27 (1 July 2003) |Concurrent |- |The Queanbeyan Chronicle |Vol. 1, no. 1 (12 July 1993) - circa 2016 |This was later subsumed by the Queanbeyan Age: incorporating The Chronicle Community News, possibly prior to 2019. |- |The Gungahlin Chronicle |Vol. 12, no. 25 (10 July 1995) - circa 2003 |Concurrent |- |The City Chronicle |circa 2003 - 15 July 2014 |Concurrent |- |The Chronicle: community news for Canberra and Queanbeyan |Vol. 19, no. 31 (5 August 2014) - (7 April 2020) |Merging of all other remaining titles in July 2014 (Northside, Southside and City). |}

== References ==  {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chronicle, The}} Category:Newspapers published in Australian Capital Territory Category:1981 establishments in Australia Category:2020 disestablishments in Australia Category:Weekly newspapers published in Australia Category:Defunct newspapers published in the Australian Capital Territory Category:Defunct weekly newspapers