associated newspapers ltd. records of a former rival

Associated Newspapers Ltd. Records of a former rival.Published on State Library of NSW (https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au)

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Delivery truck for the Sun newspaper. 1932

Names such as Fairfax, Murdoch and Packer have long been synonymous with newspapers, magazines, radio andtelevision. Their companies grew to be media giants through the takeover or merger of opposingcompanies. Mastheads such as the Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Guardian, Daily Mirror and Woman's Day havetheir beginnings in these rival companies. On a number of occasions the Fairfax company itself was threatened bytakeover attempts. The Fairfax Media business archive provides plenty of evidence of these complex and at timeshostile takeover attempts including those made by the Fairfax company on its rivals as it stragically positioneditself for a greater share of the market.

The archives of one of these rival media companies can be found in the Fairfax Media business archive.Long forgotten and perhaps a name not recognisable by many, Associated Newspapers Ltd, was a majormedia competitor of the Fairfax company until it was consumed by Fairfax Holdings in 1953. AssociatedNewspapers Ltd began in 1929 when tobacco manufacturer and owner of Sun Newspapers Ltd, Sir HughDenison, merged his company with S. Bennett Limited, a company founded by Samuel Bennett, who ironically,was a former employee of the Sydney Morning Herald in the 1850s. Sun Newspapers Ltd published the Sun, the Sunday Sun, the Daily Telegraph Pictorial, the Sunday Pictorial, the Newcastle Sun, World’s News andWireless Weekly. S. Bennett Ltd were publishers of the Evening News, Sunday News, Woman's Budget and inearlier times The Empire and The Illustrated Sydney News.

One year after its formation, Associated Newspapers purchased the Daily Guardian from Joyton Smith, owner ofSmith's Newspaper Ltd and combined this paper with Daily Pictorial to form the Daily Telegraph. In 1933 the DailyTelegraph then merged with Frank Packer's Australian Women's Weekly to form Consolidated Press.

Denison's interests also extended to wireless broadcasting. He had interests in radio station 2UE and wasa managing director of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd from 1913-1917. In 1938 he founded MacquarieBroadcasting Services Pty Ltd, which include station 2GB among 14 other stations. Dension remained Chairmanof the company until his death in 1940 and was succeeded by Sir John Butters.

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In 1953 the Packer owned company, Consolidated Press, offered to buy the ordinary shares of AssociatedNewspapers Ltd but were denied by John Fairfax & Sons, which, fearful of the threat that such an acquisition wouldpose to their existence, beat Packer to the prize. It was a major acquisition that immediately increased the size andpower of John Fairfax & Sons Ltd requiring it to restructure and move to larger premises.

Minutes to the first meeting of the directors of Associated Newspapers Ltd. 11 Spetember 1929

John Fairfax & Sons Ltd acquired the company and with it the records of Associated Newspapers Ltd.These company records include a complete set of the minutes to the meetings of the Directors of AssociatedNewspapers Ltd as well as correspondence files of the Chairman of the company. The records cover thecompany's involvement not only in newspapers but also in radio, including Macquarie Broadcasting and 2GB, aswell as newsprint company Australian Newsprint Mills Ltd. Also in this archive are 20 boxes of legalagreements, deeds, leases, contracts and other legal instruments relating to the operation of AssociatedNewspapers Limited.

This archive within an archive provides another perspective of the media world, as a rival company to Fairfax untilits eventual absorption into the Fairfax media empire.

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The Sun Newspapers building. Opened in 1929, the same year the company merged with Associated NewspapersLtd. The building still stands at 60-70 Elizabeth Street, Sydney. Image from the publication "Sun Newspapers Ltd1910-1929."

Author

Peter Arfanis, Project Lead, State Library of New South Wales, 2017

References Gavin Souter, Company of Heralds (1981)Bridget Griffen-Foley. Associated Newspapers Limited companion entry https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/9308667 [1]

Source URL:https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/blogs/associated-newspapers-ltd-records-former-rival

Links[1] https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/9308667

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https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/9308667

http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/blogs/associated-newspapers-ltd-records-former-rival

associated newspapers ltd. records of a former rival

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