Nine today introduced improved digital versions of SMH, The Age and AFR through their websites and apps. They have similar functions as the digital replicas of News Corp metro papers and The Australian.
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The Guardian Australia’s Daisy Dumas wrote in Weekly Beast column today that veteran art critic John McDonald has hit back (via his own newsletter) at SMH editor-in-chief Bevan Shields after being let go from the paper. McDonald had been writing for SMH more than 40 years.
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The Australian’s Media Diary says The Age has counselled senior journalist Maher Mughrabi, after he held a webinar as part of an online “letter-writing workshop for Palestine” on September 1. It was promoted by the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network or APAN. The article says Mughrabi did not tell his superiors at The Age about the workshop, and they were less than thrilled when they found out about his secret side hustle.
UPDATE 20/9
The Guardian Australia’s Amanda Meade writes that SMH and The Age books editor Jason Steger and investigations reporter Ben Schneiders were among 85 editorial staff who left Nine. Meanwhile, the AFR has parted ways with Sky News presenter Rowan Dean who was a columnist.
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Another reporter going from The Age, this time it’s Marnie Vinall who’s joining the ABC.
This men's AFL grand final weekend will be my last at the Age. I'm so indebted to the paper and will forever be so grateful for all the opportunities I've had there.
— Marnie Vinall (@marnievinall) September 25, 2024
Getting quite emotional about saying g'bye. Sports crew is elite. Thank you, thank you, thank you, @theage.
I'll be joining the ABC Sport crew, which I'm just so excited about. So head over there from around two weeks to find me yapping about AFLW + all sports🙂
— Marnie Vinall (@marnievinall) September 25, 2024
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SMH chief sports writer Andrew Webster has penned his final column for the paper, after taking redundancy.
McDonald has revealed he has been dumped by the Australian Financial Review as its film critic as well. His final column will appear this weekend and he has a magazine piece in the pipeline.
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From MEAA
The union for Australian journalists, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, has today written to management at Nine Publishing to commence negotiations for an agreement on pay and conditions for freelancers.
This will mark the first direct discussions between management and freelancers in the history of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times and WAtoday.
The acting Director of MEAA Media, Michelle Rae, said Nine committed to the discussions with freelancers as part of the deal which ended industrial action in July and it was now time to follow through on that commitment.
“Freelancers and in-house journalists stood side by side during the five-day strike in July and this joint solidarity secured a landmark commitment from management to negotiate a freelance agreement,” she said.
“Now that enterprise bargaining is out of the way, Nine must follow through on that commitment by sitting down with freelancers to negotiate pay and conditions.
“Media organisations in Australia increasingly rely on freelancers to provide quality journalism to their readers, yet this growing cohort of the media workforce are the most vulnerable because of job insecurity, poor pay, and the lack of basic conditions like superannuation.
“As one of the largest employers of freelance journalists in Australia, Nine must provide respect and dignity to the freelancers who produce so much of the public interest journalism that readers rely on.
“Sitting down to negotiate is an important first step to ensuring the quality jobs needed to produce quality journalism.
“MEAA looks forward to forming a signed agreement with Nine publishing stipulating fair rates, annual rate increases, and other key conditions for freelance contributors.”
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The Age is 170 years old today - The Age 170th birthday: Looking back at 1854
Just 19 years after John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner sailed separately from Tasmania and set to years of squabbling about the right to be called the first white settler of the place that would become Melbourne, the citizens couldn’t care less about old arguments.
Melbourne was leaping out of its skin, grabbing the future with eager hands and paying for it in gold.
It was 1854.
In that one tumultuous year, the essential rootstock that would eventually grow and blossom into the Melbourne we know today was grafted onto the landscape.
The MCG, Flinders Street railway station, Port Melbourne’s Station Pier, the University of Melbourne, the Melbourne Museum, the State Library: all of these and many more venerated Melbourne landmarks got their modest start in 1854.
The thirsty citizens of Melbourne got their first public water supply in 1854, too, when a 150,000-gallon tank was built in East Melbourne, initially storing water raised by steam pump from the Yarra River before the Yan Yean Reservoir came on stream three years later.
Australian history was being made in other ways on the goldfields that were feeding Melbourne’s wealth.
Before the year was done, out on the Ballarat diggings, a ragtag gathering of miners fed up with unjust treatment from the colonial authorities made the Eureka Stockade and the Eureka flag hopelessly romantic symbols of rebellion within the Australian story.
And yes.
The first edition of The Age was published on October 17, 1854.
Grandly, the first edition was printed on a steam press set up within Melbourne’s vainest
pursuit of glory: the city’s first exhibition building, designed to emulate London’s stupendous Crystal Palace.
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The Age celebrates 170 years as Melbourne’s most trusted masthead
Melbourne’s most widely read and trusted newspaper, The Age, marks a historic milestone today as it celebrates 170 years of publication — a remarkable journey that cements its place among some of the world’s oldest metropolitan newspapers.
To honour this legacy, a special commemorative wrap-around in today’s paper will highlight The Age‘s lifelong bond with Melburnians, its deep connection to the city, and how its quality journalism has chronicled the state’s triumphs, trials, and transformations across generations.
A Look Inside the 170th Anniversary Edition
The 170th anniversary edition of The Age features special content that reflects upon and celebrates the paper’s past, present, and future:
Editor Patrick Elligett offers insights into The Age‘s evolution and its path forward, affirming the paper’s commitment to fearless reporting.
Acclaimed investigative journalist Nick McKenzie shares a personal reflection on the crucial role of public interest journalism in shaping society.
Tony Wright takes readers back to 1854, recounting the founding of The Age during a pivotal year in Melbourne’s history.
Senior reporter Michael Bachelard delves into the history of the newspaper’s investigations unit, which has uncovered stories that led to Royal Commissions and Inquiries.
A tribute to Nancy Sibtain, the 97-year-old cryptic crossword legend, celebrating her decades of puzzling readers.
A special quiz by CBD columnist Stephen Brook tests readers’ knowledge of Melbourne’s history and quirks.
Warwick McFadyen revisits The Age editorials on landmark issues, including capital punishment, the republic, same-sex marriage, and major elections.
Iconic figures from the world of arts, politics, sport, and food share cherished memories of the newspaper’s impact; and
Readers’ letters offer heartfelt reflections on what The Age means to them, painting a picture of the paper’s lasting influence.
A Legacy Woven Into Melbourne’s DNA
Founded by John and Henry Cooke in 1854, The Age was later acquired by Ebenezer and David Syme in 1856. Under David Syme’s visionary leadership, the paper grew alongside the city and state, becoming an essential part of Melbourne’s identity for the past 170 years.
The Age now stands tall among a select group of long-standing newspapers worldwide, alongside titles such as The Sydney Morning Herald (1831), the UK’s The Guardian (1821), and the US’s New York Times (1851).
From its inaugural edition which rolled off the printing press in Melbourne’s Exhibition Hall on October 17, 1854, The Age promised to be a publication “dedicated to the record of great movements, advocacy of free institutions, diffusion of truth, advancement of man”. This responsibility has not wavered over the past 170 years, with The Age‘s commitment to public interest journalism that speaks truth to power as strong as ever.
Its world-class, fearless reporting has uncovered stories that have led to Royal Commissions, Inquiries, police charges and high-profile civil and criminal convictions, with no publication able to claim to have done more to hold power to account in Australia in recent years.
Editor Patrick Elligett said, “The team at The Age is immensely proud of our masthead’s great history and traditions, but also hungry for innovation and eager to find new ways to fulfil our duty to readers. I am confident the coming years will be our best yet.”
Join us in celebrating 170 years of a paper that remains as integral to Melbourne’s story as the city itself.
The wrap-around marking the 170th anniversary of The Age is now on sale with online coverage starting from 5:00am AEDT, Thursday 17 October.
We’ve been asking the questions you want answered since 1854. In this collection, we reflect on the tradition of courageous journalism and what The Age means to you as we look to the future.
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MARGOT ROBBIE, CANVA’S MELANIE PERKINS & CLIFF OBRECHT AND DANIEL RICCIARDO AMONG FINANCIAL REVIEW YOUNG RICH LISTERS WHO HAVE ACCELERATED THEIR WEALTH
- Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht rank #1 on the Young Rich List for the fifth year worth a combined $14 billion, up from $13 billion.
- Margot Robbie is Australia’s richest entertainer under 40, worth $191 million.
- Despite a horror year on the track, F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo increased his wealth by $20 million to $187 million.
- Musicians Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) and James Keogh (Vance Joy) round out the Top 100, worth $40 million and $38 million respectively
- Top three industries for Rich Listers are tech, followed by retail and then elite sports
- This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Young Rich List, the first issue of which was led by mobile phone retailer John Ilhan whose fortune was estimated at $200 million.
Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht have topped the Financial Review 2024 Young Rich List for the fifth year in a row with an estimated net worth of $14 billion.
The couple, aged 37 and 38 respectively, have gained $1 billion in a year and have a $9 billion lead on the next Young Rich Lister, Ed Craven, the co-founder of online cryptocurrency casino site stake.com who has a wealth of $4.8 billion.
The full Financial Review Young Rich List will be available tomorrow, Friday, October 25 on afr.com and in a special edition of The Australian Financial Review Magazine.
In his last year of qualifying for the Young Rich List, Sam Prince, the 40-year old founder of Mexican restaurant chain Zambrero, lifted his wealth to $1.8 billion, up from $1.6 billion last year, retaining the #3 spot.
In fourth spot, and making their debut in the top five, are Immutable brothers Robbie and James Ferguson with $1.7 billion combined. Their wealth has leapt 50 per cent thanks to the increasing value of their IMX cryptocurrency tokens. Airwallex co-founder Jack Zhang rounds out the top five, with an estimated wealth of $1.3 billion, down from $1.4 billion. Other billionaires aged 40 and under include LMCT+’s Adrian Portelli, Huno Group’s Robert Chamberlain and Afterpay’s Nick Molnar.
Margot Robbie has converted Hollywood box office success to wealth creation, becoming Australia’s richest entertainer under 40, with a wealth pile of $191 million, up from $152 million last year to come in at #31.
Australia’s wealthiest Young Rich sport star is once again basketball star Ben Simmons, worth $244 million (#20) followed by F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, who despite having a horror season on the track that ended with him retiring from the sport, managed to increase his wealth by $20 million to $187 million (#32).
This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Young Rich List. Its first edition in 2003, originally part of BRW Magazine, was topped by John ‘Crazy John’ Ilhan, seller of discounted Nokia phones and featured Pat Rafter, Russell Crowe and Kylie Minogue. Sportspeople, actors and singers dominated the first Young Rich Lists.
The 2024 Young Rich List features 17 debutants including Dovetail co-founders Benjamin Humphrey and Bradley Ayers with estimated net worths of $146 million, the Greeff brothers – Frank, Jacques and Ken – who sold their real estate tech company to Domain for $180 million, and the Tran brothers – Aengus and Dimitry – who are developing AI algorithms to improve and speed up diagnoses in radiology and pathology, having already tackled IVF.
The five re-entrants include musician Vance Joy (whose real name is James Keogh) and Stephanie Miller, the co-founder of fitness app Kic.
“The fortunes of the richest Australians aged 40 and under have soared almost 1600 per cent in 21 years. When the list launched in 2003, the total net worth of the 62 people featured was only $2.5 billion,” Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup said.
“While much has changed, the dominant industries have stayed the same, with technology and retail driving the wealth creation of young Australians.”
Of the 100 Young Rich List entries (where siblings and couples are counted as a single listing),
there are 18 women on the list, compared to 16 last year, with retailer Lucy Henry-Hicks of Dissh fame the only female debutant. Queensland-based Henry-Hicks and her partner, Mitchell Lau, recently bought a $40 million beachfront block in Palm Beach, setting a residential record for the Gold Coast.
The Financial Review Young Rich List 2024 Highlights
TOP 10 (worth a collective $28.9 billion)
- Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht,37 & 38, $14 billion – Canva
- Ed Craven, 29, $4.8 billion - Stake.com
- Sam Prince, 40, $1.8 billion – Zambrero,
- Robbie and James Ferguson, Immutable
- Jack Zhang, 39, $1.3 billion - Airwallex
- Adrian Portelli, 35, $1.3 billion - LMCT+
- Robert Chamberlain, 40, $1.2 billion - Huno Group
- Nicholas Molnar, 33, $1.1 billion – Afterpay
- Jacob Dai, 40, $898 million - Airwallex
- Max Li, 40, $716 million - Airwallex
ENTERTAINMENT
- Margot Robbie, 34, $191 million – Actress (#31)
- Kevin Parker (Tame Impala), 38, $40 million – Musician (#99)
- Vance Joy (James Keogh), 36, $38 million – Musician (#100)
SPORT
- Ben Simmons, 28, $244 million (#20) – Basketballer
- Daniel Ricciardo, 35, $187 million (#32) – F1 driver
- Cameron Smith, 32, $151 million (#38) – Golfer
- Jason Day, 35, $148 million (#39) – Golfer
- Andrew Bogut, 39, $120 million (#47) – Retired basketballer
The Financial Review Young Rich List is available on www.afr.com and in a special 21st birthday edition of AFR Magazine this Friday, October 25.
The Sunday Age had a redesign yesterday. Gone is the distinctive font for the masthead, headlines and bylines, it now follows the same style as the other six days of The Age.
Last week:
This week:
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The Australian reports today that The Age and SMH had been forced to amend a cartoon by Alan Moir, which appeared in both papers on Saturday, that inaccurately depicted the Israeli flag and equated Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (misspelt as Netenyahu) to Hamas. The online version of the cartoon was updated on the Nine masthead yesterday afternoon, but the original could still be seen on Moir’s social media accounts last night.
The original cartoon as published on Saturday
Both papers printed a short apology in today’s edition. This is The Age’s version.
A cartoon by Alan Moir published on the letters page in the Saturday Age mistakenly included a star on the Israeli flag that was not the Star of David and misspelt the name of the Israeli prime minister. The Age regrets the errors.
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Australian Press Council rejects complaint against Israel-Gaza cartoon in Nine mastheads
The Australian Press Council has rejected a complaint about a “deeply offensive” cartoon about the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Nine Entertainment’s metro mastheads The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald last month published a cartoon that inaccurately depicted the Israeli flag and equated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to terrorist organisation Hamas.
UPDATED
Saint Peter named NSW restaurant of the year as new app and 40th edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025 launched
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025, featuring the best restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs across NSW and ACT, launches tomorrow after Saint Peter was named Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year at a chef-studded awards ceremony held in the Sydney Opera House tonight (November 11).
As the annual Good Food Guide marks its 40th edition, Australia’s most respected food and drinks title ushers in a new era with the launch of the Good Food app available from tomorrow (November 12).
The premium subscription-based app – available as part of Nine’s premium digital packages for subscribers of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, or as a standalone subscription – will house the digital offering of the Good Food Guide.
Featuring more than 900 reviews from the SMH and Age guides, the app will be an interactive digital home for food and drink lovers containing recipes, Critics’ Picks and lists of the best restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs.
The annual Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide has been recognising the best chefs and restaurants since 1984, and this year’s Guide is a compilation of 500 independent reviews visited by our team of critics over the past eight months. Good Food is considered Australia’s most respected food and beverage title, and its coveted hats – from one to the pinnacle of three hats – are recognised as the industry gold standard.
The glamorous awards ceremony – supported by long-term co-presenting partner Vittoria Coffee and co-presenting partner Oceania Cruises – was held at the Sydney Opera House. Five hundred chefs, restaurateurs and industry legends from NSW and Canberra’s dining and drink scenes gathered as 15 awards, along with the hats, were announced.
Paul Farag from Alalia took out the coveted Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year award for his innovative and next-level approach to Middle Eastern food.
This year’s Guide includes 152 restaurants awarded one or more hats: four restaurants received three hats, 36 restaurants received two hats and 113 restaurants received one hat. The three hat winners were Oncore by Clare Smyth, Sixpenny, Quay and, for the first time, Saint Peter.
With the industry undergoing a cultural change, a new award was introduced this year for Cultural Change Champion. Awarded to Women and Revolution, the inaugural award recognises the movement for fostering a positive, safe and empowering work environment for women in hospitality.
Iconic Australian chef Bill Granger was posthumously awarded the Vittoria Coffee Legend Award. The globally-renowned chef passed away nearly 12 months ago but his legacy on the food industry will last forever.
Named in Granger’s honour is a new award recognising a person, team or business approaching things from their own perspective and pushing Australian food forward. The Bill Granger Trailblazer Award was handed to Baba’s Place in Marrickville.
“Baba’s Place is a celebration of the suburban Sydney experience, grounded in the stories of immigrant families and their shared experiences of food and cooking. Like Bill Granger’s cafes embodied a particular sense of Australia, Baba’s Place does the same, proudly drawing on the Lebanese, Macedonian and Greek heritages of its co-owners,” said Callan Boys, The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide editor. “Plus they do a great taramasalata on toast, which looks a bit like an Iced VoVo.”
Firepop in Enmore took out New Restaurant of the Year, presented by Aurum Poultry Co, while You Beauty in Bangalow was named Regional Restaurant of the Year.
The Critics’ Pick Of The Year was awarded to Blacktown restaurant Gursha Ethiopian. The restaurant is a regular meeting place for East African families with an atmosphere described by critics: ‘There is laughter, there is music, and the air is heavy with incense and potent coffee’.
Luke Bourke, who works as sous chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill, was awarded Young Chef of the Year, presented by Smeg.
The Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award was given to Maureen Er from The White Horse, in Surry Hills, while Stonefruit restaurant and wine bar in Tenterfield, in the NSW New England region, was awarded Oceania Cruises Drinks List of the Year.
Cafe of the Year went to Ona Coffee in Marrickville; Double Deuce Lounge took out Best Bar; Sommelier of the Year was awarded to Caitlin Baker from Such and Such in Canberra; and the Food for Good award was handed to Rice Fund, Soul of Chinatown.
Edited by Callan Boys and David Matthews, The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025 reviews have been undertaken by a team of esteemed critics including Boys, Terry Durack, Jill Dupleix and Sarah Norris, all of whom review independently and anonymously.
“While the Good Food Guide is the home of the hats, it continues to evolve across various price points, cuisines, styles and suburbs, offering an annual snapshot of the most exciting, outstanding venues you need to know about,” said Sarah Norris, Head of Food for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAToday.
“With money tighter than ever for most diners, people want to know where they should spend their money, and be able to trust those recommendations. The guide, and the new Good Food app, takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect spot for you to eat, no matter what the occasion.”
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025 magazine is available from newsagents, supermarkets and thestore.com.au for $14.95 from Tuesday, November 12 and tonight via the Good Food app. The app is available as part of Nine’s premium digital packages for subscribers of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, or as a standalone subscription.
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025 award winners:
Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year: Saint Peter
Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year: Paul Farag (Alalia)
New Restaurant of the Year, presented by Aurum Poultry Co.: Firepop
Vittoria Coffee Regional Restaurant of the Year: You Beauty, Bangalow
Oceania Cruises Service Excellence Award: Maureen Er (White Horse)
Young Chef of the Year, presented by Smeg: Luke Bourke (Rockpool Bar & Grill)
Sommelier of the Year: Caitlin Baker (Such and Such, Canberra)
Drinks List of the Year: Stonefruit in Tenterfield
Vittoria Coffee Legend Award: Bill Granger
Cafe of the Year: Ona Coffee, Marrickville
Bar of the Year: Double Deuce Lounge
Cultural Change Champion: Women and Revolution
Critic’s Pick Award: Gursha Ethiopian, Blacktown
Bill Granger Trailblazer Award: Baba’s Place
Food for Good, presented by Lightspeed: Rice Fund, Soul of Chinatown
The Sydney Morning Herald has taken the unusual step of declaring war on News Corp, accusing the Murdoch empire of waging a vengeful and disgraceful “campaign” against US ambassador Kevin Rudd.
The Nine broadsheet took aim at News in an editorial no less, running it on the smh.com.au homepage on Friday.
The SMH reminded readers that the push to get rid of Rudd was reinvigorated by Brexit cheerleader and UK GB News host Nigel Farage in a question to Donald Trump about Rudd back in March. Farage said the question came from “our friends at Sky News Australia”.
“News Corp has been running hard on this for months, ramping up a sense of crisis to the point where it has created one,” editor Bevan Shields wrote. “Media campaigns can be a force for good. This one by News Corp is a disgrace.”