126-Year-Old Australian Newspaper Closes Down
After nearly 130 years of serving the outback New South Wales (NSW) community, Broken Hill’s only newspaper has ceased its operations, dealing a major blow to the region.
Staff at The Barrier Truth were informed by the board that the union-run bi-weekly paper would be closing down as they prepared to publish their final edition.
Roslyn Ferry, the president of the Barrier Industrial Council and chair of the newspaper board, announced that the masthead was closed until further notice, with plans to seek legal and financial assistance.
Facing significant challenges in maintaining operations, especially in the last 12 months, Ms. Ferry acknowledged the closure was not unexpected.
On April 17, Jason Irvine, one of the two remaining full-time journalists at the paper, learned about losing his job due to cashflow issues just after completing interviews and arranging photos with sources.
One of his interviews was with Ben Clavel, a former local police officer diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, preparing to participate in a charity event overseas.
His other interview was with a Central Darling Shire Council staffer regarding a story about the weir at Wilcannia, located about 200 kilometers east of Broken Hill.
Upon moving from Melbourne to join the Barrier Truth in October 2022, Irvine was one of five journalists in the newsroom.
Reflecting on the closure, Irvine expressed sadness at the untold stories and the impact on the community.
Efforts were made by management to revitalize the Barrier Truth, with a team consisting of production staff, graphic designers, advertising personnel, and contributors.
The closure of the newspaper was described as a loss for the mining town of approximately 18,000 residents, leaving the ABC as the sole news provider following the discontinuation of the city’s TV news bulletin in April 2023.
Undertaking challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the community rallied to save The Barrier Truth, but ultimately staff made the decision to close the paper.
Established in 1898, The Barrier Truth stood as one of the few independent newspapers in Australia before its unfortunate demise.
