News Corp Australia
An Australian media conglomerate and wholly owned News Corp subsidiary with major newspaper, digital publishing, subscription television and related media interests.
Last updated August 21, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
News Corp Australia is the Australian operating company of News Corp and one of the country's largest newspaper and digital media groups. The business traces its origins to News Limited, established in 1923 when James Edward Davidson acquired the Broken Hill Barrier Miner and Port Pirie Recorder with backing from the Collins Group mining interests. It expanded through newspaper acquisitions and the creation of The News in Adelaide, initially operating as a politically engaged publisher as well as a commercial media company. The company's later development was closely associated with the Murdoch family. Keith Murdoch acquired a minority interest in 1949, and after his death in 1952 his son Rupert Murdoch inherited The News. Rupert Murdoch used the Adelaide business as the base for a broader Australian media expansion, acquiring metropolitan and suburban newspapers, entering television through NWS-9 Adelaide, and buying Festival Records. The acquisition of Sydney's Daily Mirror helped News Limited compete with Fairfax and the Packer-controlled Daily Telegraph, while the launch of The Australian in 1964 created the country's first national daily newspaper and gave the group a significant national political and cultural platform. News Limited subsequently broadened its Australian newspaper portfolio. Its 1987 acquisition of the Herald and Weekly Times brought major Melbourne titles and interests in other publishers. The group later acquired remaining interests in Queensland Newspapers, Advertiser Newspapers and Davies Brothers, giving it ownership of titles including The Courier-Mail, The Advertiser and The Mercury. It also operated or invested in magazines, film and DVD distribution, television production, market research, online marketplaces and digital publishing. Some assets were later sold, separated or transferred as the business shifted toward digital and subscription media. The company was historically the principal Australian holding company for Rupert Murdoch's interests. In 2004, its international parent reorganised its corporate domicile from Australia to the United States, and News Limited ceased trading on the Australian Securities Exchange. On 28 June 2013, News Corporation was split into a publishing company, News Corp, and a separate entertainment company. News Limited became part of the new News Corp and adopted the News Corp Australia name after the new parent began trading in July 2013. News Corp Australia's portfolio has included national and metropolitan newspapers, news and lifestyle websites, magazines, Sky News Australia through Australian News Channel, and an interest in Foxtel. Major publishing brands include The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail, The Advertiser and The Mercury, alongside news.com.au and specialist digital properties. The group has also held or operated interests connected with real estate, automotive listings, sport, food, lifestyle and employment information. News Corp Australia has exerted substantial influence on Australian public debate, particularly through its newspapers' editorial positions and election coverage. Its market power, political advocacy, cross-media ownership and journalistic standards have been the subject of parliamentary reviews, court proceedings and public controversy. The company has also faced the structural challenges affecting print media generally, including declining newspaper circulation, migration of audiences online and the closure or digital conversion of many local titles. It remains an active Australian media group, but its present business is more digitally oriented and concentrated in major national, metropolitan and specialist brands than the large print network operated in earlier decades.
History
News Corp Australia's history begins with News Limited, founded in 1923 by James Edward Davidson. Backed by the Collins Group mining interests, Davidson acquired newspapers in Broken Hill and Port Pirie and established The News in Adelaide. The early business had an explicit political dimension, but it also created the regional publishing base from which the company later expanded. Keith Murdoch bought a minority stake in 1949. After his death in 1952, Rupert Murdoch inherited The News and gradually transformed News Limited into a national media group. The company entered television with NWS-9 Adelaide in 1958 and expanded its newspaper holdings during the 1950s and 1960s. The acquisition of Sydney's Daily Mirror was especially important because it enabled the company to challenge established publishers Fairfax and Consolidated Press. In 1964, News Limited founded The Australian, the nation's first national daily newspaper. The title provided a national platform and enhanced the group's influence beyond the states in which its original papers circulated. During the following decades, Murdoch used profits from established newspapers to fund further acquisitions and pursued aggressive circulation and management strategies. News Limited also acquired Festival Records and developed interests in television, magazines, film distribution and other media. Its 1987 purchase of the Herald and Weekly Times expanded its position in Melbourne and gave it significant interests in newspapers around Australia. Additional acquisitions and share purchases brought major titles such as The Courier-Mail, The Advertiser and The Mercury into the wider group. The company became involved in the development of subscription television and helped recruit rugby league clubs and administrators to the Super League competition in the 1990s. It also developed online activities. In 2006, News Digital Media was created to coordinate news.com.au, online marketplace and classified properties, digital newspaper operations and related internet investments. This marked a more formal shift from a newspaper-centred structure toward a network of digital publishing and media businesses. Corporate control changed as the international News Corporation group reorganised. News Limited stopped trading on the Australian exchange in 2004 after the parent company moved its incorporation to the United States. In 2013, News Corporation was divided into separate publishing and entertainment companies. The publishing company was named News Corp, News Limited became News Corp Australia, and Robert Thomson became chief executive of the new parent. Leadership of the Australian operation subsequently passed from Kim Williams to Julian Clarke and then to Peter Tonagh, with Michael Miller becoming executive chairman in 2015. News Corp Australia's influence has attracted continuing scrutiny. Its newspaper market share, editorial campaigning, ownership concentration and relationship with Australian political parties have been discussed in media inquiries and parliamentary debates. The company and its subsidiaries have also been involved in defamation and other court cases, including proceedings relating to reporting by The Daily Telegraph. At the same time, changing audience behaviour weakened the economics of local print newspapers. By the early 2020s, several local titles had been closed, reduced or converted to online-only operations, while major national, metropolitan and specialist websites remained central to the business. News Corp Australia therefore represents both the historic consolidation of Australian newspaper publishing and the continuing transition of that industry toward digital distribution, subscriptions and diversified media services.
- 2018
Taboola digital partnership announced
[1]News Corp Australia announces a native-content distribution partnership across its digital network.
- 2013
News Corp Australia name adopted
[1]Following the split of News Corporation, News Limited becomes part of the new publishing company News Corp and adopts the News Corp Australia name.
- 2006
News Digital Media is created
[1]A new division is formed to coordinate the group's news websites, online marketplaces and related digital activities.
- 2004
Australian listing ends
[1]News Limited ceases trading on the Australian Securities Exchange after the parent group's reincorporation in the United States.
- 1987
Herald and Weekly Times is acquired
[1]The acquisition expands News Limited's metropolitan newspaper holdings and strengthens its national publishing network.
- 1964
The Australian launches
[1]News Limited establishes The Australian, Australia's first national daily newspaper.
- 1958
Entry into television
[1]News Limited's NWS-9 Adelaide begins broadcasting, giving the group an early television presence.
- 1949
Keith Murdoch acquires a minority interest
[1]Keith Murdoch takes a minority stake in the company, beginning the Murdoch family's direct association with the business.
- 1923
News Limited is established
[1]James Edward Davidson establishes the company after acquiring newspapers in Broken Hill and Port Pirie and later launching The News in Adelaide.
Products and positioning
A leading Australian news and publishing group combining influential national and metropolitan journalism with digital, subscription television and specialist content businesses.
National newspaper · 1964
The Australian
A national daily newspaper launched in 1964. It is the group's principal national print title and covers politics, business, national affairs, culture and opinion, with associated digital products.
Metropolitan newspaper
The Daily Telegraph
A Sydney-based daily newspaper serving New South Wales. It is one of the group's major metropolitan titles and operates alongside a substantial digital news presence.
Metropolitan newspaper · 1990
Herald Sun
A Melbourne newspaper created through the combination of News Limited's Melbourne papers in 1990. It is a major Victorian tabloid title with print and digital editions.
State newspaper
The Courier-Mail
A Brisbane and Queensland-focused daily newspaper held through the group's Queensland publishing interests, covering state politics, sport, business and local affairs.
State newspaper
The Advertiser
An Adelaide-based daily newspaper and a major South Australian news brand within the News Corp Australia portfolio.
State newspaper
The Mercury
A Hobart and Tasmania-focused newspaper acquired through the group's interest in Davies Brothers and supported by digital publishing.
Digital news
news.com.au
A national online news service covering breaking news, politics, business, entertainment, lifestyle and sport. It became a central component of the group's digital publishing strategy.
Television and digital news
Sky News Australia
A subscription television and digital news outlet operated through Australian News Channel, in which News Corp Australia has held a controlling interest.
Controversies
2020
Petition for media royal commission
A petition initiated by former prime minister Kevin Rudd called for an inquiry into print-media diversity and integrity, with News Corp Australia the primary focus of public criticism.
2018
Geoffrey Rush defamation judgment
The Federal Court ordered Nationwide News to pay damages after The Daily Telegraph published allegations about Geoffrey Rush's conduct during a theatre production.
2011
Eatock v Bolt controversy
News Limited journalist Andrew Bolt was found to have breached Australia's Racial Discrimination Act in proceedings concerning articles published in the Herald Sun. The matter became a prominent debate about journalism, race and freedom of expression.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Taboola Feed partnership
Australia
News Corp Australia partnered with Taboola to create, book and distribute native content across desktop, mobile, web and in-app properties.
Outcome. The arrangement expanded the group's commercial content-distribution infrastructure.
- 1990Super League recruitment campaign
Australia
News Limited recruited rugby league administrators, clubs and players to support a competing professional competition connected with its planned subscription television expansion. The effort contributed to the 1990s Super League war.
Outcome. The dispute produced a major conflict in Australian rugby league before a later reunification of the professional competition.
Brand decisions
2013
Adopt the News Corp Australia structureStrategyBackground
News Corporation separated its publishing operations from its entertainment and broadcasting operations.
Action taken
News Limited became part of the new publicly traded News Corp and adopted the News Corp Australia name.
Aftermath
The Australian newspaper businesses were placed within a dedicated global publishing company, while the former entertainment assets became part of 21st Century Fox.
2006
Create News Digital MediaStrategyBackground
Growing internet audiences and online classified businesses required a structure that could coordinate digital operations across newspapers and specialist websites.
Action taken
News Limited formed News Digital Media to manage news.com.au, online marketplaces, digital newspaper activities and related internet interests.
Aftermath
The division formalised the group's transition from a predominantly print publisher toward a multi-platform media network.
Recent events
NewsCast launches News Feed podcast network[3]
Reported:
NewsCorp Australia's podcasting arm NewsCast launched News Feed, a network of daily news podcasts from state-based mastheads.
News Corp Australia releases next stage of travel campaign[4]
Reported:
News Corp Australia released the next stage of its travel campaign, called Escape Snaps Weekend.
Woolworths and News Corp Australia launch Feed Appeal fundraiser campaign[5]
Reported:
Woolworths and News Corp Australia launched a four-week campaign supporting Feed Appeal, encouraging readers and customers to donate $2 at checkout or online; each $2 donation was stated to provide four meals to Australians in need.
News Corp Australia appoints Kerrie McCallum to oversee its premium food and travel portfolio[6]
Reported:
News Corp Australia promoted Delicious editor-in-chief Kerrie McCallum to a new role overseeing the editorial direction and development of its premium food and travel portfolio. She will also serve as editor-in-chief of Escape while continuing to oversee Delicious.
News Corp Australia announces operational changes and job losses[7]
Reported:
News Corp Australia announced changes to reshape its operations, including syndicating production and editorial roles across city-based mastheads and some job losses.
News Corp Australia launches The COVID Files[8]
Reported:
News Corp Australia launched The COVID Files, an insights service providing Australian marketers and advertising agencies with information on how consumers are reacting to COVID-19.
News Corp Australia warns of inevitable job losses[9]
Reported:
On 25 March 2020, News Corp Australia chief executive Michael Miller told staff that some job losses would be inevitable amid the advertising market downturn; the company also said staff should prepare for cutbacks.
News Corp Australia partners with BetEasy and Kayo on tipping game[10]
Reported:
News Corp Australia partnered with BetEasy and its sports streaming platform Kayo on a sports tipping game covering the NRL and AFL.
- Unconfirmed
News Corp Australia and Polar enter exclusive local partnership[11]
Reported:
News Corp Australia entered an exclusive local partnership with Polar to use Polar’s Social Display product to turn branded social media posts into display advertising for News Corp Australia’s digital environments.
Sources11 sources
- 1News Corp Australiaen.wikipedia.org
- 2News Corp Australia official websitenewscorpaustralia.com
- 3NewsCast推出News Feed播客网络mumbrella.com.au
- 4News Corp Australia发布旅游宣传活动下一阶段mumbrella.com.au
- 5Woolworths与News Corp Australia发起Feed Appeal筹款活动mumbrella.com.au
- 6News Corp Australia任命Kerrie McCallum负责高端食品和旅游业务组合mumbrella.com.au
- 7News Corp Australia宣布运营调整及裁员mumbrella.com.au
- 8News Corp Australia推出The COVID Files洞察服务mumbrella.com.au
- 9News Corp Australia警告将不可避免地裁员theguardian.com
- 10News Corp Australia与BetEasy及Kayo合作推出竞猜游戏mumbrella.com.au
- 11News Corp Australia and Polar enter exclusive local partnershipmumbrella.com.au
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/news-corp-australia · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled