The Southern Argus

The Southern Argus (as distinct from the Northern Argus published in Clare) is one of the state's oldest country newspapers, privately owned by the Elliott and Jones families for 140 years. It was founded by Ebenezer Ward (1837–1917) in Port Elliot as a weekly newspaper, the first issue appearing on Saturday 17 March 1866. While primarily called the Southern Argus, for the first decade it was also subtitled;{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96869092|title=Advertising.|date=17 March 1866|newspaper=Southern Argus|accessdate=25 May 2014|location=Port Elliot, SA|page=1|via=National Library of Australia}} "And Strathalbyn, Wellington, Milang, Langhorne's Creek, Woodchester, Mount Barker, Echunga, Macclesfield, Bull's Creek, Clarendon, Noarlunga, Willunga, Aldinga, Sellick's Hill, Myponga, Normanville, Yankalilla, Rapid Bay, Cape Jervis, Inman Valley, Bald Hills, Hindmarsh Valley, Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Middleton, Currency Creek and Goolwa,.and River Murray Advertiser."

Ward expected that the new southern port of Port Elliot was to become an enterprising outlet for the River Murray trade. Using the original Observer printing press, Ward set up the newspaper in the small coastal town; its first office was previously J. Barton's shop. In mid-April 1868, following financial difficulties and ownership changes, the production of the newspaper moved to William Colman's shop in Strathalbyn,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96868223 |title=An Editorial Migration |newspaper=Southern Argus |location=Port Elliot, SA |date=4 April 1868 |access-date=25 May 2014 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} then on 5 December 1868, to their new building adjacent to the Strathalbyn Post Office. It was purchased in 1871 by William Fisher and Joseph Elliott (c. 1833 – 21 May 1883), the latter whose brother James Elliott (c. 1836 – 22 April 1883) was the first owner of The Kapunda Herald.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96983443 |title=Jottings |newspaper=Southern Argus |location=Port Elliot, SA |date=5 November 1914 |access-date=25 May 2014 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} The author of this history (Joseph W. Elliott) apparently did not have access to back issues, as the dates and some of the facts do not accord with the contemporary records. Elliott bought his partner out shortly after.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96929013 |title=The Late Mr Joseph Elliott, J.P. |newspaper=Southern Argus |location=Port Elliot, SA |date=24 May 1883 |access-date=25 May 2014 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Joseph W. Elliott (1853–1939), only son of Joseph Elliott,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42001901 |title=Death of Joseph Elliott |newspaper=South Australian Register |volume=XLVIII |issue=11,394 |location=South Australia |date=22 May 1883 |access-date=4 July 2024 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} was educated by W. S. Moore, later at Adelaide Educational Institution. When his father died, he quit university to take over the newspaper. He was elected mayor of Strathalbyn in 1898.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article162337108 |title=Mayor of Strathalbyn |newspaper=Adelaide Observer |volume=LVI |issue=3,004 |location=South Australia |date=29 April 1899 |access-date=4 July 2024 |page=16 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1912 he founded the Victor Harbor Times, whose first editor was his son Cecil Cave Elliott (1889– ).{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196909402 |title=Times turns 80 on Sunday |newspaper=Victor Harbor Times |volume=87 |issue=4,053 |location=South Australia |date=21 August 1992 |access-date=4 July 2024 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}

The long title of the newspaper persisted until 5 July 1877 when it was shortened to the Southern Argus and River Murray Advertiser. On 4 January 1893, it lengthened again to The Southern Argus Strathalbyn, Goolwa, and River Murray Advertiser, later variously re-adding Victor Harbor, Milang, Meningie. On 14 August 1940, the subtitle was finally removed.

The Southern Argus published serials and poems by South Australian writers. The first serial was Middle Life: a tale by James Dunlop, in 1870.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96874841 |title=MIDDLE LIFE. |newspaper=Southern Argus |volume=V |issue=231 |location=South Australia |date=13 August 1870 |accessdate=12 August 2017 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web |url=http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=61&c=2741 |title=SA Memory |accessdate=11 August 2017}}

The publication's early coverage included the towns of: Strathalbyn, Wellington, Milang, Langhorne's Creek, Woodchester, Mount Barker, Echunga, Macclesfield, Bull's Creek, Clarendon, Noarlunga, Willunga, Aldinga, Sellick's Hill, Myponga, Normanville, Yankalilla, Rapid Bay, Cape Jervis, Inman Valley, Bald Hills, Hindmarsh Valley, Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Middleton, Currency Creek, and Goolwa.

This newspaper title has been preserved on microfilm by the State Library of South Australia.{{cite book|title=Catalogue|url=http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au:80/record=b1191717~S7|publisher=State Library of South Australia|accessdate=29 November 2013|year = 1866}} It has been digitised from the microfilm for the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Project of the National Library of Australia.{{cite web |title=Trove|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title373 |via=National Library of Australia |accessdate=29 November 2013}}

• List of newspapers in Australia

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.sacountrypress.com.au/newspapers/newspapers/strathalbyn.htm Southern Argus website]
• [http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=2741 Southern Argus], SA Memory, State Library of South Australia
• [http://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au:80/record=b1129236~S7 Catalogue record], State Library of South Australia
• {{trove newspaper|373|Southern Argus|Port Elliot, SA : 1866 - 1954}}

{{South Australia newspapers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Argus, The}}

Category:Newspapers published in South Australia

Category:Newspapers established in 1866

Category:1866 establishments in Australia

Category:Newspapers on Trove

Category:Weekly newspapers published in Australia