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Star News Group is a media company based inPakenham, Victoria, in Australia. Star publishes many community newspapers in the Melbourne area and other parts of Victoria. It also has publications inQueensland andSouth Australia. Star also publishes a number of parenting magazines under the masthead Kids Today.
Star operates Network Classifieds Pty Ltd, a contact centre in Pakenham that providesclassified advertising anddisplay advertising services for print and online. Star is also a founder and partner of the Today News Group with operations in Queensland and South Australia.
Star News Group was founded by Albert Edward Thomas in 1909 as theBerwick Shire News andPakenham and Cranbourne Gazette. Star News is still owned by the Thomas family and the company is managed by Paul Thomas, a fourth-generation family member. The company changed its name from South East Newspapers to Star News Group in August 2005 to reflect the growth of the company and the diversity of regions that the company covers. In December 2022, it agreed terms to purchase 14 publications fromAustralian Community Media.[1]
Star News Group's 80 or so community newspapers have a combined circulation of more than 500,000 copies per week. In addition, Star produces a number of niche education, wedding, tourism, real estate, kids, seniors and lifestyle magazine titles.
Kids Today magazines include:Bayside Glen Eira Kids Today,Casey Cardinia Kids Today,Stonnington Boroondara Kids Today,Geelong Coast Kids Today,Sunshine Coast Kids Today,Knox Monash Kids Today, andYarra Ranges Kids Today. Education titles includeVictoria School Guides.
In the NT, the company publishesThe Centralian Today andTennant Creek Today.
Star publishes 20 titles here includingWarwick Today,Stanthorpe Today and, inNoosa,Noosa Today. The company is also involved in publishingCQ Today,Gladstone Today,Bundaberg Today,Gympie Today,South Burnett Today,Central & North Burnett Today, Maranoa Today, Ipswich News Today, Longreach Leader, andCentral West Leader.[2]
Star publishes 17 titles in SA, includingBorder Watch,South Eastern Times, andPenola Pennant on the Limestone Coast in South Australia. These publications all closed in August 2020 during the COVID19 pandemic.Border Watch was relaunched in November 2020 and the other two in March 2022.
As of 2025, it also manages several other SA newspapers:Border Chronicle,Bunyip,Coastal Leader, Eyre Peninsula Advocate, Fleurieu Sun,Plains Producer,Port Lincoln Times,The Islander,The Murray Valley Standard,The Naracoorte Herald (Limestone Coast Today),The Recorder,South Eastern Times,The Times,The Transcontinental,Two Wells & Districts Echo, andWhyalla News.[2]
Star’s main holdings are in Victoria where it currently manages 34 titles. InMelbourne's South East, the company produce the following newspaper titles;Pakenham Gazette,Berwick Gazette,Pakenham Officer Star News,Berwick Star News,Cranbourne Star News,Dandenong Star Journal,Endeavour Hills Hallam Doveton Star Journal and online provide Star Community. Star also owns and operates Star Weekly titles in Melbourne's West as MMP Star Pty Ltd and they include;Brimbank & Northwest Star Weekly,Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly,Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly,Northern Star Weekly,Sunbury & Macedon,Ranges Star Weekly, andWyndham Star Weekly.
InHealesville, in theYarra Valley and theDandenong Ranges of Victoria, Star publishes theFerntree Gully Belgrave Star Mail,Mount Evelyn Star Mail,Mountain Views Star Mail,Ranges Trader Star Mail,Upper Yarra Star Mail as well as the region's web site Star Mail Community.
In the GreaterGeelong region, Star produces newspapers theGeelong Independent andOcean Grove Voice as well asGeelong Coast Magazine.
