 | |
 Front page ofThe Mercury on 9 December 2006 | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner | Davies Brothers (News Corp Australia) |
| Editor | Craig Herbert |
| Founded | 1854; 171 years ago (1854) |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Ground floor, 2 Salamanca Square,Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 7000 |
| Circulation | 44,317 (Weekdays) 61,020 (Saturday) 58,148 (Sunday) |
| ISSN | 1039-9992 |
| Website | www.themercury.com.au |
The Mercury is a daily newspaper, published inHobart,Tasmania, Australia, by Davies Brothers Pty Ltd (DBL), a subsidiary ofNews Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary ofNews Corp. The weekend issues of the paper are calledMercury on Saturday andThe Sunday Tasmanian. The current editor ofTheMercury is Craig Herbert.
The newspaper was started on 5 July 1854 by George Auber Jones andJohn Davies. Two months subsequently (13 September 1854) John Davies became the sole owner.[1] It was then published twice weekly and known as theHobarton Mercury. It rapidly expanded, absorbing its rivals, and became a daily newspaper in 1858 under the lengthy titleThe Hobart Town Daily Mercury. In 1860 the masthead was reduced toThe Mercury and in 2006 it was further shortened to simplyMercury.
With the imminent demise of the (Launceston)Daily Telegraph,The Mercury, from March 1928, used the opportunity to increase their penetration there by expanding the branch office in the northern city, and by putting on "fast cars" to get the paper to Launceston by breakfast.[2]
After Davies' retirement in 1871, the business was carried on by his sonsJohn George Davies andCharles Ellis Davies who later traded as Davies Brothers Ltd. John Davies died on 11 June 1872, aged 58. The company remained in the family's hands until 1986 when the Herald and Weekly Times (HWT) assumed majority ownership.[3] In 1988 News Limited (nowNews Corp Australia), a subsidiary ofNews Corporation acquired the HWT, and then the remaining minority interests. However, the subsidiary that owns the Tasmanian operation is still named Davies Brothers Pty Limited.
TheSaturday Evening Mercury, known locally as theSEM was printed and circulated for readers on a Saturday evening from 1954 to 1984, it was replaced in early 1984 by theSunday Tasmanian which still exists today. Other Tasmanian titles published by the company were the weekly rural newspaperTasmanian Country and the weekly regional newspaperDerwent Valley Gazette which were acquired from independent publishers in the early 1980s. Both were sold to public relations firm Font PR in 2020. From 1987–2007 Davies Brothers published the monthly travel magazineTreasure Islander.
At various stages in its history there have been limited experiments with regional papers—such asThe Westerner which succeededThe West Coast Miner in 1979 to serve theWest Coast until its demise in 1995—as well as suburban newspapers for the Hobart market, which appeared in various guises from 1966 until 1998. In November 2006 the company launched what it called a "newspaper in a newspaper" theKingborough Times which appeared monthly within theSunday Tasmanian. This was followed in June 2007 by theNorthern Times with news from Hobart's northern suburbs. Both inserts have since ceased publication.
The following people were editors ofThe Mercury:[4]
| Order | Name | Commencement date | Term ended | Term of office | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Coote | 1854 | 1857 | 2–3 years | |
| 2 | Samuel Prout Hill | 1857 | 1861 | 3–4 years | |
| 3 | Thomas Lockyer Bright | 1854 | 1857 | 0–1 years | |
| 4 | James Allen | 1865 | 1865 | 0 years | |
| (3) | Thomas Lockyer Bright | 1865 | 1868 | 2–3 years | |
| 5 | John Donnellan Balfe | 1868 | 1868 | 0 years | |
| 6 | James C. Patterson | 1868 | 1868 | 0 years | |
| 7 | James Simpson | 1868 | 1883 | 14–15 years | [5] |
| 8 | Henry Richard Nicholls | 1883 | 1912 | 28–29 years | [6] |
| 9 | William Henry Simmonds | 1912 | 1931 | 18–19 years | [7] |
| 10 | Frederick Usher | 1931 | 1943 | 11–12 years | [8] |
| 11 | Charles Ellis "C. E." Davies | 1944 | 1954 | 11–12 years | [9] |
| 12 | Roy E. Shone | 1954 | 1970 | 15–16 years | |
| 13 | Dennis Newton Hawker | 1970 | 1982 | 11–12 years | |
| 14 | T. C. Malcolm Williams | 1982 | 1984 | 1–2 years | |
| 15 | James "Jim" Burns | 1984 | 1986 | 1–2 years | |
| 16 | Barry Dargaville | 1986 | 1988 | 1–2 years | |
| 17 | Ian McCausland | 1988 | 2001 | 12–13 years | |
| 18 | Garry Bailey | November 2001 | 5 January 2012 | 10 years, 65 days | [10] |
| 19 | Andrew Holman | January 2012 | January 2014 | 1–2 years | [10] |
| 20 | Matt Deighton | January 2014 | 25 October 2017 | 3 years, 276 days | [11] |
| 21 | Chris Jones | 25 October 2017 | 13 January 2020 | 2 years, 80 days | [12] |
| 22 | Jenna Cairney | 13 January 2020 | 28 October 2021 | 1 year, 288 days | [13] |
| 22a | Brad Petersen (acting) | 28 October 2021 | 30 January 2022 | 94 days | [14] |
| 23 | Craig Warhurst | 31 January 2022 | 4 July 2023 | 1 year, 154 days | [15] |
| 23a | Brad Petersen (acting) | 5 July 2023 | 17 July 2023 | 13 days | |
| 24 | Craig Herbert | 18 July 2023 | current | [16] |
In July 2007 News Corporation approved a new $31 million press centre for Davies Brothers Pty Ltd, publisher of theMercury and theSunday Tasmanian, including the installation of the latest colour press.[17]
Davies Brothers opened the new print centre at the Tasmanian Technopark in Dowsing Point, north of Hobart, in 2009. A new KBA Comet four-colour press replaced the 35-year-old Goss Urbanite press that had been housed in the Argyle Street wing of the company's city site.[18] Other operations of the newspaper group continued to be based in the heart of the city at 93 Macquarie Street.
The success of the new centre soon saw the introduction of local printing of interstate titles for local distribution. This includes the national dailyThe Australian and Melbourne'sHerald Sun.
The June 2024 closure of the state's only other major newspaper printing plant - Australian Community Media’s Rocherlea Print Centre - in Launceston[19] resulted in the printing and distribution of titles such asThe Examiner andThe Advocate (Tasmania) and local editions ofThe Age andAustralian Financial Review being transferred to the Mercury Print Centre. The weekly rural titleTasmanian Country returned to the Mercury Print Centre after previously being moved to the ACM site by its new owner after that paper's sale byNews Corp Australia to FontPR.
In November 2011 Davies Brothers chief executive officer Rex Gardner announced that the company would move from its landmark Macquarie St headquarters in August 2012, leasing a new office at 2 Salamanca Square.[20] The move took place over the weekend of 28–29 July 2012, although months of work had taken place in advance.
The company has branch offices inLaunceston andBurnie, as well as its print centre atDowsing Point and its distribution centre at Western Junction near Launceston. Its branch office atNew Norfolk closed in December 2010.[21] An office in William St,Queenstown closed in the early 1990s.
It was announced in May 2013 that the original site had been sold to an unidentified buyer[22] including the heritage-listed Ingle Hall, which was built in 1814 and housed the Mercury Print Museum. The Macquarie St and Argyle St frontages of the Mercury building were heritage listed in 2012[23] Later in 2013, the purchasers were identified asPenny Clive and her husbandBruce Neill. Their intent was to transform it into restaurants, art galleries and a creative industries hub.[24] It is now used for a restaurant and the Detached Artist Archive, a private gallery.[25][26]
From early 2013, the Mercury's Salamanca Square office hosted the Tasmanian bureaus ofThe Australian andSky News.[27] The Mercury's Hobart offices have also hosted the Tasmanian bureau ofAustralian Associated Press over many decades. In 2018, theUniversity of Tasmania opened its Tasmanian Media School,[28] co-located with the Mercury in its Salamanca Square office.
In February 2022, the Mercury relocated to an internal office on the ground floor of the same Salamanca Square building it had occupied since 2012. A fraction of the space it once occupied on the floor above, it was the first time the company's offices did not have a street frontage. It continues to host the local bureau ofSky News.
As of March 2011, theMercury reported its Monday–Friday circulation as 44,317 with an average readership of 107,000 and its Saturday circulation as 61,020 with readership of 146,000.[29] TheSunday Tasmanian reported circulation of 58,148 with readership of 129,000.[30]
In March 2021, readership modelling from Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma™) reported theMercury's average weekday readership had dropped to 76,000, theSaturday Mercury to 63,000 and theSunday Tasmanian to 53,000.[31]
| Mercury | Saturday Mercury | Sunday Tasmanian | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Month | Monday - Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 2020 | December | 76,000 | 63,000 | 53,000 |
| 2020 | September | 74,000 | 71,000 | 55,000 |
| 2020 | August | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 2020 | July | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 2020 | June | 75,000 | 68,000 | 58,000 |
| 2020 | May | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 2020 | April | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 2020 | March | 71,000 | 64,000 | 58,000 |
| 2020 | February | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 2020 | January | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| 2019 | December | 76,000 | 72,000 | 62,000 |
| 2019 | November | 75,000 | 72,000 | 64,000 |
| 2019 | October | 76,000 | 74,000 | 64,000 |
| 2019 | September | 77,000 | 74,000 | 63,000 |
| 2019 | August | 80,000 | 79,000 | 63,000 |
| 2019 | July | 80,000 | 80,000 | 65,000 |
| 2019 | June | 80,000 | 81,000 | 66,000 |
| 2019 | May | 80,000 | 82,000 | 66,000 |
| 2019 | April | 82,000 | 83,000 | 65,000 |
| 2019 | March | 82,000 | 84,000 | 66,000 |
| 2019 | February | 83,000 | 89,000 | 67,000 |
| 2019 | January | 79,000 | 84,000 | 67,000 |
| 2018 | December | 83,000 | 88,000 | 69,000 |
| 2018 | November | 84,000 | 89,000 | 70,000 |
| 2018 | October | 84,000 | 90,000 | 73,000 |
| 2018 | September | 85,000 | 92,000 | 72,000 |
| 2018 | August | 85,000 | 88,000 | 74,000 |
| 2018 | July | 85,000 | 92,000 | 75,000 |
| 2018 | June | 82,000 | 89,000 | 77,000 |
| 2018 | May | 84,000 | 93,000 | 80,000 |
| 2018 | April | 87,000 | 97,000 | 82,000 |
| 2018 | March | 90,000 | 97,000 | 82,000 |
| 2018 | February | 92,000 | 95,000 | 85,000 |
| 2018 | January | 93,000 | 97,000 | 86,000 |
| 2017 | December | 90,000 | 97,000 | 86,000 |
| 2017 | November | 85,000 | 93,000 | 81,000 |
| 2017 | October | 87,000 | 90,000 | 76,000 |
| 2017 | September | 86,000 | 93,000 | 77,000 |
| 2017 | August | 88,000 | 94,000 | 77,000 |
| 2017 | July | 89,000 | 91,000 | 80,000 |
| 2017 | June | 92,000 | 95,000 | 81,000 |
| 2017 | May | 93,000 | 96,000 | 82,000 |
| 2017 | April | 93,000 | 96,000 | 81,000 |
| 2017 | March | 94,000 | 98,000 | 84,000 |
| 2017 | February | 93,000 | 97,000 | 84,000 |
| 2017 | January | 96,000 | 100,000 | 88,000 |
| 2016 | December | 95,000 | 100,000 | 86,000 |
| 2016 | November | 97,000 | 102,000 | 88,000 |
| 2016 | October | 97,000 | 105,000 | 91,000 |
| 2016 | September | 95,000 | 104,000 | 91,000 |
| 2016 | August | 96,000 | 106,000 | 93,000 |
| 2016 | July | 96,000 | 107,000 | 93,000 |
| 2016 | June | 97,000 | 108,000 | 94,000 |
| 2016 | May | 96,000 | 107,000 | 92,000 |
| 2016 | April | 96,000 | 108,000 | 96,000 |
| 2016 | March | 93,000 | 105,000 | 92,000 |
| 2016 | February | 94,000 | 106,000 | 91,000 |
| 2016 | January | 93,000 | 106,000 | 88,000 |
| 2015 | December | 95,000 | 108,000 | 91,000 |
| 2015 | November | 98,000 | 110,000 | 95,000 |
| 2015 | October | 99,000 | 110,000 | 94,000 |
| 2015 | September | 100,000 | 115,000 | 95,000 |
| 2015 | August | 101,000 | 115,000 | 97,000 |
| 2015 | July | 101,000 | 113,000 | 96,000 |
| 2015 | June | 103,000 | 113,000 | 96,000 |
| 2015 | May | 103,000 | 113,000 | 97,000 |
| 2015 | April | 108,000 | 116,000 | 100,000 |
| 2015 | March | 109,000 | 118,000 | 103,000 |
| 2015 | February | 111,000 | 119,000 | 108,000 |
| 2015 | January | 115,000 | 122,000 | 111,000 |
| 2014 | December | 113,000 | 121,000 | 111,000 |
| 2014 | November | 110,000 | 121,000 | 109,000 |
| 2014 | October | 111,000 | 120,000 | 110,000 |
| 2014 | September | 113,000 | 119,000 | 109,000 |
| 2014 | August | 114,000 | 120,000 | 110,000 |
| 2014 | July | 114,000 | 121,000 | 110,000 |
| 2014 | June | 114,000 | 122,000 | 111,000 |
| 2014 | May | 113,000 | 125,000 | 112,000 |
| 2014 | April | 115,000 | 126,000 | 112,000 |
| 2014 | March | 113,000 | 125,000 | 110,000 |
| 2014 | February | 112,000 | 124,000 | 108,000 |
| 2014 | January | 110,000 | 123,000 | 106,000 |
| 2013 | December | 112,000 | 125,000 | 109,000 |
| 2013 | November | 114,000 | 127,000 | 111,000 |
| 2013 | October | 115,000 | 127,000 | 110,000 |
| 2013 | September | 114,000 | 126,000 | 110,000 |
| 2013 | August | 115,000 | 123,000 | 109,000 |
| 2013 | July | 113,000 | 123,000 | 111,000 |
The Tasmanian Mail was a weekly newspaper published byThe Mercury from July 1877 to June 1935.[32]It employed a separate staff from that which brought out theMercury, and was intended to cover the whole of the state.[33]From 7 April 1921 it was published asThe Illustrated Tasmanian Mail.
The following people were editors of theMail:
| Order | Name | Commencement date | Term ended | Term of office | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Patterson | June 1877 | TBC | [34] | |
| 2 | ? Davies | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 3 | F. Humphries | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 4 | F. Carrington | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 5 | Charles James Fox | 1883 | June 1888 | 4–5 years | [34][35] |
| 6 | G. B. Edwards | 1888 | TBC | [34] | |
| 7 | F. W. Moore | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 8 | G. E. Langridge | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 9 | J. M. Day | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 10 | David Black | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 11 | Ronald Smith | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 12 | Edwin Ings | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 13 | P. H. Thurston | TBC | TBC | [34] | |
| 14 | Fred Usher | TBC | 1922 | [34] | |
| 15 | Constance Cummins | 1922 | 1931 | 8–9 years | [34] |
| 16 | J. E. Thorp | 1931 | 1935 | 3–4 years | [34] |
| National election | Endorsement | |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Labor | |
| 2013 | Coalition | |
| 2016 | Coalition | |
| 2019 | No endorsement | |
| 2022 | No endorsement | |
| 2025 | No endorsement | |
Southern region ofTasmania, Australia | |||||
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