SA Newspapers : Non-English language newspapers

The first non-English language newspaper published in Australia was the bi-lingual Die Deutsche Post, a newspaper written in both English and German (in its early issues) which first appeared in Adelaide in 1848. The newspaper was published by Carl Kornhardt and the early mineralogist Johann Menge was the editor. From June 1848 the newspaper was moved to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley. Kornhardt's newspaper concentrated on news from Germany, a precedent which was followed by later German-language newspapers. The Deutsche Post was succeeded by the Deutsche Zeitung fur Sudaustralien, edited by Hermann Kook. This in turn was taken over by the Sudaustralische Zeitung, a newspaper founded by Otto Schomburgk, Carl Muecke and Gustav Droege. Published in Adelaide, the Sudaustralische Zeitung took a more progressive, liberal outlook than the Tanunda newspapers.

In the late 1860s there were two German language newspapers being published in South Australia, the Sud Australische Zeitung, run by George Eimer, and the Tanunda Deutsche Zeitung run by Friedrich Basedow and Charles Barton. In 1875 these two rivals merged to become the Australische Zeitung under Friedrich Basedow (of the Tanunda Deustche Zeitung) and his father-in-law, Dr Carl Muecke. The newspaper was forced to close down in 1916 due to the anti-German feelings inspired by the First World War. It was revived from 1927 to 1929, then taken over by the Queenslander Herald in Brisbane, which itself ceased in 1939.

Short-lived German newspapers include the Adelaider Deutsche Zeitung (1851-1862) founded by a wealthy businessman, Rudolf Eimer and the Neue Deutsche Zeitung (1875-1876), reputedly financed by disgruntled would-be MP, JWA Sudholz. In the 20th century the Adelaider Post was published in Adelaide between 1960 and 1962 as a subsidiary of the Sydney-based Woche in Australien.The Neue Australische Post, a broadsheet, was published bi-weekly in Salisbury, South Australia between 1984 and 1993. The German community in South Australia also published many magazines, journals and books in the German language, particularly in the 19th century.

Generally the earliest German language press concentrated on overseas (German) news, until the 1870s, from when this was balanced with more local reporting. Like the liberal press as a whole, the declared aims of the German newspapers were the promotion of truth, morality, progress and patriotism, including those qualities relating particularly to 'Deutschtum', that is, the ongoing fostering of pride in the German nation, its language and culture. High moral standards saw the exclusion of scandalous news stories. There was a particular concern with the naturalistaion laws at election times.

The Greek community in South Australia published a short-lived newspaper, Okeanis, as early as 1914. Unfortunately no early issues of Okeanis exist prior to its move to Sydney. Betweeen 1935 and 1936 a second Greek newspaper, Pharos, was published. Other short-lived titles appeared in the late 1960s, the oldest and longest running of these being Tachydromos, established in September 1968. Post-War migration saw the emergence of a variety of non-English newspapers, including the Polish Nasza Droga published between 1952 and 1981, and the Italian Roma between 1957 and 1959. In 1979 the Arab orient appeared, initially being printed in Arabic, but changing after the first issue to English, with the stated intention of attracting non-Arab readers.

The rescinding from 1973 of the Immigration Restriction Act (1901) and other related legislation often referred to as the 'White Australia Policy' and the large Vietnamese and Chinese immigration in the 1970s saw the production of a new wave of non-English language newspapers. Locally these included the South Australia Chinese weekly. Most non-English community news publishing in the last 30 years, however, has been newsletters produced by roneo, photocopy, or desktop publishing techniques as these are less expensive to produce.

Ata, Abe W. and Ryan, Colin (eds). Ethnic press in Australia, Melbourne, Vic.: Academia Press and Footprint Publications, 1989

Gilson, Miriam and Zubrzycki, Jerzy. The foreign-language press in Australia, 1848-1964, Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1967

Walker, RB. 'German-language press and people in South Australia, 1848-1900', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, vol. 58, pt. 2 (June 1972), pp. 121-140

York, Barry. 'Ethnic presses: Asians and Arabs, 1980s-1990s', National Library of Australia news, vol. 14, no. 3 (December 2003), pp. 15-17

York, Barry. 'Ethnic presses: the Europeans in Australia, 1950s-1960s', National Library of Australia news, Vol. 14, no. 2 (November 2003), pp. 19-21