This week the Coonamble Times newspaper celebrates 140 years of publishing as an independent, locally owned small business.

The people of Coonamble are proud and rightly so.

Established in 1885, in an era when newspapers were the primary form of public communication, the local newspaper was essential to the functioning of households, businesses and government alike.

At the time there were around 150 newspapers in NSW country towns and by 1891 a newspaper census named 191 papers in 121 towns. 

It’s impossible to fathom the changes in technology over 140 years and how creating a newspaper in 1885 could so differ to 2025, yet the challenges remain fundamentally the same, with technology at the top of the list.

The introduction of radio in the 1920’s, television and computers in the 1970’s, the internet in 1983, followed by social media 1997 and now Artificial Intelligence, have been battles local newspapers have had to both compete and collaborate with to stay alive.

With many small country newspapers absorbed into distantly-managed big companies and digital news outlets, the Coonamble Times community has helped it stay independent and locally-owned.

Coonamble Times Editor Lee O’Connor says it is "humbling and a little bit sobering, to reflect on the trials and triumphs of 140 years."

Perhaps the first Coonamble Times office (late 1800s). IMAGE courtesy Ray Green with thanks to Sedg White Photography.

“Irish Immigrant John Richardson McWilliam was the founder of Coonamble Times, who despite living in Mudgee, where he worked on the paper there, had business in Coonamble and saw an opportunity to start his own.

There was already a newspaper in operation, The Coonamble Independent, but McWilliam forged ahead. Competition was intense, many towns had two or more rival papers at that time. 

In the 1930s, Gilgandra-based H.E.O Campbell purchased the two local newspapers and combined them into the one, naming it the Coonamble Times.

“From then the baton has passed through the hands of a vast multitude of people - owners, managers, editors, journalists, print crews, paper boys, bookkeepers, sales and office staff - who have carried on as custodians of the local news across the decades,” said Mrs O’Connor.

In 2017 Mrs O’Connor purchased the publication and started to learn the ropes of running a newspaper.

Anne Mackay (bookkeeper), Lee O'Connor (Managing Editor), Angie O'Connor (Design & Production), Neil Ruttley (Admin & Sales), Sue Hargans (Volunteer Proofreader), Lily Plass and River McCrossen (Journalists). IMAGE: Coonamble Times

“With the help of clever and passionate home-grown and imported 'locals' we have tackled the latest in the newspaper's technology challenges and now publish a print and an online digital edition each week on our own website and use social media to help lead people to our news.

“The tools of trade may be different, but the focus remains the same - delivering real local news.

“Our essential partners in this ongoing endeavour continue to be the businesses and groups who pay to advertise, the volunteers who contribute their talents through words and pictures, and the present and past residents who buy and read the paper.

“The Coonamble Times belongs to the people of Coonamble and surrounds and for that we are very proud,” said Mrs O’Connor.