Australian Consolidated Press (ACP) was a pillar of Australia’s media for most of the 20th century, influencing the country’s publishing and cultural history with iconic magazines and newspapers. Established by media tycoon Sir Frank Packer, ACP expanded from modest beginnings to a powerhouse that shaped generations of Australians with titles such as The Australian Women’s Weekly and The Bulletin. This blog post examines ACP’s early days, its flagship titles, its development through mergers and sales, and its enduring influence on Australian media, providing an in-depth review of a company that defined an era.
Origins of Australian Consolidated Press
Australian Consolidated Press originated in 1932, when Frank Packer joined forces with former Labor politician E.G. Theodore to create Sydney Newspapers Ltd. In November 1932, it bought The Daily Telegraph from Associated Newspapers for £86,500, starting Consolidated Press Ltd. The move came with a deal not to publish a rival afternoon newspaper in Sydney, enabling the company to concentrate on starting new titles. In 1936, Consolidated Press was formally formed, and in 1957, following Packer’s acquisition of Theodore’s share, it became Australian Consolidated Press (ACP).
The first decade of the company’s life was characterized by innovation and ambition. In 1933, Sydney Newspapers launched The Australian Women’s Weekly, which would eventually become a cultural phenomenon. In 1938, ACP had a net profit of £34,307 based on increasing sales and advertising revenue, especially from The Women’s Weekly. The company extended its reach with The Sunday Telegraph in 1939, further securing its position in print media.
Iconic Publications Under ACP
ACP’s stable of publications featured some of Australia’s most powerful magazines and newspapers, many of which are still household brands today. Among them are these standout titles:
The Australian Women’s Weekly
It was started in June 1933, and The Australian Women’s Weekly became ACP’s flagship title, first targeting women with fashion, recipes, and lifestyle material. Its cheapness and mass appeal made it a fixture on every Australian homesite, with circulation reaching more than 700,000 in the 1960s. The magazine covered royal families to war stories, with special collections on occasions such as Princess Diana’s life and the Australian Bicentenary. Bound volumes from 1933 to the early 2000s, as well as card indexes between 1966–1997, are maintained in archives, a testament to its cultural importance.
The Bulletin
Established in 1880 and taken over by ACP, The Bulletin was a fortnightly magazine characterized by political analysis, literature, and cultural critique. It lasted till 2008, with bound volumes and card indexes 1962–1997 retained in archives. Special issues, like The Australian Family (1976) and Australia Day (1988), were evidence of its significance in recording national identity. The cover illustrations of The Bulletin and microfiche archives are still good historical resources.
Other Notable Titles
ACP released more than 60 titles, including:
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Australian Gourmet Traveller (1982–present): A top food and travel publication.
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Australian House and Garden (1948–present): Home design and lifestyle.
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Cleo (1972–present): A provocative women’s magazine appealing to younger readers.
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Cosmopolitan (1973–present): An international brand modified for Australian readers.
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Dolly (1972–present): A teen-oriented magazine.
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TV Week (1958–present): Famous for its Logie Awards reportage, with photographic archives from 1959–2002.
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Woman’s Day (1948–present): A mass-market women’s lifestyle magazine.
ACP also had around 70 other titles in off-site storage, ranging from 1903 onwards, highlighting its massive presence in Australian publishing.
Expansion into Other Media and Ventures
Outside of magazines, ACP expanded into newspapers, TV, and book publishing. In 1946, it established Conpress Printing Ltd to manage commercial print and supplements. It also bought a controlling stake in Shakespeare Head Press Pty Ltd, diversifying into book publishing. In 1955, ACP founded Television Corporation Ltd, gaining one of Sydney’s earliest commercial TV licenses for TCN9, which later became part of the Nine Network.
By the 1950s, ACP had a corporate restructuring to maximize profits and reduce taxation and created Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd (CPH) with an authorized capital of £2 million. The holding company became central to the Packer family media empire, later with stakes in online businesses such as SEEK and CarSales.
Evolution and Mergers
ACP’s path deviated greatly in the 1990s and 2000s with the transformation in the media landscape. ACP merged with the Nine Network in 1994 to create Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL), a direction towards a diversified media group. PBL’s media repertoire consisted of television, magazines, and online properties such as NineMSN. Following Kerry Packer’s death in 2005, his son James Packer succeeded him and directed the company towards gaming and online investments.
PBL sold 50% of its media holdings, including ACP, to CVC Asia Pacific for $4.6 billion in 2006 and another 25% in 2007. In 2007, PBL demerged into Consolidated Media Holdings (CMH) and Crown Limited, with CMH concentrated on media holdings such as a 25% holding in Foxtel and 50% in Fox Sports. In 2012, CMH was acquired by News Corp Australia, breaking the Packer family’s hold on the media holdings. That same year, ACP Magazines was sold to Germany’s Bauer Media Group, which continued publishing many of ACP’s iconic titles.
Financial and Cultural Impact
ACP’s success was apparent from its first few years, with profits increasing steadily due to sound circulation and advertising for publications such as The Australian Women’s Weekly. In 1938, the Herald and Weekly Times made a bid of £350,000 for Consolidated Press, but Frank Packer rejected it, anticipating its potential as a long-term investment. By the close of the 20th century, ACP’s media empire was in full control, shaping Australian culture through its publications and television operations.
Culturally, ACP formed Australian identity by recording changes in society, from the roles of women in the 1930s to contemporary lifestyle trends. Australian Women’s Weekly empowered women with household tips and tales of survival, while The Bulletin provided acerbic political and cultural analysis. Photographic collections, such as the Tyrrell Collection (1880–1910) and TV Week Logie negatives (1959–2002), document the history of Australia in pictures, available for researchers and historians to access.
Challenges and Legacy
ACP struggled as media consumption migrated to digital environments. The demise of print media during the 2000s, combined with PBL’s ill-fated investment in One.Tel, tested the company’s financial resilience. Strategic disposal to CVC and News Corp, and eventual migration to Bauer Media, assured the survival of ACP’s flagship titles.
The Packer family legacy, and indeed through Frank and Kerry Packer, is a defining characteristic of ACP to this day. It was Frank’s vision and business sense that created a media empire, and Kerry that diversified it into television and online media. The 2012 sale to Bauer Media ended an era, yet most of ACP’s publications persist with Bauer, still culturally relevant.
Why Australian Consolidated Press Matters Today
For Australians, media buffs, and historians, the tale of ACP is a glimpse into how the nation’s media landscape changed over time. Its titles captured the mood of their respective eras, from wartime fortitude to contemporary pop culture. Scholars can find ACP’s archives in institutions such as the National Library of Australia, where they have annual reports, bound volumes of magazines, and photographic collections. These materials provide glimpses into Australian social, cultural, and political history.
For media history enthusiasts, ACP’s transformation from a small publishing company to a multimedia conglomerate mirrors the industry’s challenges and opportunities. Its mergers with Nine Network and eventual sale to News Corp point to the consolidation trends that characterise contemporary media, where ownership lies among a few players such as News Corp and Nine Entertainment Co.
Conclusion
Australian Consolidated Press was not only a media business—it was a cultural institution that defined Australian storytelling for almost a century. From The Australian Women’s Weekly to The Bulletin, ACP magazines documented the country’s happiness, hardships, and change. Through Frank Packer’s leadership and subsequent mergers and sales, ACP transitioned with the times, leaving a legacy that exists today in its legendary titles and archived riches. Whether you’re a history buff, a media professional, or simply curious about Australia’s past, exploring the story of Australian Consolidated Press offers a fascinating glimpse into the power of print and its lasting impact on a nation.