HistoryThe Sun News-Pictorial
Just over 100 years ago, the first edition of The Sun News-Pictorial, owned by Herald Weekly Times, was published.
Positioned as the paper that everyone in the family could enjoy, it was the first daily newspaper to make photographs a significant part of its pages and became the main publisher of births, deaths and marriages. Throughout the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, it was the most popular paper for Victorian families, selling over 650,000 copies each day.
While The Sun reported on international news, politics and other big stories from the day, a large portion was dedicated to showing regular scenes of people and places that were important to Victorians, such as at local football matches and social events.
Learn more in the Forgotten Australia podcast episode History Matters: The Birth & Rebirth of The Sun News-Pictorial.
Get involvedDigitising The Sun
Its localised content and level of detail makes The Sun incredibly valuable to both family and academic historians alike, yet the only known copies of this influential newspaper exist on microfilm and in hard copy at State Library Victoria.
This old and outdated technology means most Victorians cannot access the information, stories and pictures from our collective past. It also makes research incredibly difficult.
Now that the Library has been given the microfilm masters of The Sun, we are able to digitise this newspaper from 1922 – 1954, to make these editions available online - but we need your support to make this happen.
DonateSave Our Stories
The Sun News-Pictorial is the only major Melbourne newspaper not on Trove, our national online database that allows researchers and enthusiasts to easily search thousands of sources for historical information.
This is a significant gap that must be filled, so all Victorians can access stories and photographs from their histories.
Your support will help us digitise this significant cultural resource and save our stories for future generations.
All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
