Australia's Minority Community Printed Press History in Global Context: An Introduction

The history of the printed press in Australia parallels that of other countries in building on the developments of a long chronicle of newspaper culture generally, and reflecting traditions and practices established abroad, notably from Britain and Europe. Such developments and traditions speak to the particular which, in Australia as elsewhere, was not limited to mainstream or elite enterprises. Instead, for those who launched various forms of newspaper initiatives, a myriad of cultural, Indigenous, ethnic, political, social, and often linguistic influences converged with modern innovations to serve local and minority communities. This chapter introduces the volume The Transnational Voices of Australia’s Migrant and Minority Press, and explores the foundations of Australia’s minority community newspapers and other periodicals and the scholarship which began to recognise their significance, and argues how analysis of the printed press requires a close reading, while also going beyond what is printed on the page. By approaching the histories of migrant and minority communities through the printed press, we suggest the lens of “voices” contributes to a greater appreciation of the significance of newspaper culture in the fledgling field of printed press history.