Church Scene was an independent Anglican newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published from 1971 to 1997.
History
editA previous national Anglican newspaper, The Anglican (first published in 1952), had ceased publication in 1970.[1]
Church Scene was owned by the MacKeller family,[2] through a company, Church Press Limited.[3] Originally a fortnightly publication,[4] it later became weekly.
The editorial line was liberal. An early editorial, in 1971, prompted a strong response from the evangelical Australian Church Record, published in Sydney. A Buddhist, My Nguyen Tang Canh, had been appointed to the staff of the World Council of Churches. Church Scene published an editorial defending the appointment; the Australian Church Record described the appointment as 'reprehensible' and 'deplorable', and concluded that its defence "hardly does credit to the intelligence of Australian Anglicans".[5]
On Davis's retirement as editor in 1995, on a motion moved by Deaconess Margaret Rodgers, General Synod recorded its appreciation of his work as editor and manager of Church Scene, noting that it had been published at no cost to the Anglican Church.[6]
The newspaper closed, suddenly, immediately before Christmas 1997, as a result of financial constraints.[7] Despite attempts at a rescue, the newspaper went into voluntary liquidation in January the following year.[8] Although not a direct replacement, a monthly magazine, Market-place, stepped into the gap, and was published from 1997 to 2008.[9] [10]
Editors
edit- Gerald Charles Davis, 1971-95
- Charles Sherlock, 1995-97[11]
References
edit- ^ "Barnes, Peter, "Religious Press", A Companion to the Australian Media, 2014, via AustLit". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ Campbell, Nathan, "A comparison between church and secular publications concerning opposition to the introduction of 'no-fault divorce' as part of the Family Law Act (1975)" at p 66.
- ^ "Anglican Communion News Service: National Anglican paper ceases publication, 18 January 1998". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ Davis, Gerald, "Reflections on Denim and Smoke", The Living Church, 30 April 1978, p 9.
- ^ "Australian Church Record: "Editorial", 1 July 1971, p 2" (PDF). Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "Anglican Church of Australia: Gerald Charles Davis, Editor Church Scene". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "Church Times: " Church Scene leaves a space", 9 January 1998, p 2". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "Church Times: "Newspaper stays shut", 30 January 1998, p 2". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "National Library of Australia: Market-place". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "Church Times: "Newspaper stays shut", 30 January 1998, p 2". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "ISCAST member Reverend Dr Charles Henry Sherlock made Member of Order of Australia AM". 4 February 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2021.