The State Library has the most comprehensive collection of newspapers in South Australia – with coverage for state, national and international newspapers. We have collected newspapers since the state’s first newspaper was printed in June 1836 – just prior to European settlement of South Australia.
The collection includes local, national and international newspapers. In addition the Library subscribes to a number of databases containing digital versions of newspapers.
Every newspaper in the collection has a catalogue record. The best method is to search the catalogue by newspaper title + 'n' (for newspaper). e.g. search for the title Adelaide Times by typing 'adelaide times n'
The State Library has newspapers in every format: from original newspapers to microfilm and digital files.
Australia
Historic Australian newspapers (1803-) are freely available on the Trove website. (The majority are only available until 1954 except where copyright permission has been obtained.)
For the second half of the 20th century there is the Sydney Morning Herald Archive (1955-1995). This is a subscription database available freely for home access to registered users of the National Library.
Britain
British historic newspapers (1741-2012) can be accessed via subscription databases available freely for home access from every State Library and the National Library: Nineteenth century British Newspapers and the Times Digital Archive.
The British Library's British Newspaper Archive (1700-) is a subscription site but allows free basic searches.
National Library of Australia registered users can access the Irish Newspaper Archive (1763-).
New Zealand
Papers Past is a free website of New Zealand newspapers (1839-1950).
USA
Chronicling America is a free website for American newspapers compiled by the Library of Congress (1789-1963).
Germany
Historic German newspapers and journals online (1609-) is a database bringing together digitised Germany titles across many individual websites. A knowledge of German is helpful!
Hong Kong
Old HK newspapers is a free website containing newspapers of Hong Kong (1853-1931).
Current SA titles on NewsBank
Advertiser 1998-
Barossa and Light Herald 2000-
Border Chronicle 2011-
Border Watch 2015-
City Messenger 2000-
Coast City Weekly (Messenger) 2016
Coastal Leader (Kingston) 2011-
Eastern Courier Messenger 2000-
Escape 2013-
Eyre Peninsula Tribune 2000-
Flinders News 2001-
Islander 2000-
Murray Valley Standard 2000-
Naracoorte Herald 2011-
Northern Argus 2000-
Northern Messenger 2013-
Port Lincoln Times 2000-
Recorder (Port Pirie) 2000-
SA Weekend 2014-
Southern Messenger 2000-
Stock Journal 2011-
Sunday Mail 1998-
Times (Victor Harbour) 2011-
Transcontinental 2000-
West Coast Sentinel 2001-
Westside Weekly Messenger 2016-
Whyalla News 2011-
We subscribe and provide free access and home access to wide-variety of eResources that include both full-text articles and abstracts, magazines, scholarly journals, eBooks, databases, indexes, newspapers, encyclopedias and lots more.
All South Australian residents are eligible to register for a library card to gain home access to eResources. For non-South Australian residents try searching on Trove, or register with your own State Library.
For more information view the home access to eResources conditions of use.
Your State Library card is valid for three years. If it is close to expiring or has expired you have two options to renew it:
If you already have a membership card and have registered for home access, you are ready to begin searching our eResources.
