IT BEGAN in May 2005 as an A5 black and white newspaper, produced on the photocopier of the Canungra Motel.
Twenty years later The Canungra Times has grown – in physical size, the news it covers and its inclusion in a stable of three hyper-local newspapers in the Scenic Rim.
Editor and owner, Keer Moriarty said she is grateful for the community support that the paper has had over the years.
“From the very start, when Stu Comley put out the first edition, the community was behind the newspaper,” she said.
“That hasn’t wavered one bit over the years, something I really appreciate.”
The newspaper is known as the voice of the community, something that the team tries to convey through the content in the newspaper.
“The 2019 bushfires were a turning point for this newspaper in many ways.”
“We became a little better known, as a community and as a source of news.”
“As much as I would prefer never to have had that happen, it opened some doors for partnerships with Google and other projects and has helped us to expand.”
Covering community events has also been a major consideration for the Canungra Times.
“We are fortunate to have photographer Katie O’Brien working with us. Her work has really lifted the paper,” said Keer.
In 2020, The Canungra Times expanded, opening a publication in nearby Beaudesert – the Beaudesert Bulletin.
This led to the establishment of Scenic Rim Media Pty Ltd and later to Graphic Designer Kate Cahill and Journalist Susie Cunningham joining the company as partners.
“Both of them already worked for the papers but inviting them to join as partners has certainly created a stronger company overall.”
Last year Scenic Rim Media acquired Tamborine Mountain News and today the company employs several local journalists and staff members.
“We have a great team who believe in what we are doing for our communities,” said Keer.
“The key is the support we receive – we could not do what we do without our readers and local advertisers.”
