The Last Syme: Ranald Macdonald's Impact on The Age, 1964-1983

Abstract

Members of the Syme family played a key role in the management of the venerable Melbourne daily newspaper The Age from 1856 to 1983. Ranald Macdonald, great-grandson of the newspaper's legendary nineteenth century proprietor and editor, David Syme, was chief executive of the Age from 1964 to 1983, when the last significant block of Syme family shares was sold. In this sense, he can be regarded as the "last Syme". The once great newspaper was moribund by the 1960s, and Macdonald transformed it during his period of stewardship; in those nineteen years the Age set new standards for the Australian newspaper industry through its journalism and its busines practices, particularly in the area of marketing