Geelong Independent
The Geelong Independent is a local free weekly newspaper delivered to houses in the Geelong region in Victoria. The newspaper has three editions: Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast Independent. It is published and delivered over both Thursdays and Fridays with a distribution of 92,277 copies (CAB audit). The Independent is the highest distribution of any country newspaper in Victoria and only second in the state to Melbourne city publication, mX, according to a CAB audit.
The newspaper was first published on October 31, 1986 and was started by a group of local businessmen - mostly real estate agents and car yard salesmen - unhappy with the cost of advertising in existing local publications. They sold their share to the Star News Group in the mid-2000s with a gradual takeover by the Melbourne newspaper company.
The managing editor is Tony Galpin, a former senior journalist at the Independent before taking over as editor. He formerly worked on the Wimmera Mail Times. The sub-editor is Greg Wane, who started the Queenscliffe Herald in 1999 before selling it in 2004. He later moved into the role of news photographer.
Current journalists are John Van Klaveren, who covers news in Geelong and Join the Club, a regular local club, group or community organisation feature; Cherie Donnellan, who covers Surf Coast and also Geelong, along with entertainment news; and Michelle Herbison, who covers Bellarine Peninsula, Geelong, and Real Estate editorials. Tony Vaughan is the newspaper's only long-standing employee, having worked on the newspaper for all of its 23 years in production services.