Star News Group
Star News Group is a newspaper company based in Pakenham, Victoria. It was founded by Albert Edward Thomas in 1909 as the Berwick Shire News and Pakenham and Cranbourne Gazette. Star News Group is still owned by the Thomas family and the company is managed by Paul Thomas, a fourth generation family member. The company changed its name to Star News Group in August 2005 to reflect the growth of the company and the diversity of regions that the company covers.
The company's community newspapers have a combined circulation of more than 500,000 copies per week. The company has many specialist real estate newspapers delivered free. In addition, Star News Group produces a number of niche education titles and lifestyle magazines. Star News Group also manages and owns 50% of the Mail Newspaper Group, a community newspaper group of five mastheads based in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. This group has offices in Healesville, Victoria and also produces a quarterly tourist publication and wedding magazine.
The company owns several news titles, including the Pakenham and Berwick Gazette, Berwick News, Cranbourne News, Pakenham News, Dandenong Journal.
A unified Star and MMP classified call centre, entitled Network Classifieds has also been established to serve the new Star Weekly Newspapers in the West, Star’s publications in the south east, Geelong and Interstate editions; MMP’s the Weekly Review publications in Central Melbourne and the Mail Newspaper group publications in the outer east.
The company also provides education magazines through the Themes Media Education Publications arm of the organisation.
Star News Group also operates the community news focused web portal Star Community at http://starcommunity.com.au
In March 2013 Star News Group expanded into New South Wales and Queensland when they purchased four titles in Armidale and Warwick. In 2014 Star News Group acquired Noosa Today and Real Estate Lifestyle, though closed their Armidale paper, The Armidale Independent.