(
Southland Times, 7 November 1903)
The Southland Times was first established in 1862. The first edition was published on 12 November 1862 under the title of
Invercargill Times. The three founders were
Gerard George Fitzgerald, John T. Downes, and Charles Reynolds. The name changed to
The Southland Times in June 1864. Initially, it was published two or three times a week until it became a daily paper in 1875. From 1869 until its purchase by the INL (
Independent Newspapers Limited), it was owned by the Gilmour family. Robert Gilmour became a part owner in 1869–70, and then in 1879 became the sole owner of the paper. In 1972, digital computers and software, phototypesetters, and a Japanese APR photopolymer plate were installed at the paper, making the
Times New Zealand's first fully computerised newspaper production system under the direction of Ian Gilmour. The paper changed hands again on 1 July 2003, when Independent Newspapers Limited was purchased by
Australian media company
Fairfax Media. In May 2012 local printing of
The Southland Times ceased with all printing now taking place at
Allied Press in Dunedin. Smaller community papers that are usually printed once a week are now printed from Christchurch. In July 2015 The Southland Times building located on Esk Street was sold to the
Invercargill Licensing Trust. A year later The Southland Times relocated to a new building on the corner of Don and Deveron Streets. In 2017 the
Invercargill City Council and
HWR Group formed HWCP Management Limited with the purpose of redeveloping the Invercargill CDB. The Southland Times building and most buildings on the city block surrounding Dee Street, Tay Street, Kelvin Street and Esk Street were purchased by HWCP with the intentions of redeveloping the city block into an inner city mall. Plans for the new mall were first unveiled in 2018 and in 2019 an announcement was made that The Southland Times building would be demolished but the building facade retained, a
Farmers department store would be built on The Southland Times building site as the anchor tenant in the mall. The demolition of the city block began in January 2020 and construction began in October 2020. In November 2021 current and former staff from The Southland Times were invited to sign the rear of The Southland Times building facade prior to the facade being plastered. On July 14, 2022, the first stage of the
Invercargill Central Mall was opened including the Farmers Department store.
Awards and nominations At the
2018 Voyager Media Awards The Southland Times' photographer Kavinda Herath won the Best Photo (Junior) Award. ==Other publications==