The Bulletin is Australia’s most respected current affairs magazine, and has the distinction of being the only Australian magazine that was published throughout all of the 20th century.
From its first issue in 1880, The Bulletin was always the magazine with its finger on the pulse of the nation. (Australian icons such as Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson were first published in The Bulletin.) By the middle of the twentieth century, the coverage is broad with a ‘high-brow’, literary bent. Short stories and profiles of Australian writers/poets are regular features. During the 1940s, analyses of international wartime issues sit beside local and Federal government debates. News of rural Australia and the financial markets are punctuated with strongly satirical political cartoons and gossip columns.
During the 1950s, the conservative post-war climate sees the magazine focussing more strongly on local events. The short stories are often dramatic war tales of survival. The ‘Women’s Letters’ section still reads more like a society page than a feminist self-help page and the patriotism is brazen. But the excellent quality and distinctly Australian flavour of the contributions are maintained throughout The Bulletin’s long history, resulting in the magazine’s enduring and legendary popularity.
After World War II, and continuing into the 1960s, The Bulletin reduced its literary and satirical content, but remained the first stop for Australian readers of serious political and business news. From the 1980s, it returned to its place as one of Australia's premier news and current affairs magazines, focusing on quality reporting and commentary.
Below are example magazine covers from different decades. Click on an image to view a larger version.
