How The Advertiser reported the start of WWI

SOUTH Australians first heard the world was at war 100 years ago with a solemn announcement in The Advertiser but it was not as we might imagine it would happen today.

SOUTH Australians first heard the world was at war 100 years ago with a solemn announcement in The Advertiser but it was not as we might imagine it would happen today.

Rather than front-page news, the declaration was made on page 14 of the newspaper.

True to its name the first 13 pages of The Advertiser were taken up with advertisements.

They were for everything from winter sales at John Martin’s department store to a treatment to guarantee the ladies of the day “a larger bust”.

Alongside The Advertiser masthead was an advert for “Kabo Corsets — the Lite Model Corset” and below that was the price of the newspaper, which was one penny.

Page 14 of the paper of August 5, 1914, saw the headline “The World at War”.

Notification was given of the British Army being mobilised but it wasn’t until the next day, August 6, that England, and consequently Australia was at war with Germany,

The official statement read:

“Mr. Glynn (Minister of External Affairs) received a telegram from the Prime Minister (Mr. Joseph Cook) at about 1 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon stating that official information has been received that war has broken out with Germany. Mr. Cook also stated: Australia is now at war.”

The Advertiser editorial that day told the population of the state of around 400,000 the perilous times ahead required leaders with purpose who could stay calm in a crisis.

Rare pictures of World War I

Originally published as How The Advertiser reported the start of WWI