The Australian 60th anniversary: Six decades of the ‘gift’ that keeps on giving

For the next six weeks, The Australian brings you a feast of journalism, counting down our 60 years with the best of six decades of news, pictures, commentary, culture, business, sport and cartoons.

The Australian’s first office in Canberra in 1964, when the first truly national daily newspaper took shape. Picture: News Limited

Sixty years ago this month, a young ambitious publisher was boldly preparing for the launch of what would be this country’s first truly national daily newspaper, The Australian.

As staff gathered in an unfinished, unheated building in freezing Canberra, the 33-year-old Rupert Murdoch was telling ­potential readers about the new publication.

A promotional book outlined the desire for “a newspaper of ­intelligence, of broad outlook, of independent spirit and of elegant appearance”. This was “the birth of a great newspaper”.

Starting on Monday, The Australian will begin a special series, Six Decades in Six Weeks, to count down to the 60th birthday of the masthead on July 15.

Every day for the next six weeks we will bring you a selection of The Australian’s journalism of the past 60 years, from news stories to features, pictures, commentary and cartoons.

This feast of journalism will be served decade by decade in print and online, with a special introduction to each period by history editor Alan Howe.

Follow day by day to remember the key events and how The Australian covered them.

Take a front-row seat to history as we bring you the front pages and excerpts of important news stories every Monday.

Every Tuesday photographic editor Milan Scepanovic will ­introduce you to some of the greatest pictures of the times, as featured in The Australian.

On Wednesdays, be prepared for some strong views and well ­argued points when commentary editor Nicholas Jensen offers you some of the best opinion and analysis of the past 60 years.

We will take you back to the fashion, film and sound of the era too, with a weekly focus on culture and lifestyle of the decade every Thursday. From miniskirts to grunge, we have it covered.

As hemlines went up and down, so did the stockmarket: we revisit some of the most nerve-racking moments in our economic history every Friday, but also revive some of the tales of hope for prosperity to come.

Also on Fridays, take a look at our record as champions, with gripping moments in Australian sport on the page or on your screen.

Saturdays will offer a double-feature: a weekly instalment to showcase how we cover the ­nation, with our Six States in Six Weeks series highlighting issues from coast to coast, plus the decades’ funniest and most cutting cartoons, as chosen by John Spooner and Johannes Leak.

And, of course, there’s more to come for our birthday week.

Please enjoy our gifts to you.