The Standard

The Standard is ACM’s trusted voice of Victoria’s south-west. The Standard is based in Warrnambool but covers a vast area that extends to Portland and the South Australian border in the west to Colac in the east and The Grampians in the north. When William Fairfax and Henry Laurie started The Standard in 1872, Warrnambool was a bustling but small port town with a population of only 4350. More than 150 years later, Warrnambool, is a thriving city of more than 35,000 that attracts thousands of tourists each year, as well as being home to a diverse and growing population. Touted as the ‘most livable’ city in Victoria’s leading farming region, the coastal city is home to draw cards including the famous May Racing Carnival which features the Grand Annual Steeplechase; and for car enthusiasts the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic. The growth of the newspaper has mirrored the growth of the city of Warrnambool and the settlement of the region; including the establishment of major industries in health care (South West HealthCare and St John of God Hospital), manufacturing and warehousing, education (Deakin University and South West TAFE), and retail trade. The Standard has documented, criticised, lauded, exposed and editorialised on the region’s traumas, tragedies, thrills and triumphs. It has been and continues to be the major daily news source for people in south-west Victoria. It was one of the first regional newspapers to embrace the internet, launching its site in 1996. Today, standard.net.au is the region’s most trusted website for local news, sport, entertainment and community information.