Then, and now … welcome to our 100th edition of CBD News

Well, who would have thought we’d make it to 100 editions? Yet here we are …

Never mind the ongoing wave of challenges the local media sector continues to ride, we also managed to emerge out the other side of a once-in-a-generation pandemic!

And, it was also during COVID that this newspaper’s co-founder and its original “heart and soul” Shane “Scoop” Scanlan sadly passed away shortly after retiring and handing over the keys to myself.

How proud he’d be to see us make it to 100 editions after all the energy he and so many others invested into getting this operation up and running back in 2014.

I’ll never forget Shane and I pushing trollies up and down the CBD’s many hilly streets delivering the very first edition of CBD News in August that year. Talk about a labour of love!

To borrow a line from Shane’s introductory op-ed in that inaugural edition, he quoted the words John Pascoe Fawkner used to introduce the CBD’s first paper in 1838, which still ring true today …

“A very small degree of support, timely afforded, will establish a newspaper here,” Fawkner wrote 186 years ago.

Those words resonated with Shane then, and they still resonate with me now when I think of how far this local newspaper has come in its first 10 years.

While the support shown towards CBD News by our community has been anything but small during the past decade, our monthly, hyperlocal model, built on quality, independent reporting and “timely afforded” support is what has allowed us to reach our 100th edition.

The vision of Shane, co-founder Shine Dighe and many other local supporters to establish this newspaper is to be commended, and I’m proud to be able to mark this occasion.

Of course, it’s mainly testament to our local community, which has embraced CBD News by welcoming it into homes and businesses with open arms. We’re nothing without the support of those we seek to represent.

While there are too many people to thank, I’ll say a general but heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who has supported us along our journey to 100 editions, from my wonderful team, both past and present, to the many “champions” who make up our community; you know who you are!

It’s amazing to think just how much the CBD has changed just in the 10 years since our first edition. As its “rhythm” continues to evolve after the pandemic, we hope to continue to evolve along with it and keep sharing news and stories that matter to the community.

Welcome to our 100th edition of CBD News. Here’s to many more! •

Sean Car

Publisher - CBD News