Westport News: 150 Years of Community Journalism Preserved

The Preserving Local History & Educational Trust is pleased to announce that editions of the Westport News (1965–1973) are now available through our Recollect repository, preserving another important chapter of New Zealand's community newspaper heritage.

The Westport News - Monday March 5, 1973

The Westport News has been at the heart of the Buller community for more than 150 years. First published as the Buller News on 23 November 1873, the newspaper was established by politician Eugene O'Conor and has remained an independent voice for the West Coast ever since.

Throughout its history, the paper has passed through the hands of dedicated owners who understood the importance of local journalism. The Atkin family guided the newspaper for half a century before ownership changed in the mid-20th century. Later, Colin and Mary Warren returned printing to Westport after purchasing the newspaper in 1978, ensuring the community's stories continued to be produced locally. Today, the newspaper remains independently owned by long-serving journalist Lee Scanlon and her husband Kevin, who purchased the publication in 2017.

In 2023, the Westport News celebrated an extraordinary milestone, 150 years as an independently owned West Coast newspaper.

The newly digitised collection covers the years 1965 to 1973, providing a fascinating snapshot of life on the West Coast during a period of social and economic change. Within its pages are the stories of local businesses, schools, sporting clubs, community organisations, council decisions, family notices and everyday life that together form the history of the Buller district.

These newspapers are far more than old publications. They are an invaluable resource for researchers, genealogists, students, historians and anyone interested in understanding the people and communities that shaped Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Trust's goal is to preserve newspapers that may otherwise be lost to time, while making them freely accessible to the communities they represent. The Westport News joins a growing collection of regional newspapers available through our Recollect repository before eventually being transferred to Papers Past.

We thank the copyright holders for their support in making this material available and acknowledge Westport News who helped make this digitisation possible.

Explore the newly digitised Westport News collection today on our Recollect site.