On Wednesday, November 4, 1959, the very first edition of Il Globo was published, as Australia’s new weekly newspaper for Italians.

The results of that year’s Melbourne Cup, won by MacDougal, were featured in the bottom left-hand corner of the front page, while the headlines spoke of a meeting of the “Greats” and the Casa d’Italia in Melbourne.

The first edition was made up of eight pages, all of which were already packed with advertisements and news from Italy, Australia and the world, as well as – most importantly – news relating to the Italian community in Australia.

We can only imagine the joy, satisfaction and pride experienced by the founders, Ubaldo Larobina and Tarcisio Valmorbida, as they held that first edition in their hands.

Not to mention the pride of the early collaborators, journalists and typographers who had worked on the edition and of course, those Italians who leafed through its pages for the very first time.

This birthday is an important one, and one which we have decided to share with our readers by preparing a special insert to be published in this Thursday’s edition of Il Globo.

The insert will recount the paper’s history and re-publish many of its early pages, exploring the news and events of the past 60 years.

Il Globo’s long journey will be briefly covered – a journey that began on Sydney Road in Brunswick and evolved alongside the Italian community in Australia, whose members have always been by our side.

The insert will also cover some of the most important moments experienced by the community over the years, including battles, disappointments and successes.

We have tried to not only retrace events, but understand the significance of them for the readers of that time.

By carefully examining pages from the past, we were able to reflect on 60 years of ideas, news, comments, faces and stories, and appreciate the generosity, affection, pride, tenacity and extraordinary capacity of our community.

It has been a real journey through time which, even now, remains incomplete.

Some topics have been left untouched.

There is always the next edition to prepare, the next interview to carry out, or a new initiative to work on.

After 60 years, we are fortunate enough and eager to look towards the future and the many things that can still be done.

In 2006, when then director general of the Italian Media Corporation, Ubaldo Larobina, and the administration board of Il Globo entrusted me with the position of managing editor, I knew that it was a great honour, but also a great responsibility.

I took over from none other than the founder, Mr Larobina, and editor, Nino Randazzo – both formidable people.

They had built a strong foundation which allowed me to rise to the challenge, and to continue to guide the paper through a period of profound transformation which has been felt by the media industry in general.

Thanks to the strong DNA of Il Globo, and to the community which is of utmost importance, as well as the quality of those who have worked within our newsroom, we have gradually evolved as a paper.

Il Globo does not wish to simply recount the news, but to explain it while reporting on the community’s activities and enriching its events with the profiles of various personalities, all of whom are important and relevant and protagonists of our compelling history.

It’s a long history which has been separated into chapters; Il Globo was first published as a weekly paper and as it garnered support, it was then published two, three and even five times a week.

This schedule lasted for almost 12 years before the necessary readjustments were made to return to the bi-weekly newspaper which we know today.

Il Globo seeks to offer readers as much information as possible, while staying true to its values and not giving in to sensationalism.

It’s a difficult task, especially in this period of profound change within the media industry, in which it has been necessary to finely calibrate the product while avoiding the evident risks that arise in a world that is abundant with unregulated information.

In these first 60 years of activity, Il Globo has always sought to focus on the facts and not prioritise opinions.

And it will continue to do so, with the same attention to detail and commitment as always, while confronting all the difficulties that exist in a world of continual news which is published with more ease than ever.

For this reason, Il Globo always strives to carve out extra space for explanations and in-depth research, in the hope of offering our readers something more than what can be found on a mobile phone.

Today we’ve hit 60 years and there’s still so much to do. 

We look towards the future alongside our community, which has been integral to our long and succesful history.