Pelican (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Pelican is the University of Western Australia
's official student magazine. It is financed by the UWA Guild, but maintains complete editorial independence. 5000 copies of each issue are published and distributed across metropolitan Perth
, as well as to Notre Dame
, Murdoch
, Curtin, ECU
and Central TAFE. It is Australia’s second oldest student paper having begun publication in 1929. Pelican is published 8 times a year, roughly coinciding with each month of semester at the University of Western Australia
. Easily distinguishable by its square tabloid format and professional design, Pelican has a readership of around 10,000 per edition and is aimed at Perth's tertiary students and young people aged between 17 and 27 frequenting the inner metropolitan area. Each edition is centred on a theme and includes regular reviews (books, music, television, film and arts), opinion pieces, campus events listing and current affairs analysis.
until Beth Shaw established the tabloid format. These broadsheet editions were much more loosely themed with a preference for several-thousand word articles and essays and a condensed review section.
. Originally the publication took the form of a weekly current affairs broadsheet. It then evolved into a monthly newspaper and was later transformed into a 'tabloid' sized magazine by editor Elizabeth Shaw. In 2007 Magda Wozniak introduced a glossy cover which continued throughout 2008 as well as the first edition of 2009. Due to the 2009 recession Pelican has been forced to revert to a newspaper print cover.
It has become an ongoing tradition that the Pelican editor appears naked on the front cover of the final edition, although it is unknown when this tradition began. Research by former Pelican editor Henry F. Skerritt, published in his final editorial of 2000, suggests that that this tradition began in 1972.
candidate for the seat of O'Connor
, Dominic Rose, was caught up in a national controversy over an article published in Pelican. It was revealed that some time before his preselection, the student had written a piece in which he referred to then Labor Party leader and Prime Ministerial hopeful Kevin Rudd
as a "filthy Liberal". The story was carried nationally and appeared in major publications including The Age
, news.com.au
, The Herald Sun
and the national broadsheet The Australian
in 2006 had a significant impact on the viability of student newspapers across Australia, compulsory student union
membership fees having been the major source of income for most. Pelican is one of the few Australian papers to have not been affected by these changes, and this can be largely attributed to the high voluntary membership intake of the University of Western Australia Student Guild
.
1997: Neil Wurmel
1998: Rob Schutze
1999: Kirstyn Lee
2000: Gawain C.W. Davies and Henry F. Skerritt
2001: Paul Kilmurray and Cliodnha Quigley
2002: Gabrielle Holly
2003:
2004: Brisa Rojas
2005: Elizabeth Shaw
2006: Laura Miller
2007: Magda Wozniak
2008: Ben Johnston
2009: Thomas Reynolds
2010: Kaitlyn Plyley and Andrew Portelli
2011: Patrick Marlborough and Koko Wozniak
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
's official student magazine. It is financed by the UWA Guild, but maintains complete editorial independence. 5000 copies of each issue are published and distributed across metropolitan Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, as well as to Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, Murdoch
Murdoch University
Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
, Curtin, ECU
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
and Central TAFE. It is Australia’s second oldest student paper having begun publication in 1929. Pelican is published 8 times a year, roughly coinciding with each month of semester at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. Easily distinguishable by its square tabloid format and professional design, Pelican has a readership of around 10,000 per edition and is aimed at Perth's tertiary students and young people aged between 17 and 27 frequenting the inner metropolitan area. Each edition is centred on a theme and includes regular reviews (books, music, television, film and arts), opinion pieces, campus events listing and current affairs analysis.
Content
Typically, each edition of Pelican circulates around a particular theme. These can range from diverse topics such as "Ammunition", "Class", "Superstition", "The Future", "Patriotism" and "Sex". Each Pelican also includes articles that deal more broadly with politics, popular culture and aspects of the student lifestyle. Pelican also includes coverage of music, books, film, television and the arts. These are ordered within individual sub-sections, each of which is coordinated by a different section editor. Previous editions of Pelican were produced as a broadsheetBroadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
until Beth Shaw established the tabloid format. These broadsheet editions were much more loosely themed with a preference for several-thousand word articles and essays and a condensed review section.
History
Founded in 1929, Pelican lays claim to being the country's second-oldest student newspaper after FarragoFarrago
First published on 3 April 1925, Farrago is Australia's oldest student newspaper. Farrago is published by the Melbourne University Student Union.- Name :...
. Originally the publication took the form of a weekly current affairs broadsheet. It then evolved into a monthly newspaper and was later transformed into a 'tabloid' sized magazine by editor Elizabeth Shaw. In 2007 Magda Wozniak introduced a glossy cover which continued throughout 2008 as well as the first edition of 2009. Due to the 2009 recession Pelican has been forced to revert to a newspaper print cover.
It has become an ongoing tradition that the Pelican editor appears naked on the front cover of the final edition, although it is unknown when this tradition began. Research by former Pelican editor Henry F. Skerritt, published in his final editorial of 2000, suggests that that this tradition began in 1972.
Controversy
In late 2007, in the lead up to the federal election of that year, UWA student and Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
candidate for the seat of O'Connor
Division of O'Connor
The Division of O'Connor is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Western Australia. It is one of Western Australia's three rural seats....
, Dominic Rose, was caught up in a national controversy over an article published in Pelican. It was revealed that some time before his preselection, the student had written a piece in which he referred to then Labor Party leader and Prime Ministerial hopeful Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
as a "filthy Liberal". The story was carried nationally and appeared in major publications including The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, news.com.au
News Limited
News Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The publicly listed company's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, Pay TV, National Rugby League, market research, DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets.News Limited...
, The Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
and the national broadsheet The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
Voluntary student unionism
The implementation of voluntary student unionismVoluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....
in 2006 had a significant impact on the viability of student newspapers across Australia, compulsory student union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
membership fees having been the major source of income for most. Pelican is one of the few Australian papers to have not been affected by these changes, and this can be largely attributed to the high voluntary membership intake of the University of Western Australia Student Guild
University of Western Australia Student Guild
The UWA Student Guild is the official student representative body at the University of Western Australia, representing the interests of students to the University, government and the wider community, as well as providing services to students...
.
Past editors
1996: Matt Buckels1997: Neil Wurmel
1998: Rob Schutze
1999: Kirstyn Lee
2000: Gawain C.W. Davies and Henry F. Skerritt
2001: Paul Kilmurray and Cliodnha Quigley
2002: Gabrielle Holly
2003:
2004: Brisa Rojas
2005: Elizabeth Shaw
2006: Laura Miller
2007: Magda Wozniak
2008: Ben Johnston
2009: Thomas Reynolds
2010: Kaitlyn Plyley and Andrew Portelli
2011: Patrick Marlborough and Koko Wozniak