Daily Commercial News

Lloyd's List Australia

The front page of Lloyd's List Australia on 24 November 2011.
Type	Weekly newspaper (Thursday)
Format	Tabloid
Owner(s)	Informa Business Information
Publisher	Peter Attwater
Editor	David Sexton
Founded	1891
Headquarters	347 Kent Street Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia
ISSN	2203-1464
Website	www.lloydslistaustralia.com.au

Lloyd's List Australia (LLAU) is a weekly Australian shipping, trade, transport and logistics focused newspaper, published by Maritime Intelligence, a division of Informa Business Intelligence, in tabloid format. First published in 1891 as Daily Commercial News, Lloyd's List Australia is Australia's longest running national newspaper.

Howard Ignatius Moffat, born in Redfern, New South Wales in 1861, traveled to the United States at an early age to study American business methods. He returned to Sydney in 1887 intent on establishing a shipping newspaper, founding Shipping Newspapers Ltd under the name The Daily Shipping Paper in November 1890 with business partner Jeremiah Roberts. On Monday 13 April 1891, the first edition of Daily Commercial News (DCN) was published. On Saturday 30 April 1892 the newspaper changed its title to Daily Commercial News and Shipping List.

Moffat remained the driving force behind the newspaper until ill health and failing eyesight forced his retirement in 1935. His retirement coincided with the financial crisis resulting from The Great Depression. Like so many other businesses at the time, DCN found itself in a difficult position. The National Bank of Australia stepped in and appointed a receiver, Charles Witt. The rescue was so successful that shareholders persuaded him to remain on as Chairman, which he did until his retirement in 1962.

During World War II, Australian authorities sought suspension of publication of all shipping movements for fear that the information could fall into enemy hands. With the strong support of the Australian shipping industry a compromise was reached – only after a ship had sailed, returned and sailed again would its original sailing be published. This policy was revoked at the conclusion of the war.

For over 50 years DCN was published at 16 Bond Street, Sydney, which had extra floors added over the decades to accommodate peak staffing levels of over 1,000 employees. In 1962 new Chairman Raymond Morris initiated a move to a new building in North Sydney. A site on the corner of Hill Plaza and Elizabeth Street was purchased from P&O for £60,000. An old building on the site was demolished and Shipnews House was erected. Marine artist John Charles Allcot created the iconic sailing ship for the building, whose port and starboard lights illuminated at night, a landmark for passers-by on the nearby Pacific Highway.