The Australian
Australia's national broadsheet with a subscription-led site covering politics, business and opinion.
The Australian at a glance
The Australian is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in Australia, currently ranked #101 in the country. It was founded in 1964 by Rupert Murdoch and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Today The Australian is owned by News Corp Australia. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 35 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through subscriptions, digital advertising, print sales. Its closest rivals include afr.com, smh.com.au, abc.net.au.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 32.9 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 33.9 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 35 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 37.1 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct37%
- Organic search34%
- Social18%
- News aggregators8%
- Email3%
Audience & demographics
- Men55%
- Women45%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5423%
- Age 25-3422%
The audience is concentrated in Australia, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- Australia86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 10.5 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- Australia
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| the australian | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| breaking news | Top 10 | High | — |
| today's headlines | Top 10 | High | — |
| live coverage | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the Australia web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 79% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading news & media apps in Australia
Company information
- Website
- theaustralian.com.au
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- News Corp Australia
- Owner type
- Subsidiary of public company
- Founders
- Rupert Murdoch
- Founded
- 1964
- Headquarters
- Sydney, Australia
- Employees
- 500+
- Ownership
- News Corp Australia controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $250 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- English
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $250 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Subsidiary of public company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
The Australian operates a news and media publisher focused on Australia. Australia's national broadsheet with a subscription-led site covering politics, business and opinion. Revenue comes mainly from subscriptions, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Subscriptions
- Digital advertising
- Print sales
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- Australia
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (Australia)
- #101 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in Australia
- Global rank
- 2200
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| afr.com | ≈ 21 million / month | #102 class competitor | — |
| smh.com.au | ≈ 15.7 million / month | #103 class competitor | — |
| abc.net.au | ≈ 10.5 million / month | #104 class competitor | — |
What is The Australian?
The Australian (theaustralian.com.au) is a news and media publisher serving users in Australia. Australia's national broadsheet with a subscription-led site covering politics, business and opinion. It ranks #101 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns The Australian?
The site is operated by News Corp Australia, founded by Rupert Murdoch. The company was established in 1964 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. It employs around 500+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place The Australian at roughly 35 million visits per month, about 1.2 million per day. Around 79% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 3.1 pages per visit with an average session of 3 min.
How The Australian makes money
Revenue comes primarily from subscriptions, alongside digital advertising, print sales.
Competitors in Australia
Its closest rivals include afr.com, smh.com.au, abc.net.au.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 1964
The Australian is founded in Sydney, Australia.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #101 among the most visited websites in Australia.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad daily news coverage with national reach
- Fast breaking-news publishing
- Free access to most articles
- Strong presence in search and social
Cons
- Heavy advertising load on article pages
- Editorial line criticised by parts of the audience
- Clickbait headlines on high-traffic sections
- Paywall limits on premium content
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns The Australian?
The Australian is operated by News Corp Australia. Subsidiary of public company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is The Australian headquartered?
The Australian is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
When was The Australian founded?
The Australian was founded in 1964 by Rupert Murdoch.
How many employees does The Australian have?
The Australian employs approximately 500+ people.
What is The Australian's revenue?
The Australian's revenue: ≈ $250 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are The Australian's competitors?
Main competitors in Australia include afr.com, smh.com.au, abc.net.au.
How does The Australian make money?
Mainly subscriptions, digital advertising, print sales.
Is The Australian publicly traded?
The Australian's ownership: Subsidiary of public company.
How many visitors does The Australian get?
Third-party estimates place The Australian at roughly 35 million visits per month, mostly from Australia, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is The Australian safe?
The Australian is an established news & media site founded in 1964 and ranked #101 in Australia; use the official domain theaustralian.com.au and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementstheaustralian.com.au
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageAustralia and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos