Blue's Country Magazine
Encyclopedia
Blue’s Country Magazine is a rural affairs magazine owned since mid-2007 by Australian Consolidated Press
as part of their Trader International group. It is distributed across the sub-tropical and tropical farming belt of Australia
. As a free monthly publication the magazine fills a niche between weekly newspapers and subscription-based monthly magazines.
While Blue’s (as it is commonly known) does cover news and current events the bulk of the magazine covers community interest pieces (including letters, humour and bush
‘yarns’), equipment and product information – it also has a stable of regular columnists.
The magazine is unusual in that it prides itself as being specifically biased toward primary producers.
The mascot
of the publication, the eponymous 'Blue' who forms the apostrophe in the magazine's masthead
, is a Blue Heeler.
and the Northern Territory. As of late 2008 Blue’s distributes 45,466 copies (CAB audit).
Australian Consolidated Press
ACP Magazines , a subsidiary of the Nine Entertainment Co., is an Australian media company. It publishes the Australian Women's Weekly and the Australian edition of Woman's Day....
as part of their Trader International group. It is distributed across the sub-tropical and tropical farming belt of Australia
Agriculture in Australia
Australia is a major agricultural producer and exporter. Agriculture and its closely related sectors earn $155 billion-a-year for a 12% share of GDP. Australian farmers and graziers own 135,996 farms, covering 61% of Australia’s landmass. There is a mix of irrigation and dry-land farming...
. As a free monthly publication the magazine fills a niche between weekly newspapers and subscription-based monthly magazines.
While Blue’s (as it is commonly known) does cover news and current events the bulk of the magazine covers community interest pieces (including letters, humour and bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
‘yarns’), equipment and product information – it also has a stable of regular columnists.
The magazine is unusual in that it prides itself as being specifically biased toward primary producers.
The mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the publication, the eponymous 'Blue' who forms the apostrophe in the magazine's masthead
Masthead (publishing)
The masthead is a list, published in a newspaper or magazine, of its staff. In some publications it names only the most senior individuals; in others, it may name many or all...
, is a Blue Heeler.
Circulation
Blue’s is the largest circulating rural publication per issue in Queensland and the third largest in Australia. Initially circulation was 10,000 copies per issue and restricted to distribution in north Queensland. This was increased with the Aug/Sept 1993 issue to 19,000 copies per issue (CAB audit 18,438 copies per issue) and expanded to cover central QueenslandCentral Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...
and the Northern Territory. As of late 2008 Blue’s distributes 45,466 copies (CAB audit).