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Trove newspapers: data dashboard¶

Trove's collection of digitised newspapers is always changing – new articles and newspapers are being added by the NLA, while Trove users are busy correcting OCRd text and adding tags and comments. The search you run today might produce different results than the same query did a month ago, a year ago, or ten years ago. Researchers need to understand how these changes affect the queries they make, the results they find, and the arguments they construct. This dashboard helps researchers understand the context of their queries by presenting a snapshot of Trove's digitised newspapers, based on weekly data harvests. It shows Trove's current make up from a number of angles, as well as highlighting recent changes. It is updated every Sunday.

  • Total articles and user activity
  • Total articles by publication year
  • Total articles by publication year and state
  • Article categories
  • Newspaper titles
  • Total articles by publication state
  • Significant events
Last updated: Sunday, 16 July 2023

Total articles and user activity¶

Latest data harvest 16 July 2023
First data harvest 24 April 2022
Total harvests 65
Data https://github.com/wragge/trove-newspaper-totals/blob/master/data/total_articles_by_activity.csv

As of 16 July 2023 there are 239,911,157 digitised newspaper articles in Trove.

  Current total Change since 09 Jul 2023 Change since 18 Jun 2023 Change since 24 Apr 2022 Percentage of total
All articles 239,911,157 187,475 779,842 5,399,067 100.00%
Articles with corrections 14,935,269 16,259 64,195 1,079,730 6.23%
Articles with tags 4,772,906 5,157 24,060 369,912 1.99%
Articles with comments 266,482 370 2,063 27,791 0.11%

Total articles by publication year¶

Latest data harvest 16 July 2023
First data harvest 19 April 2022
Total harvests 61
Data https://github.com/wragge/trove-newspaper-totals/blob/master/data/total_articles_by_year.csv

This chart shows the total number of digitised newspaper articles by year of publication. The distribution will change over time as digitisation priorities shift and more newspapers are added. This chart is useful in understanding how digitisation priorities and copyright restraints have shaped the total newspaper corpus.


Total articles by publication year and state¶

Latest data harvest 16 July 2023
First data harvest 19 April 2022
Total harvests 61
Data https://github.com/wragge/trove-newspaper-totals/blob/master/data/total_articles_by_year_and_state.csv

This interactive chart helps you explore the distribution of articles by both publication year and state. Click on a state in the bar chart or legend to filter the results by year. Click anywhere in the background of the chart to reset. This enables you to compare digitisation patterns in different states and see how they contribute to the whole corpus.

Total articles added since 09 Jul 2023 by publication year and state

This chart shows the total number of digitised newspaper articles added since the previous harvest by year and place of publication. It's useful in seeing how search results from particular time periods and locations might be affected by current digitisation priorities.

Total articles added since 19 Apr 2022 by publication year and state

This chart shows the total number of digitised newspaper articles added since the first harvest by year and place of publication. It's useful in seeing how search results from particular time periods or locations might be affected by recent digitisation priorities.


Article categories¶

Latest data harvest 16 July 2023
First data harvest 20 April 2022
Total harvests 66
Data https://github.com/wragge/trove-newspaper-totals/blob/master/data/total_articles_by_category.csv
  Current total Change since 09 Jul 2023 Change since 18 Jun 2023 Change since 20 Apr 2022 Percentage of total
Advertising 44,902,308 50,371 202,515 1,400,601 18.716%
Article 166,360,575 120,442 510,647 3,568,115 69.343%
Arts And Culture 4,410 8 88 1,040 0.002%
Classified Advertisements And Notices 1,510 3 21 87 0.001%
Commerce And Business 5,126 41 137 2,130 0.002%
Detailed Lists, Results, Guides 26,672,323 15,159 57,855 420,362 11.118%
Display Advertisement 495 0 0 31 0.000%
Editorial 17,301 118 359 3,894 0.007%
Family Notices 1,988,567 1,572 9,054 53,764 0.829%
Humour 32,718 334 1,156 5,210 0.014%
Law, Courts, And Crime 11,116 27 103 1,653 0.005%
Letters 13,445 25 77 1,435 0.006%
Literature 35,981 18 92 1,019 0.015%
News 12,763 32 182 2,345 0.005%
Obituaries 14,087 45 169 2,954 0.006%
Official Appointments And Notices 1,167 8 33 102 0.000%
Puzzles 50,206 264 759 10,274 0.021%
Reviews 2,758 31 124 777 0.001%
Shipping Notices 2,772 25 72 967 0.001%
Sport And Games 19,635 99 282 5,095 0.008%
Weather 16,074 234 742 6,717 0.007%

Newspaper titles¶

Latest data harvest 16 July 2023
First data harvest 20 April 2022
Total harvests 63
Data https://github.com/wragge/trove-newspaper-totals/blob/master/data/total_articles_by_newspaper.csv

As of 16 July 2023 there are 1,779 different newspapers in Trove.

Total newspapers 1,779
Earliest publication date 05 March 1803
Latest publication date 19 December 2022

Newspapers by state of publication¶

This chart shows the place of publication of newspaper titles in Trove.

Changes in the number of newspapers by state of publication¶

  Current total Change since 09 Jul 2023 Change since 18 Jun 2023 Change since 20 Apr 2022 Percentage of total
ACT 8 0 0 0 0.43%
International 13 0 0 0 0.70%
National 9 0 0 4 0.49%
New South Wales 546 3 10 31 29.50%
Northern Territory 8 0 0 0 0.43%
Queensland 106 0 0 2 5.73%
South Australia 155 0 1 1 8.37%
Tasmania 115 0 0 0 6.21%
Victoria 436 0 3 29 23.55%
Western Australia 382 0 0 32 20.64%

Newspapers added since 09 Jul 2023

title_id title state total link
1861 The Pastoral Times and Deniliquin and Moama Reporter (NSW : 1863) New South Wales 657.000000 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1861

Newspapers added since 18 Jun 2023

title_id title state total link
1859 The Pastoral Times and Southern Courier (Deniliquin, N.S.W : 1861 - 1862) New South Wales 1277.000000 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1859
1861 The Pastoral Times and Deniliquin and Moama Reporter (NSW : 1863) New South Wales 657.000000 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1861

Changes in the number of articles from newspapers since 09 Jul 2023

title_id title change in articles link
88 Queanbeyan Age (NSW : 1927 - 1971) 38,050 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title88
370 Port Lincoln Times (SA : 1927 - 1965; 1992 - 2002) 25,768 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title370
382 Wagga Wagga Express and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1858 - 1859; 1866; 1872 - 1875) 2,089 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title382
548 Corryong Courier (Vic. : 1894 - 1945) 11,815 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title548
616 Upper Murray and Mitta Herald (Vic. : 1885 - 1955) 26,946 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title616
1839 Woodend Star and Macedon Advocate (Vic. : 1942 - 1955) 5 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1839
1850 The Braidwood and Araluen Express (NSW : 1899 - 1907) 11,755 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1850
1852 Daily Mirror (Sydney, NSW : 1941 - 1955) 62,288 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1852
1853 nan 5,678 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1853
1857 The Pastoral Times and Deniliquin Telegraph (Deniliquin, NSW : 1859 - 1861) 2,424 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1857

Changes in the number of articles from newspapers since 18 Jun 2023

title_id title change in articles link
88 Queanbeyan Age (NSW : 1927 - 1971) 86,395 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title88
240 Bairnsdale Advertiser and Tambo and Omeo Chronicle (Vic. : 1882 - 1946) 7,473 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title240
302 Williamstown Advertiser (Vic. : 1875 - 1954) 172,859 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title302
370 Port Lincoln Times (SA : 1927 - 1965; 1992 - 2002) 48,842 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title370
382 Wagga Wagga Express and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1858 - 1859; 1866; 1872 - 1875) 2,089 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title382
436 The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express (NSW : 1860 - 1938) 3,521 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title436
548 Corryong Courier (Vic. : 1894 - 1945) 11,815 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title548
592 Omeo Standard and Mining Gazette (Vic. : 1893 - 1928) 3,228 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title592
604 Rutherglen Sun and Chiltern Valley Advertiser (Vic. : 1886 - 1957) 5,935 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title604
616 Upper Murray and Mitta Herald (Vic. : 1885 - 1955) 59,164 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title616
701 Wagga Wagga Express (NSW : 1875 - 1876; 1879; 1890; 1892 - 1917) 4,387 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title701
752 Kyabram Free Press and Rodney and Deakin Shire Advocate (Vic. : 1894 - 1954) 37,798 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title752
753 Kyabram Guardian (Vic. : 1907 - 1930) 49,682 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title753
769 The Woodend Star (Vic. : 1888 - 1942) 28,493 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title769
1775 The Berrigan Advocate (Cobram, NSW. : 1891 - 1969) 32,228 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1775
1812 Pastoral Times and Echuca and Moama Chronicle (Deniliquin, NSW : 1863 - 1866) 32 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1812
1839 Woodend Star and Macedon Advocate (Vic. : 1942 - 1955) 9,284 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1839
1846 Daily Commercial News and Shipping List (Perth, WA : 1927 - 1934) 35,343 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1846

Total articles by publication state¶

Data about the number of articles by publication place (state) is available both from the main result API using the state facet, and from the newspaper API. As noted under Significant events, these totals don't always agree. I've included both below, so you can compare.

Number of articles by state of publication (via result API)¶

Number of articles by state of publication (via newspaper API)¶

Changes in the number of articles by state of publication (via result API)¶

  Current total Change since 09 Jul 2023 Change since 18 Jun 2023 Change since 19 Apr 2022 Percentage of total
ACT 3,296,997 0 0 0 1.374%
International 854,022 0 0 2,842 0.356%
National 657,326 0 0 204,582 0.274%
New South Wales 82,689,953 122,941 278,840 -209,720 34.467%
Northern Territory 409,433 0 0 0 0.171%
Queensland 41,128,577 0 0 38,641 17.143%
South Australia 24,983,668 25,768 79,928 420,813 10.414%
Tasmania 15,850,246 0 0 74 6.607%
Victoria 44,670,123 38,766 385,731 4,407,228 18.619%
Western Australia 25,364,142 0 35,343 674,340 10.572%

Changes in the number of articles by state of publication (via newspaper API)¶

  Current total Change since 09 Jul 2023 Change since 18 Jun 2023 Change since 19 Apr 2022 Percentage of total
ACT 3,296,997 0 0 0 1.374%
International 854,022 0 0 0 0.356%
National 663,996 0 0 211,837 0.277%
New South Wales 82,679,235 166,260 268,122 745,578 34.462%
Northern Territory 409,433 0 0 0 0.171%
Queensland 41,128,577 0 0 38,641 17.143%
South Australia 24,983,668 25,768 79,928 422,889 10.414%
Tasmania 15,850,246 0 0 74 6.607%
Victoria 44,670,123 38,766 414,363 3,127,068 18.619%
Western Australia 25,364,142 0 35,343 994,780 10.572%

Significant events¶

While the changes documented here generally reflect the addition of new articles and newspapers, the total numbers can also be affected by system configuration and optimisation events, such as rebuilding the index. It's difficult to highlight these sorts of anomalies in the charts above, but where I notice them I'll add a note here.

31 May 2022 – reindex?¶

Between the harvests on 29 May and 5 June 2022 there was a dramatic change in the distribution of articles by state (using the state facet). The number of articles from NSW decreased by 939,065, and the number of articles from Victoria increased by 961,387. There were also some smaller changes affecting other states. There was a scheduled maintenance window on 31 May, which makes me think that these reflect changes in the underlying search index, rather than the actual number of articles. Further evidence for this is the fact that the number of articles per state calculated by using the newspaper API endpoint were out-of-sync with the article totals until the end of May. Since then, both sets of article totals have remained in sync. So, in short, the number of articles returned by the state facet between 19 April 2022 (when my harvests started) and 31 May 2022 can't be trusted.


Created by Tim Sherratt for the GLAM Workbench. Support this project by becoming a GitHub sponsor.