It was founded in August 1890 by William Nicholas Willis and its first editor was Adolphus Taylor.
In 1891 it claimed to be "The organ of radical democracy and Australian National Independence" and advocated "a republican Commonwealth created by the will of the whole people",[1] but from its early days it was mainly a scandal sheet.
Subsequent owners included Adolphus Taylor, Paddy Crick and John Norton.
[5] In January 1941, Ezra Norton launched The Daily Mirror.
In December 1958, Norton and the other shareholders sold their shares in Truth and Sportsman Ltd to the Fairfax group, which on-sold it to Rupert Murdoch's News Ltd.[6] The Sunday Mirror continued to be published until 1977 when it was renamed the Sunday which in turn ceased circulation on 7 Oct 1979.