About The School Magazine

In 1916, in the middle of World War I, the NSW Department of Education published the first edition of a free literary magazine for public school children that was aptly titled The School Magazine.

At the time this was seen to be quite bold and innovative.

To put this into context, when the first edition of The School Magazine made its way to schools it was no doubt delivered in some parts by horse and cart. Australian troops, having just been withdrawn from Gallipoli, were fighting on the Western Front and elsewhere. Australia’s population was under five million and the Prime Minister was Billy Hughes. Model T Ford cars were rolling off the world’s first automated production lines.

The School Magazine has been published continuously since then — through World Wars, the Depression, the Moon landings, many Olympic Games and a global pandemic. The stories, poems, articles and plays published throughout these events reflect the times, making The School Magazine a unique documentation of Australia’s history.

Operating as a self-funded business unit within the NSW Department of Education, The School Magazine has made a significant contribution to Australia's educational landscape and nurtured the careers of many Australian writers and illustrators.

Our contributors

The School Magazine owes much to the many talented authors and illustrators that have contributed to the magazine throughout its rich history. The magazine acknowledges the enduring legacy that these contributors have made, and continue to make, to children's literature and to delivering a world of words for generations of young readers. 

We thank the following illustrators who have granted us permission to use their work on our website: Rosemary Fung, Peter Sheehan, Aśka, Christopher Nielsen, Sarah Davis, Cheryl Orsini, Douglas Holgate and Jake A Minton. Their vibrant illustrations bring the website to life and reflect the visual richness of the magazines themselves.