Few people know that an uncrowned king came a cropper in Darwin when he took on media magnate Rupert Murdoch. Little Darwin was reminded of this clash while attending the auction of a Nightcliff property which went for under $1million . At the sale was a woman who came from Mount Gambier, South Australia, where the “king”- forceful and acquisitive trucking tycoon and media owner , Allan Scott, owner of the town’s local newspaper and TV station ,with interests in several other SA newspapers, reigned .
In 1980 Scott hit the Territory in a big way, buying two independent newspapers, both called The Star, in Darwin and Alice, owned by separate companies . He also offered to buy the Alice commercial radio station 8HA and said he would like to build a commercial TV station in the Centre . In Darwin he attempted to buy the commercial TV station NTD-8 and with a bit of spare cash bought Gulf Transport .
On buying the Darwin newspaper, in which Kerry Byrnes, now of Arnhem Nursery, Humpty Doo ,was a co-founder, Scott announced he would install a web-offset press and turn the newspaper from a weekly to a bi-weekly , then a tri-weekly. This was clearly throwing down the gauntlet to Murdoch’s daily NT News .One of Scott’s executives was a close friend of the SA Premier, Don Dunstan
A free newspaper -The Sun- was launched by the News to counter Scott’s challenge . The Star went from a tri-weekly back to a weekly in early 1982, staff left after a dispute and the paper eventually folded.
The uncrowned king , who at one stage was said to own 15 percent of the Bank of Adelaide, withdrew to Mt Gambier . Scott erupted with anger when he read an article in the Australian Business Monthly headed MURDOCH SENDS A KING INTO EXILE.
Because of his tough talking and media influence , South Australian politicians deferred to him and when Port Power Australian Rules team, which he sponsored , had a bad run , he said the coach, Mark Williams , should be removed. Port went on to win the premiership and Williams, in effect, thumbed his nose at Scott as he held the trophy aloft.
In Mt Gambier Scott was so powerful that when one of his trucks rolled and blocked the main road leading into the town, he ordered the editor of his paper, Border Watch , not to report the matter. Town residents observed that Scott , small in stature , was invariably dressed in black like a member of the mafia when he attended race meetings; over the years he donated large amounts to SA race tracks.
In Darwin , he had the disconcerting habit of driving about the city , often disregarding red lights , pointing out businesses that were up for sale which he could buy if he so wished. Scott clearly had big ideas . He expressed a desire to buy the Adelaide Advertiser and on several occasions said he would buy Ansett airlines if it came up for sale, mentioning WA businessman Robert Holmes a Court as a member of a possible consortium. News Limited had a half share in the airline at the time and it was common knowledge that Scott disliked the late Sir Peter Abeles because of competition in the transport business. Scott’s dislike of Sir Peter was such that he would never travel in an Ansett plane and was known to drive to Alice and catch a TAA flight rather than take an Ansett plane. Aged 85, Scott died in 2008.
In 1980 Scott hit the Territory in a big way, buying two independent newspapers, both called The Star, in Darwin and Alice, owned by separate companies . He also offered to buy the Alice commercial radio station 8HA and said he would like to build a commercial TV station in the Centre . In Darwin he attempted to buy the commercial TV station NTD-8 and with a bit of spare cash bought Gulf Transport .
On buying the Darwin newspaper, in which Kerry Byrnes, now of Arnhem Nursery, Humpty Doo ,was a co-founder, Scott announced he would install a web-offset press and turn the newspaper from a weekly to a bi-weekly , then a tri-weekly. This was clearly throwing down the gauntlet to Murdoch’s daily NT News .One of Scott’s executives was a close friend of the SA Premier, Don Dunstan
A free newspaper -The Sun- was launched by the News to counter Scott’s challenge . The Star went from a tri-weekly back to a weekly in early 1982, staff left after a dispute and the paper eventually folded.
The uncrowned king , who at one stage was said to own 15 percent of the Bank of Adelaide, withdrew to Mt Gambier . Scott erupted with anger when he read an article in the Australian Business Monthly headed MURDOCH SENDS A KING INTO EXILE.
Because of his tough talking and media influence , South Australian politicians deferred to him and when Port Power Australian Rules team, which he sponsored , had a bad run , he said the coach, Mark Williams , should be removed. Port went on to win the premiership and Williams, in effect, thumbed his nose at Scott as he held the trophy aloft.
In Mt Gambier Scott was so powerful that when one of his trucks rolled and blocked the main road leading into the town, he ordered the editor of his paper, Border Watch , not to report the matter. Town residents observed that Scott , small in stature , was invariably dressed in black like a member of the mafia when he attended race meetings; over the years he donated large amounts to SA race tracks.
In Darwin , he had the disconcerting habit of driving about the city , often disregarding red lights , pointing out businesses that were up for sale which he could buy if he so wished. Scott clearly had big ideas . He expressed a desire to buy the Adelaide Advertiser and on several occasions said he would buy Ansett airlines if it came up for sale, mentioning WA businessman Robert Holmes a Court as a member of a possible consortium. News Limited had a half share in the airline at the time and it was common knowledge that Scott disliked the late Sir Peter Abeles because of competition in the transport business. Scott’s dislike of Sir Peter was such that he would never travel in an Ansett plane and was known to drive to Alice and catch a TAA flight rather than take an Ansett plane. Aged 85, Scott died in 2008.
