Farrago

First published on 3 April 1925, Farrago is Australia's oldest student newspaper. Farrago is published by the Melbourne University Student Union.

Name

The term "farrago", latin for mixed cattle fodder, means a confused variety of miscellaneous things. It has been used e.g. by Edward Tylor in his Primitive culture. The name is included in the motto Quidquid agunt nomines nosti farrago libello est — whatever men do forms the motley subject of our page.

Organisation

Up to four editors are elected annually and hold the shared title of Media Officer in the University of Melbourne Student Union, with the Union Secretary being the legally defined publisher. The editorship has been highly politicised in the past, and election campaigns are vigorous. Archives of Farrago are available at the Student Union's Rowden White Library and in the basement of the Bailleu Library on campus.

The newspaper was founded by Brian Fitzpatrick in 1925. Noteworthy editors in the past have included Geoffrey Blainey, Amira Gust, Claude Forrell, Ian Robinson, Morag Fraser, Garrie Hutchinson, Ross McPherson, Lindsay Tanner, Peter Russo, Louise Carbines, Jim Brumby, Pete Steedman, Arnold Zable, Kate Legge, Nicola Gobbo Cathy Bale, Christos Tsiolkas in 1988, and Nam Le in 2001.

Voluntary student unionism

The implementation of voluntary student unionism in 2006 had a significant impact on the viability of student newspapers across Australia, compulsory student union membership fees having been the major source of income for most. “Christos Tsiolkas was editor in 1987, and he had a budget of $280,000; we have a budget of $58,000, and $55,000 of that will go on printing. We’re quite lucky, we’re a well-funded institution, and the University has provided transitional funding,” Farrago editor for 2009.