The Hutt News recently celebrated its 90th anniversary making it the longest running local newspaper. However it’s not the only newspaper in the Valley to achieve longevity. The Hutt and Petone Chronicle began in 1887 and only ceased publication in the 1960s.
The Chronicle was started by Edgar James Chatwin and ownership changed several times before James Kerr acquired the paper in 1912. Kerr published the Grey River Argus in Greymouth at the time.
In 1953 the Hutt News took over the Chronicle with the Kerr family managing both papers. The paper was renamed the Petone Chronicle.
The Chronicle closed in 1967.
Most of the issues published before 1950 no longer exist. Unfortunately this is not uncommon with New Zealand newspapers.
