Our Story

Real stories, by real people,
from the 'burbs to the bush.

The Grapevine Australia started with a simple belief: Local news matters. Good stories matter.


The people who live in regional, rural and remote Australia know their communities better than any newsroom ever could. So, we built this platform to share their stories.

Our Mantra

Rural. Regional. Remote. Real.

"Nothing about us, without us."

Regional Australian community members collaborating around a table in a community hall
Older regional Australian man reading on porch of weatherboard farmhouse
Young Indigenous Australian woman smiling at community event outdoors
Diverse group of regional Australians gathered at outdoor community meeting

What we stand for

We're not trying to replace mainstream media — we're building something different. A platform where regional Australians aren't just the audience. They're the authors.

Community Voice First

Every editorial decision starts with one question: does this serve and represent our communities? Not advertisers, not algorithms.

Trust Over Traffic

We don't chase clicks or sensationalism. We publish what's true, fair, and useful — even when it's a slower path.

Radical Inclusion

Regional Australia is not one thing. We actively seek out underrepresented voices — young people, First Nations communities, recent arrivals, and everyone in between.

No Sensationalism

We don't do outrage-bait. If a story doesn't inform, connect, or empower — it doesn't belong here.

Accessible by Design

Built for low bandwidth. Readable on older phones. Available as audio. Designed for real regional life — not ideal city conditions.

Our Origin

It started with one unanswered question.

In late 2025 two 'former' journos, with a deep love of all things regional sat across from each other in a coffee shop and asked: 'what happened to local news?'

The answer wasn't a lack of stories. It was a lack of infrastructure. So we built it — a platform designed from the ground up for the people and communities that mainstream media had left behind.

2022

Founded

14k+

Stories

2,400+

Contributors

0

Paywalls

The people behind
the platform

A small, passionate team of regional Australians, journalists, and digital advocates who believe community media matters.

Older Indigenous Australian woman with warm smile at community gathering
First Nations Voices

Aunty Roberta Wangarra

Cultural Advisor & Co-Founder

Dubbo, NSW

Roberta has spent 30 years amplifying First Nations voices in regional media. Her guiding principle shapes everything we do: 'Nothing about us, without us.'

Australian man in his 40s with casual shirt outdoors in regional town

Ben Hartley

Editorial

Editor & Co-Founder

Tamworth, NSW

Former regional journalist who spent 12 years covering stories the metro press ignored. Ben believes the best journalism happens when reporters actually live in the communities they cover.

South Asian-Australian woman in her 30s smiling in community garden setting

Priya Sundaram

Accessibility

Digital Accessibility Lead

Mildura, VIC

Priya ensures CommunityHub works for everyone — from the 13-year-old on slow NBN to the 75-year-old on a five-year-old phone. Accessibility isn't a feature, it's the foundation.

Young Vietnamese-Australian man smiling outdoors in regional Western Australia

Tyler Nguyen

Youth Voices

Youth Editor

Broome, WA

At 24, Tyler is our youngest team member and our most important compass. He makes sure we never talk down to young people — and that their stories get the same front-page treatment as anyone else's.

Want to join us?

We're always looking for passionate regional Australians — journalists, community workers, digital helpers, and storytellers — to join our growing team.

Get in Touch

How to become
a contributor

You don't need media experience. You need a story worth telling and a community worth serving.

01

Sign up — it's free

Create a simple profile. No subscription, no paywall, no algorithm deciding what you see.

02

Write, record, or upload

Share your story in any format — a written article, a voice note, photos, or just key points. We help with the rest.

03

Community review

Our editors — themselves regional Australians — review your submission with care and respect within 48 hours.

04

Published & amplified

Your story goes live, available to your community — and optionally as an audio version for on-the-go listeners.

Ready to share your story?

Your community needs to hear what you know. Start with a sentence — we'll help you find the rest.