When the disastrous Black Saturday bushfires hit on February 7, 2009, Ash Long and Local Media Pty Ltd were quick with their community service response.
A free weekly newspaper was created where everything was free for locals affected by the disaster in which 173 lives were lost.
Ash Long provided free weekly newspaper advertising for all local businesses in the affected region, which included the municipalities of Hume, Mitchell, Murrindindi, Nillumbik, Strathbogie, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.
Hundreds of businesses took up our offer every week. Some editions were more than 40 pages (bigger than most existing newspapers in the area).
We gave until it hurt. More than $1.3 million in advertising was donated by us to local businesses in the recovery region.

The Phoenix provides a fascinating week-by-week diary of the recovery of the communities hit by the Black Saturday bushfires.
The Phoenix provided energetic reporting of the news and views of residents, the politics, the ‘spin’, as well as graphic photographs. It also covered the Royal Commission like no other newspaper.

From the outset, The Phoenix announced that its life would be limited. The first edition was published on Saturday, March 7, 2009 – exactly one month after the disaster. Editions continued until September 2010. Weekly pages continued for a short while thereafter in the Melbourne Observer newspaper. The newspaper was also published online at www.thephoenix.com.au (now discontinued)

The Phoenix was largely a one-man effort from the offices of Local Media Pty Ltd at Eltham. Free advertising was provided throughout the week, paid advertising from sponsors was sold on Fridays, editorial was written and laid-out by Ash Long on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays.
Copies were printed at Streamline Press, Fitzroy, on Sunday evenings. Bundles were delivered to more than 100 outlets in the bushfire zone, through the night (usually by Norm Cove, and later Robert Coote), to be available free on Monday mornings.

Read editions of The Phoenix
Full library of ‘The Phoenix’
Over time, a full online library of copies of The Phoenix will be uploaded (but not yet!) to this website. It is an important tool for researchers studying disasters and community recovery. It is also an important local history resource.
Hard copies of The Phoenix may be inspected by appointment at the State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston St, Melbourne.

No 1. Mar. 7, 2009. 8pp.
No 2. Apr. 1, 2009. 20pp.
No 3. Apr. 20, 2009. 20pp + TV Times Liftout.
No 4. Apr. 27, 2009. 12pp.
No 5. May 4, 2009. 20pp + TV.
No 6. May 18, 2009. 16pp + TV.
No 7. May 25, 2009. 12pp + TV.
No 8. Jun. 1, 2009. 12p + TV.
No 9. Jun. 8, 2009. 16pp + TV.
No 10. Jun. 15, 2009. 12pp + TV.
No 11. Jun. 22, 2009. 24pp.
No 12. Jun. 29, 2009. 16pp + TV.
No 13. Jul. 6, 2009. 20pp + TV.
No 14. Jul. 13, 2009. 20p + TV.
No 15. Jul. 20, 2009. 12pp + TV.
No 16. Jul. 27, 2009. 24pp + TV.
No 17. Aug. 3, 2009. 12p + TV.
No 18. Aug. 10, 2009. 12pp + TV.
No 19. Aug. 17, 2009. 12pp + TV.
No 20. Aug. 24, 2009. 28pp + TV.
No 21. Aug. 31, 2009. 16pp + TV.
No 22. Sep. 7, 2009. 12pp, TV, Poster.
No 23. Sep 14, 2009. 12pp + TV.
No 24. Sep. 21, 2009. 12pp.
No 25. Sep. 28, 2009. 24pp.
No 26. Oct. 5, 2009. 16pp + TV.
No 27. Oct. 12, 2009. 12pp + TV.
No 28. Oct. 19, 2009. 32pp.
No 29. Oct. 26, 2009. 20p + TV.
No 30. Nov. 9, 2009. 20pp.
No 31. Nov. 16, 2009. 16pp.
No 32. Nov. 23, 2009. 24pp + TV.
No 33. Nov. 30, 2009. 24pp + TV.
No 34. Dec. 7, 2009. 24pp + TV.
No 35. Dec. 14, 2009. 16pp + TV.
No 36. Feb. 1, 2010. 12pp.
No 37. Feb. 8, 2010. 32pp + TV.
No 38. Feb. 15, 2010. 32pp + TV.
No 39. Feb. 22, 2010. 32pp + TV.
No 40. Mar. 1, 2010. 40p + TV.
No 41. Mar. 15, 2010. 16pp.
No 42. Mar. 22, 2010. 28pp.
No 43. Mar 29, 2010. 16pp.
No 44. Apr. 12, 2010. 32pp.
No 45. Apr. 19, 2010. 20pp.
No 46. Apr. 26, 2010. 20pp.
No 47. May 3, 2010. 28pp.
No 48. May 10, 2010. 16pp.
No 49. May 17, 2010. 20pp.
No 50. Jun. 1, 2010. 28pp.
No 51. Jun. 21, 2010. 24pp.
No 52. Jul. 5, 2010. 20pp.
No 53. Jul 12, 2010. 28pp.
No 54. Jul 19, 2010. 28pp.
No 55. Jul. 26, 2010. 20pp.
No 56. Aug. 2, 2010. 40pp.
No 57. Aug. 23, 2010. 20pp.
No 58. Aug. 30, 2010. 36pp.
No 59. Sep. 6, 2010. 20pp.