''Australian Playboy'' was an Australian imprint of ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'' magazine, running between 1979 and 2000, during which time 252 issues were published.

Content

In 1979

Kerry Packer Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling ...

ACP Magazines Are Media is an Australian media company that was formed after the 2020 purchase of the assets of Bauer Media Australia, which had in turn acquired the assets of Pacific Magazines, AP Magazines and Australian Consolidated Press during the 2010 ...

secured the Australian rights to ''Playboy'' magazine. ''Australian Playboy'' featured similar content to the lead US edition, and included interviews, feature articles and entertainment reviews. The magazine would rely heavily on the US edition for pictorials, and thus reprinted many pictorials featuring popular US

Playmate A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...

s and celebrities including

Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress and model. She is best known for her glamour modeling work in ''Playboy'' magazine and for her appearances on the television series ''Baywatch'' (1992–1997). Anders ...

Erika Eleniak Erika Eleniak (born September 29, 1969) is an American actress, ''Playboy'' Playmate, and model known for her role in ''Baywatch'' as Shauni McClain. Her film debut was in '' E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982). She starred in the films ''The B ...

and

Anna Nicole Smith Anna Nicole Smith (born Vickie Lynn Hogan; November 28, 1967 – February 8, 2007) was an American model, actress, and television personality. Smith started her career as a ''Playboy'' magazine centerfold in May 1992 and won the title of 1993 ...

. An Australian

Playmate of the Year This is a list of models who were chosen as a Playboy Playmate of the Year for the American edition of ''Playboy'' magazine. List of Playmates of the Year *1953: Marilyn Monroe *1954: *1955: *1956: *1957: *1958: *1959: *1960: Ellen Stratton ...

would be crowned annually. The first edition issued February 1979, featured Rosemary Paul on the cover and

Karen Pini Karen Jo Pini (born 30 July 1957) is an Australian actress, model, TV personality and former beauty queen. She represented her country at the 1976 Miss World pageant held in London, United Kingdom and finished first runner up. She was also the ...

as the

centerfold The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched magazines (as opp ...

, selling nearly 200,000 copies. In 1982 Packer sold the rights to Mason Stewart Publishing, publishers of surfing magazine, ''Tracks'', and rock music magazine, ''

RAM Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch * Ra ...

''. Sales settled at around 140,000. The biggest selling edition of ''Australian Playboy'' was the October 1995 issue with

Dannii Minogue Danielle Jane Minogue () is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She initially gained recognition for her appearances on the television show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on th ...

on the cover and Cynthia Brown as the centerfold. By 1996 sales of the magazine had fallen to 36,000 and in 1997 Mason Stewart Publishing was taken over by British publisher

EMAP International Limited Ascential plc, formerly EMAP, is a British business-to-business media business specialising in exhibitions & festivals and information services. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History Ric ...

, with Philip Mason becoming non-executive chairman of EMAP Australia. Due to declining sales (circulation - 25,000), the last issue was January 2000, which featured Elina Giani on the cover and Jodi Ann Paterson as the centerfold. Notable Australian celebrities who have appeared on the cover or in the magazine include: *

Rachel Hunter Rachel Hunter (born 8 September 1969) is a New Zealand model, actress and the host of Imagination Television's ''Rachel Hunter's Tour of Beauty''. She has appeared on several magazine covers, including ''Vogue'', ''Elle'', ''Rolling Stone'', ' ...

: supermodel (New Zealander) * Emma Harrison: ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...

'' actress - July, 1997 *

Melissa George Melissa George (born 6 August 1976) is an Australian actress and entrepreneur. A former national artistic rollerskating champion and model, George began her acting career playing Angel Parrish in the Australian soap opera Home and Away (1993– ...

: ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip ...

'' actress - March, 1997 *

: international popstar and X Factor and

Australia's Got Talent ''Australia's Got Talent'' is an Australian reality television talent show. The show is based on the ''Got Talent'' series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell. The first six seasons aired on the Seven Network, from 2 ...

judge - October, 1995 *

Sophie Lee Sophie Lee (born 7 August 1968)TV Hits Sophie Lee Collect-a-Card is an Australian film, stage and television actress and author. Career Lee worked as a model early in her career, both in Australia and Japan''Lunch of Blood'' by Antonella Gambo ...

: actress - July, 1992 *

Nicky Love Nicky Love is a singer and model. She began her modelling career at the age of 14. She was a member of Freaked Out Flower Children, a band which released an album ''Love In'' (1990) that included the single "Spill the Wine" which reached No.31 on ...

: singer, model - July, 1992 *

Fiona Ruttelle Fiona Ruttelle is an Australian actress, singer, model and artist. She received an AFI Award nomination for "Best Actress in a Lead Role" for her role in the Richard Lowenstein directed movie ''Say a Little Prayer''. She was a member of Freaked O ...

: singer, actress - July, 1992 *

Fiona Horne Fiona Horne (born 1966 in Sydney) is the former lead singer of 1990s Australian electro-rock band, Def FX, before continuing on to author several best-selling books on Modern Witchcraft. She is a popular radio and television personality, appe ...

: singer, celebrity witch, writer- November, 1998 *

Kym Wilson Kym Wilson (born 1 April 1973) is an Australian actress and former television host. Career Wilson made her television debut playing a minor role in the 1985 mini-series '' Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin''. Her first major role was in th ...

: actress - May, 1999 *

Gabrielle Richens Gabrielle Richens (born 14 September 1974) is a British model and television presenter. She was born in Kent of British, Indian and Chinese descent, although her parents are from South Africa. Richens has worked as a model since she was fifte ...

: model, actress, TV presenter - March, 1999 *

Kate Ceberano Catherine Yvette Ceberano ( or , born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as '' Jesus Christ Superstar''. Her song " Pash" received a gold ...

: singer - January, 1989 *

Melissa Tkautz Melissa Natalie Tkautz (born 24 January 1974) is an Australian actress, singer, model, and presenter. She played the role of Nikki Spencer on the popular Australian TV soap opera '' E Street'', from September 1990 to May 1993. During the early ...

: actress - December, 1996 *

Wendy Botha Wendy Botha (born 22 August 1965) is a four-time world surfing champion. She won her first title as a South African citizen in 1987, then she became an Australian citizen and won three more titles in 1989, 1991, and 1992. She also posed nude f ...

: surfer - September, 1992 *

Lynda Stoner Lynda Stoner (born 10 September 1953) is an Australian former actress, and animal activist
, ''Animal ...

: actress - May, 1982 *

Elle Macpherson Eleanor Nancy Macpherson (; née Gow; born ) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host, and actress. She is known for her record five cover appearances for the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' beginning in the 1980s, leading ...

: model, actress - August, 1995 & June, 1996 *

Rhapsody Rhapsody may refer to: * A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time ** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry Computer software * Rhapsody (online music service), an online m ...

: a musical duo (Kymberlie Harrison and Cathy Ford) - August, 1993 *

Abigail Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death ( 1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's second wife, after Saul and Ahinoam's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later married ...

: actress - August, 1980

References

External links

Australian Playboy Cover DatabaseAustralian Playboy Covers
at PBCovers.com {{Authority control 1979 establishments in Australia 2000 disestablishments in Australia Men's magazines published in Australia Defunct magazines published in Australia Magazines established in 1979 Magazines disestablished in 2000 Playboy magazines Monthly magazines published in Australia Magazines published in Melbourne

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