Newspaper boys and girls fast becoming a thing of the past
Delivering the local newspaper has been the first paid job for generations of Australian kids right across the country, seen by many as a rite of passage.
But in a sign of the times, paper boys and girls in South Australia have been made redundant.
Tom Douglas, 13, and his 10-year-old brother Ed have delivered The Messenger in Adelaide's eastern suburbs for the last three years but on Tuesday were told their services were no longer needed.
"I'm pretty disappointed. It's my first job, not too many other jobs a kid can get," Tom said.
The delivery of The Messenger will now be done by workers employed by a company that drops catalogues or 'junk mail' into letterboxes.
Tom revealed he believed he might be getting a pay rise after receiving a letter from his former employer but his worst fears were soon realised.
"I hoped I'd get a pay rise or a promotion or something... just joking around, and then I'm like, 'oh I hope I don't get fired either," he said.
The brothers were given four weeks notice for a job they say wasn't just about the pocket money.
"Meeting all the people, there's some nice people around the area," Tom revealed.
In a statement the paper said it outsourced the delivery because it had problems finding recruits.
They said the sacked staff are welcome to apply to work for the new company.
