The Ballarat Evening Echo first went to print on the 12 February 1895 from its office in Camp Street, just down from Trades Hall. The Echo’s motto was ‘Fearless, Truthful and Just’. In July 1903, the newspaper was floated as a company of 160 shares, the Australian Workers Union (AWU) began to increase its investment in the company through individuals like John Barnes and 
Charlie McGrath, and from early 1912 the Echo became a strongly labour paper. It was published daily, with two editions – early and late evening. Ballarat AWU member James Scullin was appointed editor by the Board of Directors on 6 June 1913. Scullin was a Ballarat grocer before gaining the seat of Corangamite for the Political Labour Council at the 1910 election. When he was defeated in May 1913, the AWU secured the editor’s job for him. In later life, Scullin said that he was appointed without any journalistic experience and became prime minister without having been a cabinet member. In 1916 and 1917, the Echo played an important part in the conscription debate. It was the only daily newspaper in Victoria that opposed the idea of compulsory military service. During 1918, the Echo was charged under the War Precautions Act 1914 with publishing statements prejudicial to recruiting after an article on 2 May 1918 headed ‘Peace - Is it for Ever Banned?’ On 18 February 1922 Scullin was elected to the safe Labor seat of Yarra and, at a Board meeting of the Echo the following week, Scullin was replaced as editor by his brother-in-law John Kean. The Echo struggled financially until its liquidation in February 1926.