AN OLD PRINTER

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1930, Page 3

AN OLD PRINTER

Mr John Rossiter passed away at Ring wood, Victoria,- Australia on 15th. •iept. at (5 a.m. and thus clokcd the life of a man of-singular vitality and untiring zeaL He was in his fjotli year. He was born in London on AStli Dec.', 1855. At the age of .18; years’ he sailed in the brig “Mary Rowe” for Hobart, where he arrived after a voyage of 140. days .'from Gravesend. .. He spent eight years in trade and commerce, five, with Mr Alex Graham of. Swansea. Early in 1802 lie, came over to Victoria, but,, after, a stay of a.few months, went to Dunedin, New. Zealand,, and engaged in mining. He tramped to the Molyneaux, or Dunstan, 1.45 miles in six days. After twelve months of rough life, with minimum results at the diggings, he took up journalism with Messrs Higgins and Davey, who had the “Dunstan News,” the only journal in existence at that time on the Otago goldfields. A gold rush broke out at Hamilton, and Air Rossiter went there, starting the “Mount Ida Mail,” which like the gold rush, lasted only ten weeks. - He crossed the range with his dray load of printing plant, and 5 'opehecl -up' b'lisilYess in opposition to the “News,” at Clyde. This paper, the “Molyiieux “Mail” was published bi-weekly and distributed free, and did well.

But another greater attraction; presented' itself iii T8(1o, in'the gold -rush to Hokitika, on the West'Coast, where there were 25,000 people., On Bth August Air Rossiter started tlie’ “Hokitika Advertisers’* ;< In March; 1.8 GB ,; lie sold out to a .syndicate, and left' for Victoria. He toured 4 'Hie WfcS.teni District with AJr Then Higgins as a partner, and- settling at the “Western Press” on 29th .June 1866, the only paper'at. that time hotween Geelong and Warrnambool. He left Camperdown in September 1871, for Seymour, the North-Eastern railway being then in the coure of construction, aiid started tlie “Goulhmn Courier.” His next move was to J\iimore, iii December' 1873, where lie started tlie “Kilmore Standard.” Having disposed of the goodwill of that ■ papel; Air Rossiter came to Port Albert in i'B7s, mid started the" “Gippsland Standard.” Owing to business' changes, the “Standard” plant .was •transferred to Alberton in 1893, and in June 1898 tlie “Standard” was moved to Yarrani, the shift being fully justified by the rapid progress and large increase in business in Yarram and. district. Air Rossiter retired from business twenty-five years ago, and finally settled at Ringwood, where lie ended his days. Apart 'from journalistic -work. Mr Rossiter was an active member and one of the founders of the Agricultural Society, which- held its; first, show at Lillies Leaf, and was interested in other- district institutions. In , 1837 lie married -Emily; the fourth daughter of Air W. ,J. Wood, Geelong* and .leaves a wife and family of- eight sons and one daughter.