EARLY AUSTRALIAN JOURNALISM.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1210, 11 September 1874, Page 4

EARLY AUSTRALIAN JOURNALISM.

" Ilistoricus," in the " Bunyip," has an interesting paper on "Early Australian Journalism." After remarking on the protracted intellectual darkness which reigned over New South Wales up to the commencement of the present century, and the total absence of anything like old world news under sis months old, and then with nothing like regularity, he observes that " George Howe, a native of St Kitts, in the West Indies, after being engaged for some years as a printer on a London paper, found his way in 1800 to the new southern city, Sydney, accompanied by his young son. In March, 1803, the public spirited and worthy man induced the Government (at that time of an absolute character) to favor his idea of actually publishing a newspaper and on the sth March, ISO 3, appeared the startling novelty in a garb forming one of the amusing literary contrasts to the modern Sydney Morning Herald, the Melbourne Argus, or the Australasian that can be well imagined. With verv limited means and a salary of only £6O a year from the Government, we may suppose that the type of poor Howe's printing office was neither copious nor a very new and choice character. His great trial, however, was in procuring paper. War prices prevailed, war risks greatly increasing the prices of all imports. Communication between England and the colony was irregular, and on the part of the British Government scandalously so ; and the new undertaking seems to have had a very considerable share of the vicissitudes caused by paper, and sometimes ink, " run out" and "famine prices." The new paper was designated the Sydney Gazette and New youth Wales Advertiser, and its pains-taken projector was pressman, distributor, accountant, cashier, and factotum. It was very badly printed on four pages of foolscap, and its address to the public was as simple as its other features. It spoke as follows:—"lnnumerable as the obstacles were threatened to eppose our undertaking, yet we are happy to affirm that they are not insurmountable however. We have a task before us. The utility of a PAPER in the colony, as it must open a source of solid information, will, we hope be universally seen and. acknowledged. We have courted the assistance of the INGENIOUS and INTELLIGENT. . We open no channel to political discussion or personal Animadversion. Information is our only Purpose ; that acknowledged, we shall consider that we have done our duty in an exertion to merit the Approbation of the PUBLIC, and to ensure a liberal Patronage to the SYDNEY GAZETTE." Correspondents were informed that Two Slip Boxes would be put up during the ensuing week, one in front of the Government Store, Sydney, the other in the Window of the Court House Paramatta (twenty miles from Sydney !) for the Reception of such Articles of information as Persons who are possessed of the means may think proper to contribute. The Home news of the day -was rather stnle ; as for instance, the great fire at Wo >lwich Arsenal on the 20th May, 18U2, became news at Sydney on sth March, 1803 ! Among Geographical information is given, at the same time, the announcecent of the ship Castle of Good Hope, of a thousand tons, reaching Sydney by way of Bass's Straits instead of going round Van Dietnen's Land which considerably shortened her voyage and thereby saved the lived of — many cows. Amongst other heads of intelligence is a list of prices showing poultry to be os to Gs the couple, and potatoes 12s per 1001b., a pretty good

proof that the early settlers had wisely turned their attention to the growing of this valuable root, which we arc told cannot be raised in South Australia. The publisher as I have already hinted was frequently in difficulty through lack of suitable paper ; and I remember to have seen in a friend's cabinet of curiosities a copy of his weekly, printed on Chinese paper the produce of rice straw and which gave the paper anything but an English appearance or countenance. Sometimes the journal appeared on tea paper, and at other times in colors of various hues, stained papers being employed when white was not attainable, poor Howe not being over particular, as the following announcement of January, 1805, with which I conclude the present letter will serve to show : —" Wanted to purchase any quantity of demy, medium, folio post, or foolscap paper, for the use of printing ; and which if by accident from damp or slight mildew, is rendered unfit for writing, will answer the purpose."