'The Barrier Miner served the growing mining community of Broken Hill, when the area was the site of first gold discovery, and later vast iron ore mines commenced by the Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd company. The newspaper was published by Henry Fenton, Augustus Sydney Knight and George Alfred Mills and was distributed to Broken Hill, Tibooburra, White Cliffs, Wilcannia, Menindee, Ivanhoe. It was edited by Samuel Prior from 1888, who was also a partner (with a one-seventh share) with the main proprietors in 1905, Knight and Von Rieben Ltd. who took over in about 1890 when Fenton and Mills sold their interests. Prior may have been one of the youngest editors of a daily newspaper in Australia ...
E. R. Kellsall took over as editor after Prior left, with Mr R.D.S. Magnusson as sub-editor. The newspaper was originally published and printed from a building in Argent Street, occupying a galvanised iron clad shed. In 1908 a substantial stone building was erected by F.J. Fairweather and Sons on the corner of Blende and Sulphide Streets.
Knight and Von Rieben retired in 1907 to Adelaide and Sydney respectively, when John Smethurst (a building contractor who erected the Broken Hill Town Hall) took over as managing editor, remained in charge up to 1933 when J. F. Williams took over. E. K. Lean, joined the staff in 1893 and became assistant manager in 1918. A Sunday evening special edition was published during the 1914-1918 war featuring letters from overseas soldiers with many eager residents rushing the office for copies as soon as they came off the presses. The newspaper office was twice bombed during World War I, it is believed because of some comments made about unpatriotic behaviour in the town, which was not taken well by the strong unionised workforce. Daily circulation reached 8303 in 1905, with three editions published up to about 1922 (at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.) the first and third editions being sold in Argent Street and the second edition being home delivered.
James Davison (1848-1929) (managing editor of the Melbourne Herald) took over the paper in 1919, along with the Port Pirie Recorder. He left in 1922 to start the Adelaide News.
Source: 'The Barrier Miner', Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrier_Miner
Sighted: 01/08/2013
