Andrew Garran was a journalist and politician He was born in London, attended Hackney Grammar School, a theological coaching college in Norfolk. and Spring Hill College, Birmingham. He matriculated at London University (B.A., 1845; M.A., 1848).
In 1848 Garran fell seriously ill with suspected phthisis and was sent to Madeira. On his return to London next year he was advised to migrate to Australia. He arrived in Adelaide in January 1851, did some preaching, worked as a journalist and later editor on the Austral Examiner and at the elections for the reformed Legislative Council campaigned against state aid to religion. With Adelaide depopulated by the Victorian gold rush Garran spent most of 1852 as a tutor on a Victorian station and later in Melbourne shared in an attempt to start a newspaper. In 1853 he returned to Adelaide as co-editor of the South Australian Register.
Invited by John Fairfax (q.v.), Garran joined the Sydney Morning Herald as assistant editor in May 1856. He attended the University of Sydney (LL.B., 1868; LL.D., 1870) and in 1873 succeeded John West (q.v.) as editor of the Herald. Like many Englishmen of his class and education, Garran had found difficulty in fully adapting to the fluid Australian society. Steeped in the political, social and economic principles of leading liberal British writers he was disturbed by 'the disharmony “produced by conflict” between employer and employee, free selector and squatter, Protestant and Roman Catholic'. The British liberal had become a colonial conservative incongruously upholding laissez faire against a slowly rising tide of state control. As a result his editorials often had an unwelcome didactic and righteous tone but they were distinguished by a lucid style, a clear vision of the advantages of an educated democracy and an innate and informed generosity. Failing health forced him to resign at the end of 1885. Under Garran the Herald had consolidated its position as a leading Australian newspaper and the most intelligent and knowledgeable journal in New South Wales.
Source: Bramsted, E.K. 'Garran, Andrew (1825–1901)'. Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4. Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1972.
