J. S. Battye describes the birth of Shenton's newspaper as 'That great want of British communities–a newspaper–was met by the issue, in manuscript, of the Western Australian Chronicle and Perth Gazette. This was published by Mr. W.K. Shenton, and the price was 3 shillings and 6 pence per copy. Needless to say, it did not survive many issues.' A. C. Frost in 'Early Western Australian Newspapers', Early Days, vol. 9, part 1 (1983): 78 describes the content of the newspaper as '... some advertising, together with the usual shipping notices and news items. The latter were mainly of a domestic nature; births, deaths, etc. But poetry must have been very much in vogue at that time as this paper also had its Poets' Corner. The paper usually found in Perth attached to a gum tree in St George's Terrace, could be bought for 3/- a copy.'
Sources: J. S. Battye, Western Australia: A History from its Discovery to the Inauguration of the Commonwealth; A. C. Frost, 'Early Western Australian Newspapers', Early Days, vol. 9, part 1 (1983): 78
