Cirrus@Austlit

The nameplate of the newspaper changes from the Hawkesbury Courier and Agricultural and General Advertiser to the abbreviated Hawkesbury Courier on issue no. 82 (5 February 1846). This transition is heralded three weeks earlier in an editorial on page 1 of issue no. 79 (15 January 1846) of the Hawkesbury Courier and Agricultural and General Advertiser, addressed 'To the Public' advising subscribers and the public generally that: 'the Proprietorship of this journal has passed into other hands, and that it will henceforth be edited, conducted and published under the auspices of a Proprietary resident in the district'.

The editorial continues: 'Whilst therefore in the name of our predecessors we beg to acknowledge past favors [sic], we venture to solicit on our own behalf a continuance of the same, expressing our confident hope that we shall not fail to obtain that patronage and support which will ever be our earnest endeavour to deserve by advocating to the best of our ability, the advancement of general as well as local interests ... arrangements have been made for the regular publication of the Windsor, Parramatta, and Sydney Police Reports, with general Law Intelligence ... In fine, we beg to express our determination to make our little hebdomadal as useful a publication as possible, trusting our efforts to that end will meet deserved success'.

In the introductory leader addressed 'To the Public' on page one of the first issue (11 July 1844), the editor sets out the newspaper's mission explaining that the purpose of the paper is to devote considerable space to the interests of the district particularly the encouragement of agriculture. The intention is to steer clear of local prejudice and personal vituperation in efforts that will be devoted to the 'good of the whole, not the caprice of the few'. In addition, the task will be to 'watch over the Administration of Justice, and the Proceedings of the District Council'. Space will also be made for 'Fashions, Poetry and Romance' and to this end, on page two of the same issue, the editor requests that, 'In order that we may present to our readers as much variety as possible, we particularly request the literary gentlemen of the district to lend us their aid; but before doing so we beg them to study that portion of out introductory leader, in which we eschew personalities'.

The Launceston Journal was launched in 1839 with the aim of improving the 'moral practice' of the colony. Those involved with the running of the newspaper included the Rev'd Dr Browne ('moral practice' department), his agent Mr Umpleby Budds (accounts), Mr Sherwin (temperance department), Methodist lay preacher Mr Wilkinson (religious editor) and Mr Geoffrey Amos Eager ('political editor and nominal proprietor').

Source: 'New Paper', The Cornwall Chronicle, 23 March 1839: 3