Ward Stephens Ward Stephens i(A153281 works by) (Organisation) assertion
Born: Established: ca. 1836 ; Died: Ceased: ca. 1838
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1 26 y separately published work icon The Sydney Herald William McGarvie (editor), Frederick Michael Stokes (editor), Alfred Ward Stephens (editor), Frederick Michael Stokes (editor), Alfred Ward Stephens (editor), Alfred Ward Stephens (editor), Frederick Michael Stokes (editor), John Fairfax (editor), Charles Kemp (editor), 1831 Sydney : Ward Stephens , 1836-1839 Z930858 1831 newspaper (120 issues) In line with the impartial meaning of the epigraphs displayed on the Sydney Herald's masthead and above the leader, the Leader of the first issue of the Sydney Herald states the newspaper's editorial policy: 'Our Editorial management shall be conducted upon principles of candour, honesty, and honor. Respect and deference shall be paid to all classes. Freedom of thinking and speaking shall be conceded, and demanded. We have no wish to mislead; no interests to gratify by unsparing abuse, or indiscriminate approbation. We shall regret opposition, when we could wish to concur, and bestow the meed of praise. We shall dissent with respect, and reason with a desire, not to gain a point, but to establish a principle. By these sentiments we shall be guided, and, whether friends or foes, by these we shall judge others; we have a right, therefore, to expect that by these we shall be judged.'

The editorial lists the subjects, in order, '... to which [the paper's] attention shall be more exclusively directed ... The Colony of New South Wales, and its best interests, as a dependency of the Crown ... Van Diemen's Land, the Islands in the South Seas and Pacific, and the commercial and social relations of Australasia in general ... English and Foreign news ... The well-being of the merchant, manufacturer, farmer, and local and civil functionary ... the interests of literature and of those connected with its advancement ... Education ... the youth of the Colony ... the dissemination of medical knowledge ... law reports, and trials of Colonial importance in our Courts of Justice...'

The first editors, publishers, printers and sole proprietors of the Sydney Herald, Alfred Ward Stephens, Frederick Stokes and William McGarvie worked together on the Sydney Gazette. They formed a partnership in a printing business and imported a printing press from London. However, as J. V. Byrnes, in his biography of Stephens, 'Stephens, Alfred Ward (1804-1852)', published in the Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, writes ' ... orders being fewer than they expected, they decided to publish a newspaper instead.' McGarvie sold his share of the business to Stephens and Ward after only five issues and Byrnes writes '... although Stephens and Stokes were joint proprietors, Stephens seems to have been the acknowledged editor.' However, according to Byrnes in his biography of McGarvie, 'McGarvie, William (1810-1841)', published in the Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, McGarvie edited the first issues of the Herald. Byrnes also writes that 'McGarvie is credited with naming the paper after the Glasgow Herald'.

Despite its editorial policy of impartiality, J. V. Byrnes notes in his biography of Stephens that '... [b]efore the Herald appeared, the Tories in Sydney and the Hunter River district had no newspaper to express their political and economic opinions. The Herald filled this gap ... The Herald was also involved in libel actions and accused of using underhand methods to score off its opponents.' In 1836 Stephens bought out Frederick Stokes. Byrnes states in his biography of Stephens that '... [a]s sole editor and proprietor Stephens for the next three years exerted a strong influence on colonial affairs with [Edward] O'Shaughnessy as his leader writer'.

In 1839 Stephens sold the Herald back to Frederick Stokes. The paper incorporated the Colonist newspaper from 1 January 1841. Stokes sold the paper to Charles Kemp and John Fairfax in February 1841 and from 1 August 1842 the paper changed its name to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Sources: J. V. Byrnes, 'Stephens, Alfred Ward (1804-1852)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stephens-alfred-ward-2695/text3777, accessed 23 April 2013. J. V. Byrnes, 'McGarvie, William (1810-1841)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcgarvie-william-2400/text3171, accessed 23 April 2013.
1 20 y separately published work icon Sydney Times Nathaniel Lipscomb Kentish (editor), 1834 Sydney : Nathaniel Lipscomb Kentish , 1834-1837 Z1632865 1834 newspaper (139 issues)

On 15 August 1834 Nathaniel Lipscomb Kentish published the first issue of the Sydney Times, an independent, pro-emancipist, four-page semi-weekly, which subsequently became a weekly publication. On page 2 of the first issue, with emphasis achieved by heavy use of capital letters, Kentish proposed that the newspaper's line of policy would be independent of principle : 'it shall be our chief aim, and our unremitting endeavour to "Advance Australia;" by which we mean simply to promote the INFORMATION, and with it, THE WEALTH, THE PROSPERITY, and THE HAPPINESS of "THE LAND WE LIVE IN," by emulating the better portion of the FREE PRESS of our accomplished Mother Country, in giving PUBLICITY WITH ECONOMY, to COMMERCIAL, and brief, but AUTHENTIC POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE in which the mass of "The People" is concerned'. On 8 April 1837 Kentish reiterated: 'The principles of this Paper are, as from its establishment have been, those of the moderate WHIG party of England, viz., admitting the necessity, and contending for the propriety, of improvement and reform in every department in which abuses exist, and which must therefore be susceptible of improvement; but without going the length of desiring to infringe, or of sanctioning the infringement of one principle of our admirable constitution in Church and State, as by law established. Its Editor is unshackled, and is expected to write as a gentleman thorougly independent of any party in the colony'.

Regular features included Editorials, Shipping Intelligence, Latest English News, Original Correspondence, Domestic Intelligence, Theatre Reviews and a Poet's Corner. On page 2 of 5 December 1834 issue, Kentish commented on the standard of original poetry submissions: 'So of Poetry. Our character being established as the vehicle of the Australian muse, in justice to our readers and ourselves, we are compelled to select for our Poet's Corner such pieces only, as will do credit to our reputation'.

With sales rising to 1371 copies, the Sydney Times, though irregularly published, finally outstripped its four contemporaries before its final appearance as an Extraordinary issue published on 2 July 1838. In this final issue Kentish notified the 'Colonial Public' that he was unlikely to resume his editorial duties and instead intented to pursue his career as a civil engineer and surveyor.

Source: Australian Dictionary of Biography entry for Kentish, Nathaniel Lipscomb

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