Charles Frederick Somerton was the son of a newspaper proprietor in Bristol, UK. He arrived in Victoria in 1852 and 'soon became a leading figure in the management (particularly in the printing department) of the Melbourne Morning Herald, remaining so until its change into an evening journal. He was next instrumental in launching the Melbourne Daily Telegraph, now defunct, and, during a long and important portion of its existence, its business management was largely in his hands. After its sale to a different proprietary he took up fresh lines and for years held a seat on the Melbourne Stock Exchange, until blindness, when over 80, forced him into retirement. Besides this, in 1854 he joined in establishing, in the "diggings" centre, since known as Castlemaine, the Mount Alexander Mail, a pioneer among goldfields journals.'
