Cirrus@Austlit

The Townsville Herald resulted from the merger of The Cleveland Bay Express with The Townsville Times in August 1876. Initially co-owned by James McManus, formerly of the Times, and Thomas Williams, formerly of the Express, McManus became sole proprietor from 1 December 1876. In September 1884, the Herald was purchased, along with The Townsville Daily Bulletin and The North Queensland Bulletin, by a limited liability company. The North Queensland Bulletin was incorporated into the Herald, which became the weekly edition of the Townsville Daily Bulletin until it was replaced by The North Queensland Herald in 1891.

In 1880 the Sydney Bulletin commented on the high turn-over of editors at The Townsville Herald, reaching thirteen in a two year period.

Originally established by Arthur Bouricault as The Northern Argus in 1863, the newspaper began publication as The Daily Northern Argus on 1 January 1875. In late 1880 or early 1881, Bouricault sold his interest to P. F. MacDonald, who quickly sold again to Nixon & Company in August 1881. The major shareholder of the company, Francis Nixon, served as managing director and editor of the newspaper until his death by suicide in November 1883. The Daily Northern Argus was then sold to a limited liability company.

A weekly newspaper, first published in Deniliquin on 9 March 1860, The Southern Courier regularly published stock and station reports, latest intelligence from Sydney and Melbourne received by telegraph, local news from correspondents in Hay, Moama and Echuca, police court reports, original correspondence, selected extracts and anecdotes from overseas literary magazines such as All the Year Round, and occasional original poetry.

In October 1861 the proprietors of The Southern Courier purchased the plant, copyright, and goodwill of The Pastoral Times and incorporated the two newspapers under an amalgamated masthead .