Alfred Chandler began his journalistic career at the Hamilton Spectator. He moved to Adelaide in 1878 and was the co-founder of the Adelaide satirical weekly Quiz in 1892. In 1894, as the Western Australian gold rush began, he arrived in Coolgardie. He edited The Goldfield Courier, The Coolgardie Miner and later, The Sunday Times. He resigned from The Sunday Times in 1925 and became a prominent member of the Secession movement. Chandler was an active member of Perth's literary world. He assisted with a number of publishing ventures, including the literary magazine, The Leeuwin.
Although numerous sources assert that Chandler used the pseudonym 'Spinifex', it is most likely that works published under that name in the Bulletin were the work of J. A. Porter.
