Cirrus@Austlit

John Henniker Heaton arrived in Australia in 1864 and initially worked as a jackaroo. He subsequently turned to journalism, and at various points worked on the Cumberland Mercury, the Cumberland Times, the Goulburn Evening Penny Post and then the Australian Town and Country Journal. In 1873 he married Rose Bennett (1845-1920), daughter of Samuel Bennett, proprietor of the Evening News and the Australian Town and Country Journal. On returning to England, Henniker Heaton entered politics and served as the Conservative Member for Canterbury in the period 1886-1910. Due to his Australian interests and connections he was sometimes dubbed the 'Member for Australia'.

During the late 1870s, Henniker Heaton gained notoriety for his reference work the Australian Dictionary of Dates and Men of the Times, which due to its size was printed by the New South Wales Government Printer, who made a number of editorial changes without Henniker Heaton's approval. Due to its numerous inaccuracies, the dictionary was frequently lampooned by newspaper satirists of the day.