George Howe George Howe i(A93435 works by) (Organisation) assertion (a.k.a. Government Printer; Govt. Printer; George Howe, Govt. Printer; Australian Stationey Warehouse and Circulating Library)
Born: Established: ca. 1802 Sydney, New South Wales, ; Died: Ceased: ca. 1821 Sydney, New South Wales,
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

BiographyHistory

George Howe took over from George Hughes as Government Printer in 1802, taking charge of the old wooden hand-press which had come out with the first fleet in 1788. George's son Robert Howe, who helped his father from an early age and eventually succeeded him as Government Printer, later claimed that this old press was worth just £2, and that the Howes initially had to make do with just 20lbs (9 kgs) of aged type. But George Howe was an 'ingenious' man, and somehow made his limited resources serve to produce the colony's first newspaper, The Sydney Gazette, from 1803.


The Gazette served as a medium for the publication of official pronouncements, as well as commercial advertising and miscellaneous information. From 30 August 1807 to 15 May 1808, production of the newspaper was shut down because of Governor William Bligh's dispute with officers of the New South Wales corps, recommencing only after the latter's arrest.


Howe also had private business interests in the colony, opening a stationery shop and circulating library. He also used the government press to publish the first book of poetry produced in Australia, Barron Field's First Fruits of Australian Poetry.

Most Referenced Works

Last amended 13 Nov 2013 10:20:01
Other mentions of "" in AustLit:
    X