y separately published work icon The Sydney Herald newspaper  
Date: 1841-1842 Note: 08/02/1841-30/07/1842
Date: 1840-1841 Note: [01/01] 1840-06/02/1841
Date: 1836-1839 Note: 03/11/1836-30/12/1839
Date: 1831-1836 Note: 23/05/1831-31/10/1836
Date: 1831 Note: 18/04/1831-16/05/1831
Issue Details: First known date: 1831... 1831 The Sydney Herald
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

In line with the impartial meaning of the epigraphs displayed on the Sydney Herald's masthead and above the leader, the Leader of the first issue of the Sydney Herald states the newspaper's editorial policy: 'Our Editorial management shall be conducted upon principles of candour, honesty, and honor. Respect and deference shall be paid to all classes. Freedom of thinking and speaking shall be conceded, and demanded. We have no wish to mislead; no interests to gratify by unsparing abuse, or indiscriminate approbation. We shall regret opposition, when we could wish to concur, and bestow the meed of praise. We shall dissent with respect, and reason with a desire, not to gain a point, but to establish a principle. By these sentiments we shall be guided, and, whether friends or foes, by these we shall judge others; we have a right, therefore, to expect that by these we shall be judged.'

The editorial lists the subjects, in order, '... to which [the paper's] attention shall be more exclusively directed ... The Colony of New South Wales, and its best interests, as a dependency of the Crown ... Van Diemen's Land, the Islands in the South Seas and Pacific, and the commercial and social relations of Australasia in general ... English and Foreign news ... The well-being of the merchant, manufacturer, farmer, and local and civil functionary ... the interests of literature and of those connected with its advancement ... Education ... the youth of the Colony ... the dissemination of medical knowledge ... law reports, and trials of Colonial importance in our Courts of Justice...'

The first editors, publishers, printers and sole proprietors of the Sydney Herald, Alfred Ward Stephens, Frederick Stokes and William McGarvie worked together on the Sydney Gazette. They formed a partnership in a printing business and imported a printing press from London. However, as J. V. Byrnes, in his biography of Stephens, 'Stephens, Alfred Ward (1804-1852)', published in the Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, writes ' ... orders being fewer than they expected, they decided to publish a newspaper instead.' McGarvie sold his share of the business to Stephens and Ward after only five issues and Byrnes writes '... although Stephens and Stokes were joint proprietors, Stephens seems to have been the acknowledged editor.' However, according to Byrnes in his biography of McGarvie, 'McGarvie, William (1810-1841)', published in the Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, McGarvie edited the first issues of the Herald. Byrnes also writes that 'McGarvie is credited with naming the paper after the Glasgow Herald'.

Despite its editorial policy of impartiality, J. V. Byrnes notes in his biography of Stephens that '... [b]efore the Herald appeared, the Tories in Sydney and the Hunter River district had no newspaper to express their political and economic opinions. The Herald filled this gap ... The Herald was also involved in libel actions and accused of using underhand methods to score off its opponents.' In 1836 Stephens bought out Frederick Stokes. Byrnes states in his biography of Stephens that '... [a]s sole editor and proprietor Stephens for the next three years exerted a strong influence on colonial affairs with [Edward] O'Shaughnessy as his leader writer'.

In 1839 Stephens sold the Herald back to Frederick Stokes. The paper incorporated the Colonist newspaper from 1 January 1841. Stokes sold the paper to Charles Kemp and John Fairfax in February 1841 and from 1 August 1842 the paper changed its name to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Sources: J. V. Byrnes, 'Stephens, Alfred Ward (1804-1852)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stephens-alfred-ward-2695/text3777, accessed 23 April 2013. J. V. Byrnes, 'McGarvie, William (1810-1841)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcgarvie-william-2400/text3171, accessed 23 April 2013.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1831
Notes:
Digitised issues available for the period 18 April 1831to 30 July 1842. (Correct as of 19 December 2013.)
Link: Web resource Digital copy of print publication via Australian Newspapers (AN) Service.
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

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PeriodicalNewspaper Details

Frequency:
Weekly (Monday); twice weekly (Monday and Thursday from 14 May 1832) ; thrice weekly (Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2 July 1838) ; daily except Sunday (from 2 November 1840)
Range:
Life dates vol.1 no.1 (Monday, 18 April, 1831) - v.14 no.1622, (Saturday, 30 July,1842)
Continued by:
The Sydney Morning Herald (1842- )
Mergers:
Incorporates The Colonist (1835-1840) from 1 January 1841
Price:
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Sydney, per quarter 5s.—Single Numbers 7d. Country, (postage included) 6s 3d p. quarter (18 April 1831)
Price:
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Sydney, 8s. per Quarter.-Single Numbers, 6d. Country, (Postage included) 10s. 6d. per Quarter. (17 May 1832)
Price:
Terms of Subscription. Sydney, Ten Shillings per Quarter - Single Price 9 Pence. Country, Twelve Shillings and Six Pence per Quarter (2 July 1838)
Price:
The single price was lowed to Six Pence from 1 October 1840.
Price:
Terms of Subscription. Sydney, Fifteen Shillings per Quarter - Single Numbers Six Pence. Country, Seventeen Shillings and Six Pence per Quarter. Ten per cent discount for payment in advance (2 April 1841)
Advertising:
TERMS OF ADVERTISEMENTS. For Eight Lines and under, 2s 6d, and 1d each for every Line above Eight. (18 May 1831)
Advertising:
TERMS FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. For Eight Lines and under, 2s. 6d., and Id. each, for every Line above Eight; for each Insertion. (17 May 1832) Advertising terms remained the same until 2 April 1841.
Advertising:
Terms for advertisements. For one inch and under, Two Shillings and Sixpence, and One Shilling for every additional inch, for each insertion (2 April 1841)
Note:
Epigraph: (masthead) 'In moderation placing all my glory,/While Tories call me Whig - and Whigs a Tory' - Pope
Note:
Epigraph: (leader) 'Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I.'
Note:
A notice in the The Temperance Advocate and Australasian Commercial and Agricultural Intelligencer on 23 December 1840 states that 'the Sydney Herald, will be edited by Professor Rennie, from the 1st of January next' (i.e. 1 January 1841). The notice may refer to the author and naturalist James Rennie (1787-1867) who migrated to Australia in 1840. This information is not reflected in the colophon.
Last amended 15 Jan 2014 13:25:16
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