Cirrus@Austlit

The Colonist's editor provides a detailed appraisal of Sydney's earliest newspapers, their editors and editorial perspectives.

The Colonist reviews its first quarter of publication and notes that it has garnered over 500 subscribers. The writer also notes that a proposal has been discovered to establish another newspaper in the colony, to be titled the Emancipist. The Colonist is opposed to a paper based on such narrow and divisive lines (i.e. targetting only the emancipated section of the population).

The Colonist notes the recent publication of three literary works in the colony: Lectures on the Horticulture of New South Wales by Thomas Shepherd (printed by Stephens and Stokes), Illustrations of the Present State and Future Prospects of the Colony of New South Wales by 'An Impartial Observer' (printed by W. Jones) and Articles and Regulations of the Australian Union Benefit Society (printed by R. J. Row). The Colonist believes all the published titles are 'creditable in appearance'.

The Colonist notes: 'Sydney has assumed quite a literary aspect of late. In addition to the older establishments of Mr. McGarvie, Mr. Moffitt, and Mr. Evans, we have now no fewer than [an]other two booksellers' shops in our Colonial capital'. The two new bookstores are run by Messers Tegg and by Mr Innes.