THE BEGINNING OF THE END
THE AUSTRALASIAN NEWSPAPER
CONTRIBUTIONS BY ADAM LINDSAY GORDON
The Argus was a morning daily newspaper in Melbourne that was established in 1846 and closed in 1957 and was considered to be the general Australian newspaper of record for this period.[1] Widely known as a conservative newspaper for most of its history, it adopted a left leaning approach from 1949. The main competitor over the life of the newspaper was David Syme’s more liberal-minded The Age. The paper was also to become a stablemate to the weekly The Australasian which was to become The Australasian Post in 1946. (Wikipedia)
‘The father and founder of the Yorick Club was generally held to be F. W. Haddon, the editor of The Australasian and The Argus, and the club was very much the child of those papers, which often published news of it in its early months, when Marcus Clarke wrote for The Australasian.’ The owner of the rival Age and Leader group, David Syme, was a foundation member of the Athenæum. Levey, publisher of the Herald, was a member of both.
Poetry was clearly not profitable, but there was a ready market for racing commentary in the Australian press. He made use of the contacts he had. Haddon, the editor of The Argus, was a member of the Yorick Club, and Gordon also knew W. J. Hammersley, The Australasian’s sporting editor. (Michael Wilding-Wild Bleak Bohemia)
CHRONOLOGY OF ADAM LINDSAY GORDON’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AUSTRALASIAN NEWSPAPER AS IDENTIFIED BY MR. J.K.MOIR
Gordon had begun actively exploring ways to make a living from his writing. On 17th Feb 1869, upon his return from Yallum, Gordon wrote a letter to John Riddoch. Gordon hopes for a position on the Australasian as a sporting reporter, and talks about trading in horses to make some money. Also is paying interest on a loan from South Australia.
Howlett-Ross writes in his Memoir of Gordon: ‘he was much assisted and encouraged by the good-heartedness of Mr W. J. Hammersley, who relates how Gordon refused at first to accept money for his contributions, but was ultimately induced to alter his determination, as he was in very straitened circumstances. “He in fact,” says Mr Hammersley, “told me as much, and I used to get him a cheque every now and then and slip it quietly into his hand with every regard for his feelings. For he was a very proud man, and, notwithstanding his bushman’s attire and rough exterior, there was no mistaking the gentleman.
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Taken From Trove Newspapers-National Library of Australia