Charles Brunsdon Fletcher
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Charles Brunsdon Fletcher (5 August 1859 – 17 December 1946) was an English-born Australian
surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...
and
journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
who served as the
editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...
of the ''
Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...
'' for twenty years.


Birth and education

Fletcher was the third of thirteen children of Ruth (née Bloor) and Charles Fletcher of
Taunton, Somerset Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by th ...
, England. At age five, his father joined his eldest brother,
Joseph Horner Fletcher Joseph Horner Fletcher (1 October 1823 – 30 June 1890) was a West Indies-born Methodist minister of English descent and was the founding Principal of Wesley College, Auckland and the second President of Newington College, Sydney. He was elect ...
, in New Zealand as a
Wesleyan Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
missionary. Eight years later the family moved to
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and Fletcher attended
Newington College , motto_translation = To Faith Add Knowledge , location = Inner West and Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = A ...
, where his uncle, Joseph Horner Fletcher, was President and another uncle,
Joseph James Fletcher Joseph James Fletcher (7 January 1850 – 15 May 1926) was an Australian biologist, winner of the 1921 Clarke Medal. Fletcher was born at Auckland, New Zealand the son of the Rev Joseph Horner Fletcher, a Methodist clergyman, and his wife Kate ...
, was a teacher. Charles Brunsdon Fletcher completed his education at
Fort Street High School Fort Street High School (FSHS) is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Mixed-sex school, co-educational Selective school (New South Wales), academically selective secondary school, secondary day school, located in Petersh ...
.


Surveyor

On completion of his school years, Fletcher joined the Survey Department of
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
as a cadet. He rose to
supernumerary Supernumerary means "exceeding the usual number". Supernumerary may also refer to: * Supernumerary actor, a performer in a film, television show, or stage production who has no role or purpose other than to appear in the background, more commonl ...
draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for m ...
in 1879 and became a field assistant four-year later, Before moving to
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
in 1884 he worked on the Detail Survey of the
City of Sydney The City of Sydney is the local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament in 1842, th ...
. He obtained his
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
survey Survey may refer to: Statistics and human research * Statistical survey, a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population * Survey (human research), including opinion polls Spatial measurement * Surveying, the techniq ...
licence A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
in 1885 and commenced private practice. For five years from 1888 he served on the Board of Examiners of Licensed Surveyors.


Journalist

In 1893, Fletcher became a journalist and joined the
Brisbane Courier ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...
as a leader-writer. He had previously written for
William Lane William Lane (6 September 1861 – 26 August 1917) was an English-born journalist, author, advocate of Australian labour politics and a utopian socialist ideologue. Lane was born in Bristol, England into an impoverished family. After showin ...
's ''Boomerang'' and had served as secretary of the ''Brisbane Literary Circle''. He was also appointed Queensland correspondent of the
Melbourne Argus ''The Argus'' was an Australian daily morning newspaper in Melbourne from 2 June 1846 to 19 January 1957, and was considered to be the general Australian newspaper of record for this period. Widely known as a conservative newspaper for most ...
. Fletcher was elected to
Ithaca Shire Council The Town of Ithaca is a former local government area of Queensland, Australia, located in inner western Brisbane. History The Ithaca Division was first proclaimed in 1879, and originally covered an area that stretched from Windsor, Kelvin Gr ...
from 1892 until 1898 and served as president in 1894. In December 1898 he became the editor-in-chief of the
Brisbane Courier ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...
and served as such until April 1903.


Sydney Morning Herald

Fletcher returned to Sydney in 1903 as an associate editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and from 1918 until 1937 was Editor. When
King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...
and Queen Mary were crowned in 1911 he was a member of the Australian delegation and represented the Herald at the fourth Imperial Press Conference in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1930. For four years from 1923, Fletcher was the President of the New South Wales Institute of Journalists.


University of Sydney

He served on the Senate of the
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
from 1923 until 1939 and was instrumental in its establishment of a diploma course in journalism. Fletcher further served the University as a lay member of the Council of Wesley College from 1919. The Charles Brunsdon Fletcher Prize for Pacific History is awarded annually by the University.


Clubs

Fletcher was a member of the
Australian Club The Australian Club is a private club founded in 1838 and located in Sydney at 165 Macquarie Street. Its membership is men-only and it is the oldest gentlemen's club in the southern hemisphere. "The Club provides excellent dining facilities, ...
in Sydney.Who's Who in Australia 1941


Publications

* ''The New Pacific: British Policy and German Aims'' -
MacMillan MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to: People * McMillan (surname) * Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan * Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician * James MacMillan, Scottish composer * William Duncan MacMillan ...
(1917) * ''The Problem of the Pacific'' -
Heinemann Heinemann may refer to: * Heinemann (surname) * Heinemann (publisher), a publishing company * Heinemann Park, a.k.a. Pelican Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States See also * Heineman * Jamie Hyneman James Franklin Hyneman (born Se ...
(1919) * ''Stevenson's Germany: The Case Against Germany in the Pacific'' - Scribner (1920) * ''The Black Knight of the Pacific'' - Australasian Publishing Company (1944) * ''Coolah Valley'' (1927) * ''Murray Valley'' (1926) * ''Water Magic: Australia and the Future'' - Sands (1945) * ''The Great Wheel: An Editor's Adventures'' -
Angus and Robertson Angus & Robertson (A&R) is a major Australian bookseller, publisher and printer. As book publishers, A&R has contributed substantially to the promotion and development of Australian literature.Alison, Jennifer (2001). "Publishers and editors: A ...
(1940)


Bibliography

* A Century of Journalism. (Syd, 1942) * Company of Heralds (Melb, 1981) Gavin Souter


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Charles Brunsdon 1859 births 1946 deaths People educated at Newington College Australian newspaper editors People from Taunton The Argus (Melbourne) people The Sydney Morning Herald editors