Ralph Mansfield (12 March 1799 – 1 September 1880) was a Methodist missionary and newspaper editor in colonial Australia. Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, son of Ralph Mansfield, an earthenware manufacturer, and his wife Ann, ''née'' Worthington. Mansfield junior was ordained a minister of the Wesleyan Church in 1820. Mansfield arrived in

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 ...

, New South Wales, in September 1820. He was stationed in Sydney for two years and in Parramatta and Windsor during 1823, when he was sent to Van Diemen's Land (later renamed Tasmania), where he remained at Hobart Town till 1825, when he returned to Sydney and discharged ministerial functions till 1828. His first foray into publishing in Australia was as editor of ''The Australian Magazine'' from 1821 to 1822, the first literary journal in the colonies.Green, H.M., (1984) ''A history of Australian literature, Vol I,, 1769-1923'', Sydney, Angus & Robertson, p.138. Mansfield was editor of ''

The Sydney Gazette ''The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser'' was the first newspaper printed in Australia, running from 5 March 1803 until 20 October 1842. It was a semi-official publication of the government of New South Wales, authorised by Governo ...

'', the first newspaper published in New South Wales, from 1829 to 1832, and was leader-writer for another Sydney newspaper, ''The Colonist'', for several years. From 1841 he contributed to 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 ...

''. In 1836 he presided at a public meeting held in Sydney to promote the lighting of the city with gas. A gas-light company was formed, of which Mansfield was secretary from 29 June 1836, till his death in Parramatta, New South Wales, on 1 September 1880.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mansfield, Ralph 1799 births 1880 deaths English emigrants to colonial Australia Australian Methodists Australian newspaper editors Mayors of Balmain