The Fremantle Journal And General Advertiser
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The ''Fremantle Journal and General Advertiser'' was the first newspaper published in Western Australia. It was edited and published by James A. Gardner, with the first issues appearing less than a year after the establishment of the
Swan River Colony The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement, or just Swan River, was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. This initial settlement place on the Swan River was soon named Perth, and it ...
in 1829. ''...But the present is knocking at the door. Mr. James A. Gardner, ...and talks with the rapid and illiterate tongue of a scribbler who is no longer tied down to a crawling pen. We learn then that this is the first number of his newspaper, the 'Fremantle Journal;' that a printing press should be coming soon, but that for the' present he must write it out in hand...a letter he wrote...in December, 1830,...stating his intention of going to Port Louis (Mauritius)...it has been assumed that he then left the colony. No more is heard of him in this land...'' As there was not yet a printing press in the colony, each issue was handwritten. Copies are Rare.
The State Library of New South Wales ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
holds issues February-March 1830, these ar
available online
A single sheet, copy number 5 of the first issue, for 27 February 1830, is held by the Battye Library in Perth, Western Australia. It is printed on both sides and folded in half thus yielding four pages; it sold for one shilling and sixpence. It is not known when publication ceased, except that it had certainly concluded by the time Gardner left the colony in September that year. In addition, three issues survive of a manuscript newspaper published by Gardner under the title ''Western Australia Gazette and General Advertiser''. It is unknown whether this is a different newspaper or the same newspaper under a new name. Th
three extant issues have been digitised
and are held by the State Library of New South Wales, and are dated 4 April 1830, 1 June 1830 and 13 June 1830. They are larger, and sold for three shillings and sixpence. The publication of the ''Fremantle Journal and General Advertiser'' was widely recognised as an important, albeit modest, step in the progress of the colony. The '' Sydney Gazette'' published a number of extracts from it, prefacing them with the comment It was even noticed by ''The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction'', a London anthology.


References

Publications established in 1830 Defunct newspapers published in Perth, Western Australia 1830 establishments in Australia {{authority control