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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 Governor Philip King and printed by George Howe. On 14 October 1824, under the editorship of Robert Howe, it ceased to be censored by the colonial government.

When the eleven vessels of the First Fleet of settlers reached New South Wales in January 1788, among the cargo aboard was a small second-hand printing press intended for printing general orders, regulations and official proclamations in the new penal settlement. Seven years went by before someone was found who could work the press. This was convict George Hughes, who used it to print more than 200 government orders between 1795 and 1799. Australia's first printer also used the press to produce playbills for theatrical performances in Sydney in March and April 1800, and he also appeared as an actor in these plays. He was replaced as government printer by George Howe, who arrived in the colony on 22 November 1800. He had worked as a printer before being convicted of shoplifting in 1799 and sentenced to transportation.

Among other things, Howe printed New South Wales Standing Orders (1802), the first book published in Australia.

In 1803, Governor King wrote a despatch to Lord Hobart in which he explained that,

It being desirable that the settlers and inhabitants at large should be benefited by useful information being dispersed among them, I considered that a weekly publication would greatly facilitate that design, for which purpose I gave permission to an ingenious man, who manages the Government printing press, to collect materials weekly, which, being inspected by an officer, is published in the form of a weekly newspaper.

The introductory address, by Howe, was published on the first page in the third column. It read:

ADDRESS

Innumerable as the Obstacles were which threatened to oppose our Undertaking, yet we are happy to affirm that they were not insurmountable, however difficult the task before us.

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Australian 19th century newspaper
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