Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

[section]

page 454

The first paper published in the Colony was called the New Zealand Gazette. It was the property of the New Zealand Company, and was under the editorship of Mr. Samuel Revans. That gentleman came to the Colony as secretary of the Executive Committee of the Company, which was nominated to control the inception of the settlement. He arrived in Wellington by the “Aurora” in January, 1840, and his signature is appended to all the official documents issued by the Committee before its dissolution after the arrival of Governor Hobson. Very soon after his arrival Mr. Revans identified himself with his original calling of a journalist, and brought out the first issue of the Gazette on the 18th of April, 1840, but a prior number had been printed in London on the 6th of September, 1839. The first New Zealand publication contains the draft of the Provisional Constitution as drawn up by the settlers, and the local appointments made by the committee. The paper was of demy size, and bore the imprint of Edward Roe, whose descendants now reside in the Feilding district. On the removal of the town from Petone to Lambton Harbour the name of the paper was changed to the New Zealand Gazette and Britannia Spectator, but when the name of the town was altered from “Britannia” to “Wellington,” the latter title was substituted. On the 2nd of October, 1841, it was issued bi-weekly instead of weekly Shortly after the arrival of Mr. (afterwards Sir William) Fox he assumed the duties of editor, and he vigorously upheld the cause of the settlers, and advocated the principles of popular government. It may be here mentioned that Mr. Revans subsequently became a settler in the Wairarapa Valley, where he died on the 15th of July, 1888. The Gazette had the difficulties in financing which appear to be inherent in all enterprises of that description even in these days, for we find the editor complaining on Anniversary Day, January 22nd, 1842, that “great difficulty was experienced in collecting subscriptions for the paper, and that some of its supporters had not paid one shilling since it was established.” For all that, an opposition organ sprang into existence in that year. Mr. Richard Hanson, a lawyer, who had been a contributor to the London Globe and Morning Chronicle, establishing the “Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser.” This journal existed for a year, and during that time there was fierce warfare between the two editors. Mr. Fox resigned his editorship of the Gazette in 1843, on being appointed agent to the New Zealand Company. Mr. Hanson, who, in addition to editing the Colonist was also Crown Prosecutor, resigned the latter post in 1846 and settled in South Australia, where he became Chief Justice and was knighted. He wrote several works, chiefly on theology, and died in 1876. The Gazette was placed under the management of a committee, who were elected for a period of six months, but a disagreement arose between the printers and the employees, and the latter appealed to the public. Subscriptions were raised, a plant obtained from Sydney, and on the 2nd of April, 1844, the “Wellington Independent” was first published. It was issued tri-weekly and bore the imprint of Edward Roe, E. W. Vincent, James Muir, G. Fellingham, and Thos. W. McKenzie. Curiously enough the printing press was the one on which the Sydney Morning Herald was originally printed. The New Zealand Gazette afterwards became the property of the Hon. R. Stokes, who re-named it the “New Zealand Spectator and Cook Strait Guardian,” and it was printed by Mr. N. Sutherland. The Spectator was the organ of the Grey Party, and able articles frequently appeared from the pen of Alfred Domett, who was then Colonial Secretary for New Munster. The Independent was not deficient in talent, for the three F's—Fox, Featherston and Fitzherbert—and others all joined in condemning the political actions of Sir George Grey in its columns, advocating the rights of the settlers to the privileges of self-government. This journalistic war was a fierce one until the proclamation of the new constitution on the 4th of March, 1853. About this time Mr. R. Wakelin page 455 was the editor of the Independent, but it had other talented contributors, including Edward Gibbon Wakefield, Edward Jerningham Wakefield, Dr. Evans, Henry Sewell and others. Both papers were published on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and appeared according to circumstances, at any time between noon and 4 p.m. When no printing paper was procurable, blotting or wrapping paper was substituted, and often two sheets of demy were pasted together to fulfil requirements. Subscribers were very slack in paying up in those days, and the printer had frequently to take firewood and farm produce in exchange for literature. It was through Mr. Wakelin that Wellington obtained the name of the Empire City. On the occasion of the members leaving for the session of 1856 in Auckland, an article appeared which referred to Wellington as the future “Empire City” of the Colony. The Auckland papers took the title up in a spirit of derision, and frequently referred to Wellington as the “Empire City” in a jocular way. But the name stuck until it became no longer a term of ridicule, but a fact. Mr. John Knowles succeeded Mr. Wakelin as editor of the Independent, and held the seat until 1861, when Mr. Henry Anderson was appointed to the position. In 1859, owing to a disagreement between the proprietors and compositors of the Independent, the latter started a new venture called the New Zealand Advertiser, a demy sheet. It was at first issued gratis, but subsequently, under the editorship of Mr. R. Wakelin, it was charged for and increased to double demy, bi-weekly, and afterwards to a tri-weekly. It was published by Charles Roe, Joseph Bull, and Edward Bull. The former sold his share, and the brothers Bull carried the paper on successfully until 1868, when it was brought to grief by a libel action instituted by Mr. Charles Schultze, Speaker of the Wellington Provincial Council. Efforts were made to revive it, but unsuccessfully. The Independent continued to flourish under the vigorous editorship of Mr. Anderson until 1869, when Mr. A. F. Halcombe succeeded him. Early in 1864 the first daily evening paper was published. The late Mr. Henry Blundell, with his three sons and Mr. David Curle had tried a newspaper venture at Havelock at the time when the Wakamarina diggings were at their best, but there was no field here for the enterprise. Mr. Blundell proceeded to Otago to seek for more promising soil on which to plant a journal, but finding someone had forestalled him in that province he retraced his steps, packed up the type and press at Havelock, and crossed over to Wellington. He tried Wanganui, but that district was then under martial law, and every man liable to be called on to shoulder a musket and do sentry duty, so he returned to Wellington, where he found the same speculator who had been before him in Otago, ready to start an evening paper. It was a race for who should get out the first issue, and the plant was landed and set up in the old Commissariat stores in Willis Street, and the first copy of the Evening Post was issued from there, and published by Mr. R. Burrett at his stationer's shop in Manners Street. The idea of starting an evening paper in those days was looked upon by the old identities as a foolish venture. The Post exercised little influence on politics until 1868, when Mr. Frank Gifford was appointed editor. He was a talented writer and an able journalist, and, without doubt, laid the foundations of what is now one of the best newspaper properties in the Colony. He retired in 1872, owing to loss of his eyesight, and went to Melbourne, where he died. The Post has since been edited by Messrs. W. H. Pilliett, Henry Anderson, E. T. Gillon, D. M. Luckie, Rous Marten, and again by Mr. E. T. Gillon (q.v.). Mr. Henry Blundell, senr., retired in 1874 in favour of his three sons—John Henry, and Louis—the second of whom died in 1894, and the proprietorship still remains in the hands of the survivors (vide Evening Post).

In 1868 a Mr. Parsons, a civil servant with a penchant for journalism, rented premises from Mr. E. W. Mills and started a morning journal called the New Zealand Times. This venture had a very brief existence. In 1865 the Independent had only one of the original names on the imprint—Mr. Thomas McKenzie—and it was during this year that Mr. R. Stokes, the proprietor of the Spectator, abolished his paper and sold the plant to Mr. McKenzie. He was induced to sell the Independent and become a shareholder in the New Zealand Times. Mr. R. Creighton became editor and Mr. Scales manager. It was the intention of the promoters to make the Times a colonial journal, but as every chief town in the Colony had a local paper the Times Company was anything but a pecuniary success. It was first published on the 1st of June, 1874. Its editors, after Mr. Creighton's resignation, were Messrs. J. Perrier, W. H. Harrison, J. C. Hay, and Dr. Pollen. In 1879 the Company was wound up, and Mr. Chantrey Harris, who had previously been manager of the Southland Times, became the proprietor. It was then edited by the Rev. D. Bruce and afterwards by Mr. Rous Marten, and was again sold to a company in 1892 (vide New Zealand Times).

In 1877 another paper was started by a company to advocate the views of the Liberal party. It was called the New Zealander, and the editorship was entrusted to Mr. E. T. Gillon. It was popular for a time, but was financially a page 456 failure, and the plant was sold in 1879 to Mr. R. C. Reid. There were then two evening papers and a morning paper to compete against, but Mr. Reid carried it on successfully until Mr. C. Harris purchased the Times, and then Mr. Reid sold the New Zealander to him also and the two papers were amalgamated. Another venture was launched in 1874— the Tribune—by Mr. Wm. Hutchison, now M.H.R. for Dunedin. It was a failure, and the plant and goodwill were sold to Messrs. E. T. Gillon, R. Kent, and J. Waters, who re-christened it the Argus, and published it as an evening journal. It lingered a few months under its new title, and a Mr. Gardiner, an American newspaper man, purchased it, but he soon sold it again to Messrs. Henry Anderson, Allan Anderson, and David Curle, one of the original founders of the Evening Post. Under Mr. H. Anderson's editorship the Chronicle obtained a large circulation, and exercised considerable political influence. He retired in 1880, and financial troubles set in and the plant was sold. The Wellington Advertiser was started in 1880 and printed by Mr. R. Burrett and edited by Mr. M. C. Hickey on Saturdays. It lived about three years. The Evening Press was established by Mr. Roydhouse, with Mr. H. Anderson as editor. Mr. Edward Wakefield, one of the most brilliant journalists and orators New Zealand ever possessed, joined Mr. Royd-house as proprietor shortly after it was started, and his contributions made the Press very popular for a time. Financial troubles, however, led to Mr. Wakefield's selling out his share, and Mr. Roydhouse ran the paper himself for some time, and then Mr. Hawkins, now S.M. at Invercargill, was in the editorial chair for a time. The paper was then purchased by a company, with Mr. J. L. Kirkbride as managing director, and it had as editors Messrs. Hearn, James Wilkie, and Christie. Its career ended in 1894. The Weekly Herald was first published in July, 1883, by the present proprietor, Mr. Thos. Dwan (q.v.), and is still flourishing. The People, another weekly, was started in 1895 by Mr. E. A. Haggen. Daybreak (now incorporated with The People) a paper for women, and the Newtown Advocate first saw the light in that year. Fair Play, a weekly illustrated, and one of the best-written papers at that time in the Colony, had a twelve months' career, starting from March, 1893.

The United Press Association is the agency by which the papers of New Zealand obtain their telegraphic news both in the Colony itself and from outside. Previous to 1880 there were two rival agencies, one controlled by morning and the other by evening papers. The competition between them led to much useless rivalry and expense, and it was agreed to unite and form one association, which for convenience was established in the form of a joint stock company. It is, however, really a co-operative body and is not worked on profit-making lines. All the principal papers of the colony are members of it and the supply of New Zealand news is obtained from their own offices. In 1888 the Association also took over the cable service, which, up to then, had been in Reuter's hands, with the result that a vast improvement at once became visible. Mr. E. T. Gillon was the first manager of the Association, and in 1886 Mr. W. H. Atack took up the position. The headquarters are in Wellington.

Mr. William Harrington Atack, the Manager of the United Press Association, Limited, was born at Southampton, Hampshire, England, in 1857, and came to the Colony with his father's family in 1859, per barque “Creswell,” landing in Lyttelton. He was educated in Christchurch, and was subsequently engaged on the literary staff of the Lyttelton Times, where he held the position of sub-editor. After a connection with the above newspaper of eleven years to the day, Mr. Atack left to accept the position in Wellington which he now holds. His appointment with the Press Association dates from the 1st of January, 1886, and during the interval Mr. Atack has become well known and greatly respected in the Empire City.

New Zealand Institute of Journalists. Officers: The Hon. Wm. McCullough (Auckland), president; Messrs. R. A. Loughnan (Wellington), W. H. Triggs (Christchurch), and A. E. Cohen (Dunedin), vice-presidents; the Hon. Sir Robert Stout, K.C.M.G., M.H.R. (Wellington), hon. counsel; Mr. F. W. Weston (Wellington), hon. treasurer: and Mr. George Humphries (Wellington), hon secretary. The Institute was founded on the 8th of August, 1891, and now has 127 active members, as well as a number of influential gentlemen who are honorary members. There are four branches of the Institute, viz., at Auckland, Christ church, Dunedin, and Wellington. These each elect a chairman, a treasurer, and a secretary. The objects of the Institute are:—To admit members by examination, to promote the elevation of the status and the improvement of the qualifications of all members of the profession, and to exercise supervision over its members when engaged in professional duties, to promote friendly intercourse among its members, and to act as a means of communication between members and others seeking engagements and other matters. The council is the governing body of the Institute, and decides matters in dispute when submitted by the branches. During the session of 1895 a bill was passed through Parliament providing for the incorporation of the Institute. Negotiations are practically completed for the affiliation with the English Institute.

Mr. George Humphries, Hon. Secretary of the New Zealand Institute of Journalists, was born in 1859 in Wellington, and educated at Mr. Mowbray's school and at the Wellington High School, now Wellington College. For four years after leaving school Mr. Humphries was a clerk engaged in the Wellington office of Messrs. Brogden and Sons, the English railway contractors. In 1878 he joined the New Zealander newspaper as shipping reporter, and in the following year, on the establishment of the United Press Association of New Zealand by Mr. Gillon, he secured an appointment on the staff, which he has since retained. Mr. Humphries has always taken a deep interest in all kinds of sport, including cricket, football, racing, rowing and yachting. He holds the position of time-keeper to the Wellington Football Club, the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club, and the Wellington Cycling Club.

page 457
Mr. Geo. Humphries.

Mr. Geo. Humphries.

New Zealand Institute of Journalists (Wellington Branch). Officers: Messrs. R. A. Loughnan (chairman), J. Ilott J.P., (hon. treasurer), and H. R. Dix (hon. secretary). The control of the members is left to the various branches, who appeal to the council or governing body in case of any dispute arising. Five-eighths of the subscriptions which are collected by each branch, are retained to defray expenses, the balance of three-eights being payable to the Institute. An annual statement of accounts is returned to the council by each branch.