While browsing through a newsaper recently, it struck me as to just how different reports of yesterday are compared to what is deemed important today. We are overwhelmed with the news of today, with politics and sport and celebrities or 'would be's... We read of natural and man made disasters with such frequency that it easy to gloss over all but the most severe, in a manner of indifference.
After all, it it hasn't happened today, it's sure to tomorrow and besides, we can catch up on the evening television news, or the radio, or online...or any manner of ways...
Yesterday, in fact, many yesterdays ago, news, as such, was far more limited... maybe you found out what was happening around you on market day, or perhaps a visiting farmer from up the road, a traveller... or in the villages, at the local inn, at church or even in some places, from the town crier.
 |
| an-unamed-photo-of-what-could-be-the-first-hotel-in-the-rocks.jpg Courtesy of State Archives NSW |
Local news was all you got, rarely did you hear what was happening in other towns, nevertheless other countries. Today, someone sneezes in London and someone offers a tissue in New Zealand.
I have written before about the founding of Australia's first newspaper, The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW: 1803-1842)... you can read the earlier posts here and here.
It not only contained local news, but the government news, proclamations, rules and regulations.. and of course, shipping details, among other things. After all, shipping was the only means of transport from outside of the newly settled colony.
Browsing through the following edition,
Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Thursday 22 May 1823, page 2 (8)
National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2181883
was quite revealing.
Firstly, we learn that the Magistrate for the week was John Oxley, ESQ. Sound familiar?
Then we get the prices of necessities... Now that's a lot of bread, wonder if it lasted longer than what we have today?
Market prices were a little different to today's..
potatoes 8s. (shillings) per cwt..
1 cwt (hundredweight) equals 50.8023 kilos..
8s. in the old money (Australia) was about 80cents...
On to the Ship News...
ships were from all over the place... Calcutta, via Hobart Town..
from the sperm fishery, wherever that was, and of course, whale sperm.. also England, and Port Dalrymple (George Town Tasmania)
They brought people, supplies and news...
Judicial appointments were published, though there does seem to some doubt as to who will ultimately be appointed as Judge of the Colony in this report..maybe not Alexander Forbes Esq. as first mentioned, is it to be Francis Forbes, Esq. instead? (above page)
The Wesleyan Sydney Sunday School Union made the news... and promoted the benefits of sending children to Sunday School.
A true change of subject... the foundation stone being laid for the Sydney Distillery.. and the hope 'that the settlers would find New Holland's Gin equally as palatable as Bengal Rum.'
Now on to much less serious matters (?)
'unfeeling monsters, called carters and drivers'
William Barber, convict was charged with 'britally beating and flogging a colt'.. that earned him 200 lashes...and transported to Port Macquarie, a much harsher environment, for the remainder of his sentence.
One of a number of books available through the Publications of Port Macquarie Historical Society.
Today he would be most likely be out on bail with a good behaviour bond...
A 'melancholy task' ..reporting the decease of Nicholas Bayly Esq. late Cashier of the Bank of New South Wales.. who 'left a very large family of children (now orphans)' as their mother had died some 3 years prior after the birth of her ninth child.
Then we read of a bad accident and a poor old woman, who was beaten 'in a most inhuman manner' taking advantage of the fact that her son had been quite injured.
Straight after that, there are a number of 'unhappy men' sentenced to death.. George Richardson, Robert Oldham, Wm. Davis and Ralph Churton. James Smith saved them the trouble by hanging himself prior to the execution of the others.
Others, had their sentences commuted and escaped the gallows.. however they were given 'labour in irons for life'.
They were Richard Somerton, Charles Curran, James Woods, Joseph Byrne alias Dempsey, and James Woodward.
More shipping news, listing a number of passengers.. 28 in all, on the Lusitania, which arrived on Friday April 25, 1823 from England..
and then a report of the bad weather the ships had faced...
In summary, how does this compare to today's newspapers?
It seems to be a lot more practical in some ways, more sensational in others and yet they still painted a great picture of life in the colony. Considering that many were illiterate, you can picture those who could read being surrounded by many listening...did they add a bit of drama in their voices, or merely present the news in their normal way.. were there oohs and aahs from the listeners, were they horrified at the list of executions or yell out in agreement?
We will never know, but what it does show, is that we will always be hungry for news...
was quite revealing.
Firstly, we learn that the Magistrate for the week was John Oxley, ESQ. Sound familiar?
Then we get the prices of necessities... Now that's a lot of bread, wonder if it lasted longer than what we have today?
potatoes 8s. (shillings) per cwt..
1 cwt (hundredweight) equals 50.8023 kilos..
8s. in the old money (Australia) was about 80cents...
On to the Ship News...
ships were from all over the place... Calcutta, via Hobart Town..
from the sperm fishery, wherever that was, and of course, whale sperm.. also England, and Port Dalrymple (George Town Tasmania)
They brought people, supplies and news...
Judicial appointments were published, though there does seem to some doubt as to who will ultimately be appointed as Judge of the Colony in this report..maybe not Alexander Forbes Esq. as first mentioned, is it to be Francis Forbes, Esq. instead? (above page)
The Wesleyan Sydney Sunday School Union made the news... and promoted the benefits of sending children to Sunday School.
 |
| 1848 Project Gutenberg Australia |
A true change of subject... the foundation stone being laid for the Sydney Distillery.. and the hope 'that the settlers would find New Holland's Gin equally as palatable as Bengal Rum.'
Now on to much less serious matters (?)
'unfeeling monsters, called carters and drivers'
William Barber, convict was charged with 'britally beating and flogging a colt'.. that earned him 200 lashes...and transported to Port Macquarie, a much harsher environment, for the remainder of his sentence.
One of a number of books available through the Publications of Port Macquarie Historical Society.Today he would be most likely be out on bail with a good behaviour bond...
A 'melancholy task' ..reporting the decease of Nicholas Bayly Esq. late Cashier of the Bank of New South Wales.. who 'left a very large family of children (now orphans)' as their mother had died some 3 years prior after the birth of her ninth child.
Then we read of a bad accident and a poor old woman, who was beaten 'in a most inhuman manner' taking advantage of the fact that her son had been quite injured.
Straight after that, there are a number of 'unhappy men' sentenced to death.. George Richardson, Robert Oldham, Wm. Davis and Ralph Churton. James Smith saved them the trouble by hanging himself prior to the execution of the others.
The hanging of Moonlight and Rogan 1880 Darlinghurst Gaol
Others, had their sentences commuted and escaped the gallows.. however they were given 'labour in irons for life'.
They were Richard Somerton, Charles Curran, James Woods, Joseph Byrne alias Dempsey, and James Woodward.
More shipping news, listing a number of passengers.. 28 in all, on the Lusitania, which arrived on Friday April 25, 1823 from England..
 |
| "Lusitania" |
In summary, how does this compare to today's newspapers?
It seems to be a lot more practical in some ways, more sensational in others and yet they still painted a great picture of life in the colony. Considering that many were illiterate, you can picture those who could read being surrounded by many listening...did they add a bit of drama in their voices, or merely present the news in their normal way.. were there oohs and aahs from the listeners, were they horrified at the list of executions or yell out in agreement?
We will never know, but what it does show, is that we will always be hungry for news...
thank you good read interesting
ReplyDeleteThank you, June. I appreciate your comment.
Delete