Recapturing The
p. 98 · Read in the full issue
Flavour Of
Early Sydney
The second volume of Aus tralia’s first newspaper, the Sydney Gazette and New South
Wales Advertiser, covering the
12 months from March, 1804, to February, 1805, has been produced in facsimile. The first volume appeared in 1963. rFHE reproduction has been by ■*- modern offset lithography, but the task has been formidable.
Sometimes the original copies of the newspaper from which the re production was made have deteriora ted in the 150 years since they were printed.
Sometimes the copies were poor even when fresh from the Press, because the type had been unevenly inked, or some letters were broken or missing altogether.
Nonetheless the reproduction not only has great curiosity value but is a mine of information for the historically minded. The newspaper was Government-owned and George Howe, its first printer-editor, was an ex-convict.
The background of the life of the infant colony is laid bare in its pages of uneven type where advertise ments, Government proclamations and news items appear side by side, without any apparent order.
Payment In Kind
Serjt. Packer, of Pitt’s Row, advertises a great list of goods from “best tea” to “fancy cambrick”. and intimates that although a liberal allowance will be given for “ready money”, good wheat will be accepted in payment.
The Government, on the other hand, announces that so many swine have been received in payment of Government debts that no more will be received until further notice.
William Thomas Evans, of brown complexion, dark brown hair (tied), and Joshua Glover Maude, of yellow complexion and light brown hair (cropped), both of South Wales, have deserted their ship Calcutta and respectable residents are warned not to employ either of them.
A convict, committed on a charge of stealing a parcel of buttons from the dwelling house of John Holt, was
examined and sentenced to 1C lashes and work in the Gaol Gam Appropriately, just above this ite; (culture not being entirely neglected appears a verse called The Visic of Melancholy.
The use, in the body type, of tK letter “f” where we would use “s makes the old newspapers eve quainter. “Passion” spelt “Paffion surely has a more raffish look ths George Howe intended.
The second facsimile edition has modern index and like Vol. I published under the Dixson Found;! tion by the Public Library of NSW i association with Angus and Roben son Ltd.
(The Sydney Gazette —Vol. I
63/-.)