John Fairfax: Busy for Both Worlds

A bankrupt English printer arrives in 1838 Sydney, finds courage, and builds a lasting media legacy.

In September 1838, a bankrupt 32-year-old printer from England approached Sydney on the sailing ship Lady Fitzherbert. On seeing the high cliffs outside Port Jackson his courage broke and he wept. What would become of him and his young family in this remote colony? Time answered unequivocally. From this unlikely beginning, he experienced remarkable success at the Sydney Morning Herald, becoming Australia’s first press baron and founding a media dynasty, and made a far-reaching contribution to the social and economic development of New South Wales and Australia. His name was John Fairfax, and this is his story.

Table of Contents

Foreword; Fairfax Family Preface; Author’s Preface; Abbreviations; Part 1: Beginnings; 1. Heritage; 2. Early Years in Business and Journalism; 3. The Leamington Chronicle; Part 2: Travail and Triumph; 4. Disaster and Departure; 5. Sydney: A New Beginning; 6. Early Days at The Sydney Morning Herald; 7. Kemp and Fairfax; 8. The ‘Fast and Furious’ 1850s; 9. The Granny and the Empire; 10. Politics, Politics …; Part 3: Heralding the News; 11. ‘My wigs, won’t he catch it’!; 12. Church, Education and Society; 13. Free Trade and Intercolonial Union; 14. Unlock the Lands!; 15. The Secret Ballot, Democracy and Manhood Suffrage; 16. What Became of the ‘Leamington Liberal’?; Part 4: Faith; 17. Faith and Family; 18. Faith, Church and Philanthropy; 19. Faith and Home Mission; Part 5: Fairfax at Large; 20. ‘Hercules’: The AMP Society; 21. Wider Commercial Involvement; 22. Wider Civic Engagement; Part 6: ‘Angels Ever Bright and Fair’; 23. Love and Loss; 24. Sunset; 25. Tribute; 26. Succession and Appraisal; An ode to John Fairfax; Acknowledgements; Notes; Bibliography; Index