Editing The Bunyip
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Originally a monthly publication, the first issue of ''The Bunyip'', subtitled "''Gawler Humbug Society's Chronicle''"{{efn|Members of the Humbug Society included [[E. L. Grundy]], [[L. S. Burton]], [[George Isaacs (author)|George Isaacs]], [[J. P. Stow]], and Dr. George Nott (c. 1822–1872)}} was issued on 5 September 1863, consisted of eight pages and was priced at 6d.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article0 |title=[No heading]. |newspaper=Bunyip |location=Gawler, SA |date=5 September 1863 |accessdate=22 July 2013 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The name was chosen because "the [[Bunyip]] is the true type of Australian Humbug!"<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bunyippress.com.au/fixed/history.html |title = The Bunyip |year = 2000 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060721004112/http://www.bunyippress.com.au/fixed/history.html |archivedate = 21 July 2006 |work = Home Page |publisher = The Bunyip, (Gawler's Weekly Newspaper) |quote = Beneath the nineteenth-century dignity of colonial Gawler ran an undercurrent of excitement. Somewhere in the mildness of the spring afternoon an antiquated press clacked out a monotonous rhythm with a purpose never before known in the town. Then the undercurrent burst in a wave of jubilation—Gawler's first newspaper, ''The Bunyip'', was on the streets.}}</ref> It was warmly greeted by the ''[[South Australian Register]]'', observing that it was "full of racy articles and local hits ... a very humorous article on the Gawler Agricultural Society's last dinner, which (was) not only very amusing but strictly correct ... (and should) undoubtedly prove a great success."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50169648 |title=Gawler |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]] |location=Adelaide |date=7 September 1863 |accessdate=22 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} High praise indeed!</ref> |
Originally a monthly publication, the first issue of ''The Bunyip'', subtitled "''Gawler Humbug Society's Chronicle''"{{efn|Members of the Humbug Society included [[E. L. Grundy]], [[L. S. Burton]], [[George Isaacs (author)|George Isaacs]], [[J. P. Stow]], and Dr. George Nott (c. 1822–1872)}} was issued on 5 September 1863, consisted of eight pages and was priced at 6d.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article0 |title=[No heading]. |newspaper=Bunyip |location=Gawler, SA |date=5 September 1863 |accessdate=22 July 2013 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The name was chosen because "the [[Bunyip]] is the true type of Australian Humbug!"<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bunyippress.com.au/fixed/history.html |title = The Bunyip |year = 2000 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060721004112/http://www.bunyippress.com.au/fixed/history.html |archivedate = 21 July 2006 |work = Home Page |publisher = The Bunyip, (Gawler's Weekly Newspaper) |quote = Beneath the nineteenth-century dignity of colonial Gawler ran an undercurrent of excitement. Somewhere in the mildness of the spring afternoon an antiquated press clacked out a monotonous rhythm with a purpose never before known in the town. Then the undercurrent burst in a wave of jubilation—Gawler's first newspaper, ''The Bunyip'', was on the streets.}}</ref> It was warmly greeted by the ''[[South Australian Register]]'', observing that it was "full of racy articles and local hits ... a very humorous article on the Gawler Agricultural Society's last dinner, which (was) not only very amusing but strictly correct ... (and should) undoubtedly prove a great success."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50169648 |title=Gawler |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]] |location=Adelaide |date=7 September 1863 |accessdate=22 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} High praise indeed!</ref> |
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With the paper's success, publication increased to bi-monthly in February 1865 (there was none printed in January), appearing on the first and third Saturday of each month. With new printing machinery, the paper |
With the paper's success, publication increased to bi-monthly in February 1865 (there was none printed in January), appearing on the first and third Saturday of each month. With new printing machinery, the paper up-sized to [[broadsheet]] format, and its title had become ''The Bunyip or Gawler Chronicle and Northern Advertiser''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39127645 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]] |location=Adelaide |date=7 January 1865 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The following year it became a weekly.<!--Alas years 1866 to 1868 are missing from Trove's database--> By this time however, the paper's original offbeat stance had quite vanished and it had become a regular newspaper.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} |
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With three newspapers published in Gawler at the time, conditions allowed William Barnet, the proprietor, to purchase rival the '''''Gawler Times''''' (5 March 1869 to 27 June 1873).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sacountrypress.com.au/index.php/gawler|title=Gawler|access-date=2018-03-05|language=en-gb}}</ref> Another rival, the weekly (later biweekly) '''''Gawler Mercury''''' (27 November 1875 – 8 July 1876)<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/9731117|title=Gawler mercury|date=1875|publisher=Gawler, S. Aust. : Robert Henry Ball|language=English}}</ref> also folded after a brief run of less than nine months. In February 1885 ''The Bunyip'''s building was destroyed by fire.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35977258 |title=Fire at Gawler |newspaper=[[The South Australian Advertiser]] |location=Adelaide |date=27 February 1885 |accessdate=16 January 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Barnet again wasted no time in having its competitor of seven years, the '''''Gawler Standard''''' (11 January 1878 – 27 February 1885), take over printing duties, then arranged with J. N. Richards (died 23 August 1886),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44573843 |title=Obituary |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]] |volume=LI |issue=12,422 |location=South Australia |date=6 September 1886 |access-date=27 January 2022 |page=2 (Supplement to the South Australian Register.) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> its proprietor, for an immediate merger.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160735853 |title=Newspaper Changes at Gawler |newspaper=[[Adelaide Observer]] |date=7 March 1885 |accessdate=16 January 2015 |page=36 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |
With three newspapers published in Gawler at the time, conditions allowed William Barnet, the proprietor, to purchase rival the '''''Gawler Times''''' (5 March 1869 to 27 June 1873).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sacountrypress.com.au/index.php/gawler|title=Gawler|access-date=2018-03-05|language=en-gb}}</ref> Another rival, the weekly (later biweekly) '''''Gawler Mercury''''' (27 November 1875 – 8 July 1876)<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/9731117|title=Gawler mercury|date=1875|publisher=Gawler, S. Aust. : Robert Henry Ball|language=English}}</ref> also folded after a brief run of less than nine months. In February 1885 ''The Bunyip'''s building was destroyed by fire.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35977258 |title=Fire at Gawler |newspaper=[[The South Australian Advertiser]] |location=Adelaide |date=27 February 1885 |accessdate=16 January 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Barnet again wasted no time in having its competitor of seven years, the '''''Gawler Standard''''' (11 January 1878 – 27 February 1885), take over printing duties, then arranged with J. N. Richards (died 23 August 1886),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44573843 |title=Obituary |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]] |volume=LI |issue=12,422 |location=South Australia |date=6 September 1886 |access-date=27 January 2022 |page=2 (Supplement to the South Australian Register.) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> its proprietor, for an immediate merger.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160735853 |title=Newspaper Changes at Gawler |newspaper=[[Adelaide Observer]] |date=7 March 1885 |accessdate=16 January 2015 |page=36 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> |