New Colony on Swan River: Early News Coverage

The New Colony On the Swan River, Three newspapers (The Hobart Town Courier of August 8 & November 14, 1829 and Trewman's Exeter Flying Post of May 3, 1832) all of which include significant items on the newly established settlement on the Swan River in what would later be re-named Western Australia. The first article is a report from Captain Stirling, dated April 1827, in which he discusses the various options for anchorage, the type of land to be found and the number of days it takes to reach the coast from England, Cape of Good Hope, etc, the last carries quite a bit of information including 'A weekly newspaper, called the Western Australian, has been published at Freemantle. It is of a very small size, but this is accounted for in the fourth number, in which it is stated that 'in the printing and compositor's department we have but one person to act, there being no other in the colony...'. (3 complete editions).