AustLit

The Southern Queensland Bulletin began at Southport on 28 March 1885 'with Patrick Joseph Macnamara as proprietor and editor ... While developing his newspaper and printery, Macnamara became involved in community affairs. In 1888 Macnamara stood unsuccessfully for the newly created Queensland electorate of Albert and waged his campaign through the columns of the Bulletin. In 1891 he was elected to the Southport Shire Council and in 1892 became its president. There are no extant files showing when Macnamara’s proprietorship of the paper ended, but he – with wife Isabella and their six children – joined the ill-fated expedition in 1893 to establish a New Australia in Paraguay.

‘A group of Southport business people, trading as Davenport Newspapers, continued the newspaper and printery. One of those involved was Helena Davenport, who, with her mother, was conducting a private deportment school for girls at Southport. Helena wrote all the leading articles for the Bulletin. There were other changes of ownership before James Shepherd bought it on September 1, 1895, and changed the title to the Logan and Albert Bulletin.

Source: Kirkpatrick, Rod. ‘Bulletin Struggled Early but Boomed with the Gold Coast.’ PANPA Bulletin (May 2005): 56-57.

Sighted: 29/10/2013