AustLit

Arden's Sydney Magazine was George Arden's second editorial venture in Australia. He began the Port Phillip Gazette in 1838 (at the age of approximately eighteen) and continued with that paper until 1842 when financial difficulties forced him out. By 1843, Arden was the Port Jackson correspondent for the Port Phillip Herald and during the same year he launched his Sydney Magazine.

In his first 'Editor's Address', Arden offered some 'extenuating remarks for the frequent faults' that appeared within the pages of the first number—he had composed nearly the entire issue himself and 'the exertion to produce variety in the original articles ... demanded no little versatility of mood and imagination'. Arden noted that 'little more than a fortnight' was available for the 'composing, illustrating, arranging, compiling and printing' of the first issue.

The second, and final, number of the Sydney Magazine carried another 'Editor's Address'. On this occasion, Arden stated that his design in publishing the magazine was to 'improve the taste of the public for literary habits' and to encourage 'works of art'. In relation to the latter purporse, Arden attracted the services of artist J. S. Prout and the magazine carried samples of Prout's work including his illustration of Sydney's Tank Stream. (Other versions of this drawing are held by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.)

In its only two appearances, the Sydney Magazine canvassed a range of issues of importance to New South Wales including the prospect of a colonial constitution and the 'Civilization of the Aborigines'. It also began an 'Early History of Port Phillip', provided a round-up of colonial news, and produced a 'memoir' of Benjamin Boyd. While the first issue contained original poetry, no poetry was included in the second issue.

Following the demise of the Sydney Magazine, George Arden returned to England before again settling in the Port Phillip District. According to his biographical record in the Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, in May 1854 Arden 'was found dead on Bakery Hill, Ballarat—childless, still young, dismissed by his peers as a man of talent and power cut down by his own intemperance'.

Sources: Arden's Sydney Magazine, and Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition.

John Fawkner used the Launceston Advertiser 'as "the active and avowed friend of the emancipist class in Van Diemen's Land, dealing heavy and repeated blows upon officialdom and the reputed respectable class in the island". He attacked capital punishment in a colony that valued "a man's life at less than a sheep", and made forceful remarks on cruelty to assigned servants.'

Henry Dowling, who had worked on the newspaper, became editor and publisher in 1831.

During his time with the newspaper Dowling relinquished the proprietorship but continued his involvement with the newspaper, 'the cares and labours of a journalist', until the paper's cessation on the last day of December 1846.

Sources: Hugh Anderson, 'Fawkner, John Pascoe (1792 - 1869)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 368-370; Isabella J. Mead, 'Dowling, Henry (1810 - 1885)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 316-317 (sighted online 30/03/2011); [Henry Dowling], 'Our Farewell', Launceston Advertiser (31 December 1846): 2-3.