Edward Alexander Vidler migrated to Australia in 1888, having previously worked for a number of years with the London publishing firm Cassell & Co. On arrival in Melbourne, he initially found employment as a journalist, but after a short period moved to Geelong, where he became editor and part-proprietor of The Evening News. In the late 1890s he then returned to Melbourne, where he edited the weekly arts magazine Tatler, before taking up an appointment with bookseller George Robertson & Co, as head of their publishing department. In 1918, whilst continuing to work as a journalist and literary agent, Vidler then started his own publishing business, which he used to promote works by Australian authors and artists. However, the venture was not a financial success, and it eventually folded in 1930. In addition to his literary and arts interests, Vidler was also a keen naturalist, and in the 1930s he wrote and published several books on native Australian flora and fauna.