AustLit

Founded by Louisa Lawson, the paper was later bought by Sydney journalist Pattie Fotheringhame (Mrs J. Fotheringhame) and her sister-in-law, Josephine Fotheringhame. 'Under their sympathetic partnership, the paper prospered and came to mean something big and worth- while to the young folk, who were not catered for then as now ! To them it was like a friendly club, encouraging them and spurring them on to win literary laurels, and many of the boys and girls who have since attained prominence in the world of letters had their early efforts sponsored by this fairy godmother among papers. Ethel Turner, whose books have long delighted the boys and girls of Australia, had some early work published therein, also Ruth Bedford, Alice Guerin, and a number of well-known Sydney journalists, and writers, lovers of children, were in its pages, among them Robert Louis Stevenson, who, when in Sydney, wrote a special set of verses for the paper; and Mary Gilmore, whose poems are known far and wide. Then there was Louis Becke, of South Sea fame, and Alex. Montgomery and David Souter—who also provided many of the pictures, while artist Harry Julius had his first sketch printed in the paper at the mature age of 9! And then there was Josephine Fotheringhame herself, who delighted the young folk with her stories of valour and romance' (Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday 17 October 1936, p.13)