The Bunyip

File:The_Bunyip_first_issue.png

Originally a monthly publication, the first issue of The Bunyip, subtitled "Gawler Humbug Society's Chronicle"{{efn|Members of the Humbug Society included E. L. Grundy, L. S. Burton, George Isaacs, J. P. Stow, and Dr. George Nott (c. 1822–1872)}} was issued on 5 September 1863, consisted of eight pages and was priced at 6d.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article0 |title=[No heading]. |newspaper=Bunyip |location=Gawler, SA |date=5 September 1863 |accessdate=22 July 2013 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} The name was chosen because "the Bunyip is the true type of Australian Humbug!"{{cite web |url = http://www.bunyippress.com.au/fixed/history.html |title = The Bunyip |year = 2000 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060721004112/http://www.bunyippress.com.au/fixed/history.html |archivedate = 21 July 2006 |work = Home Page |publisher = The Bunyip, (Gawler's Weekly Newspaper) |quote = Beneath the nineteenth-century dignity of colonial Gawler ran an undercurrent of excitement. Somewhere in the mildness of the spring afternoon an antiquated press clacked out a monotonous rhythm with a purpose never before known in the town. Then the undercurrent burst in a wave of jubilation—Gawler's first newspaper, The Bunyip, was on the streets.}} It was warmly greeted by the South Australian Register, observing that it was "full of racy articles and local hits ... a very humorous article on the Gawler Agricultural Society's last dinner, which (was) not only very amusing but strictly correct ... (and should) undoubtedly prove a great success."{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50169648 |title=Gawler |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=7 September 1863 |accessdate=22 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} High praise indeed!

With the paper's success, publication increased to bi-monthly in February 1865 (there was none printed in January), appearing on the first and third Saturday of each month. With new printing machinery, the paper upsized to broadsheet format, and its title had become The Bunyip or Gawler Chronicle and Northern Advertiser.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39127645 |title=Advertising. |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=7 January 1865 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} The following year it became a weekly. By this time however, the paper's original offbeat stance had quite vanished and it had become a regular newspaper.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

With three newspapers published in Gawler at the time, conditions allowed William Barnet, the proprietor, to purchase rival the Gawler Times (5 March 1869 to 27 June 1873).{{Cite news|url=https://www.sacountrypress.com.au/index.php/gawler|title=Gawler|access-date=2018-03-05|language=en-gb}} Another rival, the weekly (later biweekly) Gawler Mercury (27 November 1875 – 8 July 1876){{Cite book|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/9731117|title=Gawler mercury|date=1875|publisher=Gawler, S. Aust. : Robert Henry Ball|language=English}} also folded after a brief run of less than nine months. In February 1885 The Bunyips building was destroyed by fire.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35977258 |title=Fire at Gawler |newspaper=The South Australian Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=27 February 1885 |accessdate=16 January 2015 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} Barnet again wasted no time in having its competitor of seven years, the Gawler Standard' (11 January 1878 – 27 February 1885), take over printing duties, then arranged with J. N. Richards (died 23 August 1886),{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44573843 |title=Obituary |newspaper=South Australian Register |volume=LI |issue=12,422 |location=South Australia |date=6 September 1886 |access-date=27 January 2022 |page=2 (Supplement to the South Australian Register.) |via=National Library of Australia}} its proprietor, for an immediate merger.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160735853 |title=Newspaper Changes at Gawler |newspaper=Adelaide Observer |date=7 March 1885 |accessdate=16 January 2015 |page=36 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

In January 1969, the newspaper absorbed the Junction and Gilbert Valley News, which had been published in Hamley Bridge since February 1940.{{Cite web|last=Laube|first=Anthony|title=LibGuides: SA Newspapers: F-L|url=http://guides.slsa.sa.gov.au/c.php?g=410317&p=2796342|access-date=2018-08-17|website=guides.slsa.sa.gov.au|language=en}}

The Bunyip's first issue elicited a libel case against the publisher, William Barnet, by one Dr. Home Popham who had set up a hospital in the town and who had advertised boastfully in The Northern Star. The court proceedings were a merry affair with Mr. Stow appearing for the defence and the jury found for the plaintiff, awarding damages of one shilling.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39125176 |title=Law and Criminal Courts |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=18 March 1864 |accessdate=22 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} Four years later, Barnet was sued in the SA. Supreme Court by Henry Edward Bright MP, for libel and found not guilty. This was greeted by both The Register and the Advertiser as a landmark decision.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39179686 |title=Law of Libel |newspaper=South Australian Register |location=Adelaide |date=29 February 1868 |accessdate=22 July 2013 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}

• William Barnet (1834–1895) married Hannah Burfield. His daughter Edith Violet Barnet married Frederic C. Custance, son of Professor John D. Custance in 1916.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59634198 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |volume=LXXXI |issue=21,630 |location=South Australia |date=7 March 1916 |accessdate=14 September 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• Robert Henry Barnet (c. 1869–1917) was third son of William and Hannah{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164135920 |title=Mr. Robert Henry Barnet. |newspaper=The Observer (Adelaide) |volume=LXXIV |issue=5,662 |location=South Australia |date=8 September 1917 |accessdate=14 September 2020 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• Frank L(indley) Barnet (1876–1941), a graduate of Roseworthy College,{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63780557 |title=Roseworthy Old Boys |newspaper=The Mail (Adelaide) |volume=12 |issue=605 |location=South Australia |date=22 December 1923 |accessdate=2 May 2016 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} was owner from 1917. He was fifth son of William and Hannah, married Clarice Isobel Carne in 1919.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96697244 |title=The Late Mr. F. L. Barnet |newspaper=The Bunyip |issue=4,753 |location=South Australia |date=28 March 1941 |accessdate=14 September 2020 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}
• Kenneth Lindley "Ken" Barnet (1919–2000) was son of Frank and Clarice.{{cite news |date=28 March 1941 |title=The Late Mr. F. L. Barnet |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96697244 |accessdate=8 February 2025 |newspaper=Bunyip |location=South Australia |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia |issue=4,753}}{{Cite news |date=2000-05-18 |title=Family Notices |work=Adelaide Advertiser |via=Ryerson Index}}
• John Barnet ran the paper from 1975.{{cite web|url=http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=2596|title=SA Newspapers: The Bunyip|publisher=State Library of South Australia|accessdate=2 May 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604081826/http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=2596|archivedate=4 June 2016}} Son of Ken, he married Rosemary Stephens in 1973.{{cite news |date=19 December 1973 |title=People and Fashion |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51196189 |accessdate=8 February 2025 |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly |location=Australia |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=41 |issue=29}}
• It remained in the Barnet family until 2003. It is now owned by the Taylor Group, also a family concern,{{cite web|url=https://www.bunyippress.com.au/the-bunyip-farewells-a-legend/|title=The Bunyip farewells a legend|publisher=The Bunyip|author=Rob McLean|date=16 July 2014|accessdate=2 May 2016}} who are also owners of the Murray Pioneer, based in Renmark.

{{more citations needed|date=February 2019}}

• Dr. George Nott 1863 to 1866{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59129354 |title=Concerning People |newspaper=The Register |location=Adelaide |date=28 September 1910 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• T. Godfrey 1867 to 1868 (went on to Wallaroo Times then New Zealand){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97205966 |title=Barossa Mining News. |newspaper=Bunyip |location=Gawler, SA |date=9 January 1874 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• J. B. Austin 1868 (then founded Gawler Times){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31987313 |title=Topics of the Day |newspaper=The South Australian Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=8 March 1869 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• Benjamin Hoare 1869 to 1871 (later to have an illustrious career with the Melbourne Age){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41139664 |title=Obituary |newspaper=The Cairns Post |location=Qld. |date=10 February 1932 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• Edward Grundy 1871 to 1875 (ex-parliamentarian and political aspirant 1875){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article77178089 |title=Our Adelaide Letter |newspaper=The Border Watch|location=Mount Gambier, SA |date=23 January 1875 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• George E. Loyau 1878 to 1879 (an important historian of the district){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106564926 |title=Our City Letter |newspaper=Kapunda Herald |location=SA |date=17 August 1880 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• Louis Joseph Wilson 1880 (arrested for embezzling £107 10s. 6d. from Mudla Wirra council, of which he was clerk. Was also secretary of the Jockey Club){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article106565422 |title=Gawler |newspaper=Kapunda Herald |location=SA |date=2 November 1880 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• Alfred Drakard 1881 to 1882
• Henry John "Harry" Congreve 1885 to 1890 (also prominent writer to Adelaide papers as "H. J. C."){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91074258 |title=Mrs. J. M. Congreve. |newspaper=The Chronicle |location=Adelaide |date=27 December 1934 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=14 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57522727 |title=A Versatile Octogenarian |newspaper=The Register |location=Adelaide |date=31 March 1909 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• E. H. Coombe 1890 to 1914
• Robert Barnet 1914 to 1917
• Leslie S. Duncan 1917 to c. 1945 Duncan was M.P. for Gawler, and with the Bunyip for 30 years.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97266974 |title=About 30 Years as Editor and Manager. |newspaper=The Northern Argus |location=Clare, SA |date=9 May 1946 |accessdate=23 July 2013 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
• Ken Barnet c. 1945 to c. 1965
• Paul Vincent c. 1965 to ??
• Ken Barnet
• John Barnet 1975 to 2003
• Terry Williams 2003 to 2004
• Heidi Helbig 2004
• Rob McLean 2011
• Grady Hudd 2016
• Nick Hopton 2021 to 2022
• Vanessa Rose 2022
• Brendan Simpkins 2022 to 2023
• Ben Lennon, November 2023 - current

Like other Taylor Group publications, the newspaper is also available online.{{Cite web|url=http://bunyip.realviewdigital.com/#folio=1|title=The Bunyip : April 18th 2018, Page 1|website=bunyip.realviewdigital.com|access-date=2018-04-21}}

• Bunyip

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://bunyippress.com.au/ Company website]
• [http://www.gawler.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/The_Bunyip.pdf "The Bunyip": Gawler Public Library Historical Pamphlet No. 5]

{{South Australia newspapers}}

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Category:Newspapers published in South Australia

Category:Newspapers established in 1863

Category:Gawler, South Australia

Category:Newspapers on Trove

Category:Weekly newspapers published in Australia