Month: October 2016

Edward Smith Hall was of those early pioneers whose great work in winning for us the freedom of the Australian Press has been obscured by the more widely known achievements of Wentworth. Bom in London in 1786, Hall came to Australia in 1812 armed with letters of introduction to Governor Macquarie. Failing to gain Macquarie’s favour, he joined Simeon Lord in forming…

I resume my friend’s chronology:- “Died September 18 Mr. Edward Smith-Hall in the 75th year of his age. This gentleman I think was the first secretary of the Bank of New South Wales when that institution opened for business in Macquarie Place in 1817; he was also, I think, connected with the “Monitor” newspaper and had a ‘row’ over his pew…

Professor Anderson, the Wizard of the North, was a well-known magician who travelled the world putting on performances. When he was in Sydney in 1859, performing at the Prince of Wales Theatre, he offered two prizes for the best conundrums from a lady and gentleman, to be determined on a fixed night. The Professor, of course, made it a condition that the winner…

A gentleman supplies me with some very interesting particulars as to Mr. Charles Hamilton Nichols, one of the proprietors of “Bell’s Life” at the time of Professor Anderson’s conundrum prize-drawing. Mr. Nichols was one of the sons of Isaac Nichols, first Postmaster of New South Wales, and another of whose sons was George Robert Nichols, solicitor and barrister. At least he had the privilege of…