View source for The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal

{{Short description|Former newspaper in NSW, Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Italic title}}
[[File:The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal 28 May 1851.PNG|thumb|Front page of the first issue titled as ''The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal'', 28 May 1851.]]
'''''The Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal''''', also published as ''The Bathurst Free Press'', ''Bathurst Times'', ''Bathurst Argus'', ''Bathurst Daily Argus'', ''Western Times'' and ''Western Advocate'', was a semiweekly English language broadsheet [[newspaper]] published in [[Bathurst, New South Wales]], [[Australia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-title56|title = Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal (NSW : 1851 - 1904)|access-date = 29 January 2015|website = Trove|publisher = National Library of Australia}}</ref>
==History==
''The Bathurst Free Press'' took over from [[Bathurst Advocate|''The Bathurst Advocate'']] and was first published on 6 October 1849 by William Farrand. It sought to differentiate itself from the Advocate by changing its title and "being permitted to speak for ourselves in the plural, rather than the singular number".<ref name=":0" />  The paper changed its title again on 28 May 1851 to ''Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal'' alongside an increase in its subscription rate due to the "pressing demands for early intelligence from the Gold Country".<ref name=panpa>{{cite journal|last=Kirkpatrick|first=Rod|title=Read all about it: Bathurst editor jailed for assault|journal=P.A.N.P.A. Bulletin|date=March 1998|pages=62–64}}</ref>
In 1859, John Charles White took over the publication over the newspaper and it remained in the family's occupation until it ceased distribution in March 1904. In 1884 White's sons [[Charles White (writer)|Charles]] and Gloster White took over as editor and business manager respectively. As editor, Charles used the paper as a platform to advocate for free trade and Federation. This eventually led to a backlash from the community, as local protectionists were openly criticised. Consequently, Charles sold his share of the paper to Gloster in 1902.<ref name="ADB">{{cite web|title=White, Charles (1845–1922)|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/white-charles-4834|publisher=Australian Dictionary of Biography|access-date=21 March 2013|author=Theo Barker}}</ref>
The newspaper merged with ''The Bathurst Times'' (which had been in publication since 1858<ref>{{cite web|title=Bathurst Times|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b1164613~S2|publisher=SLNSW catalogue|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref>) in 1904 and was renamed ''The Bathurst Argus''.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Bathurst Argus|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b3346001~S2|publisher=State Library of NSW catalogue|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref> Later that year it was renamed ''The Bathurst Daily Argus'' and was published under this name until 1909.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Bathurst Daily Argus|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b1156903~S2|publisher=State Library of NSW|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref> From 1909 to 1936, the newspaper was published at different times as Bathurst Times and Western Times<ref>{{cite web|title=Bathurst Times 1909-1925|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b1174354~S2|publisher=State Library of NSW catalogue|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Western Times 1926-1931|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b1174365~S2|work=SLNSW Catalogue|publisher=State Library of NSW|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bathurst Times 1931-1936|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b2188947~S2|work=SLNSW catalogue|publisher=State Library of NSW|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref> before being published as ''The Western Times'' from 1936-1963<ref>{{cite web|title=Western Times 1936-1963|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b2188949~S2|work=SLNSW catalogue|publisher=State Library of NSW|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref> when it was absorbed by ''[[The National Advocate]]'' and both papers were published as the ''Western Advocate''.<ref name="Western Advocate">{{cite web|title=Western Advocate|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b1173029~S2|work=SLNSW catalogue|publisher=State Library of NSW|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref> ''The National Advocate'' had been in publication since 1889.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Advocate|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b3453534~S2|work=SLNSW catalogue|publisher=State Library of NSW|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref>
The ''Western Times'' split from the ''Western Advocate'' in 1981.<ref name="Western Times">{{cite web|title=Western Times|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b2188914~S2|work=SLNSW catalogue|publisher=State Library of NSW|access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref> Both papers remain in publication.<ref name="Western Advocate"/><ref name="Western Times"/>
===Publication history===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Publication name !! Commenced publication !! Ceased publication
|-
| Bathurst Free Press|| 1849 ||1851
|-
| Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal|| 1851||1904
|-
| Bathurst Times|| 1858||1904
|-
| National Advocate||1889||1963
|-
| Bathurst Argus|| 1904||1904
|-
| Bathurst Daily Argus || 1904 || 1909
|-
| Bathurst Times||1909||1925
|-
| Western Times||1926||1931
|-
| Bathurst Times||1931||1936
|-
| Western Times||1936||1963
|-
| Western Advocate||1963||
|-
| Western Times||1981|| 2021
|}
==Digitisation==
The paper has been digitised as part of the [[Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program]] project of the [[National Library of Australia]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Newspaper and magazine titles|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/about|work=Trove |publisher=National Library of Australia|access-date=22 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Newspaper Digitisation Program|url=http://www.nla.gov.au/content/newspaper-digitisation-program|publisher=National Library of Australia|access-date=22 May 2013}}</ref><ref name=Brown>{{cite journal|last=Brown|first=Jerelynn|title=Tabloids in the State Library of NSW collection: A reflection of life in Australia|journal=Australian Journal of Communication|year=2011|volume=38|issue=2|pages=107–121}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of newspapers in Australia]]
* [[List of newspapers in New South Wales]]
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* {{trove newspaper|55|Bathurst Free Press|NSW : 1849 - 1851}}
* {{trove newspaper|56|Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal|NSW : 1851 - 1904}}
* {{trove newspaper|674|The Bathurst Daily Argus|NSW : 1909}}
* {{trove newspaper|482|The Bathurst Times|NSW : 1909 - 1925}}
* [http://www.westernadvocate.com.au/ Western Advocate]
* [http://www.nla.gov.au/anplan/heritage/NewspaperChronology.html%20 Press timeline]: Select chronology of significant Australian press events to 2011
* [http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/birth-of-the-newspaper The birth of the newspaper in Australia]
* Isaacs, Victor, Kirkpatrick, Rod and Russell, John (2004). [http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv/UQ:9521/anb_rk.pdf Australian Newspaper History: A Bibliography]
* Isaacs, Victor; Kirkpatrick, Rod, [http://www.nla.gov.au/sites/default/files/sydnews.pdf Two hundred years of Sydney newspapers: A short history], Rural Press Ltd
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, The}}
[[Category:Bathurst, New South Wales]]
[[Category:Defunct newspapers published in New South Wales]]