1.40pm on 4 June 1824

The moment in time when the gentleman editor and official censor of the Hobart Town Gazette, Henry Emmett Esq, realised that the printer, Andrew Bent, was deliberately going to press without his prior approval

A Moment in Time…

From this date, 4 June 1824, Andrew Bent’s Hobart Town Gazette threw off the shackles of official censorship – a position which was sustained and defended over subsequent weeks, months and years despite Lt Governor Arthur’s best efforts to subjugate the press. On this day and by his conduct, the…Continue reading “A Moment in Time…”

Paper in mourning

On 19 October 1827 Andrew Bent issued what must surely be one of the most curious newspapers ever printed in Australia—the famous ‘mourning’ issue of the Colonial Times. It was…

Family

A long shadow

13 May 202213 May 2022

During the latter part of his life Andrew Bent’s mental health deteriorated badly, a process which may well have begun before he left Hobart early in 1839. Letters he wrote…

James Austin

11 Mar 20228 Mar 2022

Of all the friendships Andrew Bent formed in Hobart Town his bond with James Austin, an original Calcutta convict, ran especially deep. Their relationship appears to have been one of…

Crim. Con.

24 Sep 202117 Sep 2021

In my list of Andrew Bent’s printing I have included a number of items which, while known to have been printed and published, have no surviving copies. There were also…

Bentfield part 2

11 Aug 202111 Aug 2021

On 19 July 1828 Andrew Bent—who had grown up in the slums of London, spent his entire working life as a printer, and knew next to nothing about farming—became the…

Bentfield part 1

3 Aug 20214 Aug 2021

One measure of Andrew Bent’s early success was the amount of real estate he accumulated. He owned several properties in Hobart Town and two small farms at Glenorchy, one granted…

Events

Memorial Lunch

6 May 20216 May 2021

On 1 May 2021, the Hobart Friends of the ABC held an event to highlight World Press Freedom Day. In doing so they paid tribute to one of the pioneers…

Benjamin Bent

12 Mar 202113 May 2022

Benjamin Bent, the middle of the three Bent brothers, arrived in Australia, like his two siblings, as a transported felon. He had his first encounter with the magistrates, and first…

Bookbinding (2)

11 Sep 202014 Sep 2020

Rivals and Arrivals The eighteen thirties saw an expansion of bookbinding activity in Van Diemen's Land and the arrival of at least two skilled free workmen, GEORGE HOWARD and GEORGE…

Bookbinding (1)

28 Aug 202031 Aug 2020

1827 HTG (detail) This account of Tasmanian colonial bookbinding, in two parts, examines Andrew Bent’s involvement, but also touches on others who offered bookbinding services either as entrepreneurs or practical…

Digitisation

8 May 202011 Mar 2021

Update October 2020 An increasing amount of Andrew Bent's printing output is becoming available online thanks to the fantastic digitisation work of the holding institutions (especially the National Library of…

George Clark

28 Apr 20207 Aug 2022

George Clark was Andrew Bent’s predecessor as Government Printer in Van Diemen's Land. His time as a printer in Hobart Town, from around 1810 to 1815, was relatively short and…

Family

Mary Bent

21 Feb 202013 May 2022

Andrew Bent’s Irish born wife, Mary Kirk, arrived in Van Diemen’s Land, like her husband, as a convict. We know she played a central role in his story for thirty…

Early Almanacs

8 Nov 201919 Oct 2020

Andrew Bent’s seven almanacs, published annually from 1824 to 1830, collectively comprise some of his most significant printing. Their survival rate has in general been better than that of his…

Family

Richard Bent

29 Jul 201913 May 2022

Richard was the youngest of Andrew Bent’s known siblings and the last of the three Bent brothers to be transported. Like his two older brothers he had a useful trade.…

Last days

28 Jun 201928 Jun 2019

DIED ... At the Benevolent Asylum, on the 26th instant, Mr. Andrew Bent, printer, aged 55 years, formerly of Van Diemen's Land. (Sydney Morning Herald 28 Aug. 1851) How had…

“Michael Howe” turns 200!

15 Mar 201915 Mar 2019

Today - 15 March 2019 - is a special anniversary in the annals of Australian printing and publishing. Two hundred years ago in Hobart Town emancipist printer Andrew Bent published…

Philip Street

26 Oct 201826 Oct 2018

Philip Street was convicted alongside Andrew Bent at the Old Bailey on 1 November 1810. Philip's family background helps to explain why he was granted a full pardon for their…

Stanhope Press

12 Oct 201812 Oct 2018

Collection: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. S1973.104 Photo courtesy of TMAG For over eighty years it was generally believed that the Stanhope press in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery…