Sally Bloomfield – ANDREW BENT: Father of the Free Press in Australia

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…