Harry J. Stephens

Harry James Stephens (c. 1866 – 25 August 1947) was an Australian journalist with a long career, mostly in Victoria and New South Wales agricultural districts. He was with The Farmer & Settler of Sydney for fourteen years and while editing that paper created Australia's first Country Party; later was editor of rival newspaper The Land.

History

He was successively editor of the Melbourne War Cry and reporter for the Launceston Daily Telegraph, then founder and editor of the Launceston Federalist; editor of the Charlton Tribune; managing editor of the Numurkah Leader; sub-editor of Sydney's Sunday Times.

He was chief sub-editor of The Farmer & Settler, Sydney 1906–1920. He founded the Country Party in 1912, with decentralisation, rural development and defence its primary concerns.^[1][2]

In 1920 he was founder and managing editor for C. J. De Garis of the Sunraysia Daily, Mildura;^[3] A year later, he purchased Wentworth's Western Advertiser from Frank Wilkinson.^[4] The newspaper failed financially and was placed in the hands of receivers.

In 1922 Stephens was, with R. M. Black, M. Young, M. J. Kelly, L. H. Iredale, and John Zimmer, a group of businessmen who came to the rescue of the insolvent Sunraysia Daily, sister publication of the Ouyen Mail.^[5] He left Mildura for Sydney in June 1923.^[6]

He was for two years editor and managing director of Mallee Newspapers Pty Ltd, which also published, at Ouyen, the Murrayville Mirror, Woomelang Sun, Mallee Harvester, and Underbool Mirror.^[7]

In December 1929 became editor of The Land, rival newspaper of The Farmer and Settler.^[8] It is possible he returned to the Farmer and Settler in 1932, as from 30 January 1932 to 22 July 1937 its banner was subtitled "Conducted by Uncle Wiseman", that being a known pseudonym.

He was publicity officer for the National Party in Sydney;

and Fruit Culture.

His last appointment was as executive of the A.B.C.'s Publicity Department.^[9]

References

1. "That Alleged Country Party". The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser. NSW. 4 July 1913. p. 2. Retrieved 16 April 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "The Country Party". The Leader. Orange, NSW. 7 December 1912. p. 8. Retrieved 16 April 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "The "Sunraysia Daily" Editor". The Mildura Cultivator. Vic. 7 July 1920. p. 14. Retrieved 16 April 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
4. "Mr Harry J. Stephens". Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record. Renmark, SA. 2 December 1921. p. 24. Retrieved 16 April 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "Sunraysia Daily". Ouyen Mail. No. 569. Victoria, Australia. 2 August 1922. p. 4. Retrieved 30 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "Women's Influence". Table Talk. Victoria, Australia. 14 June 1923. p. 33. Retrieved 30 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Personal". Ouyen Mail. No. 963. Victoria, Australia. 25 December 1929. p. 2. Retrieved 30 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "Personal". Sunraysia Daily. Vol. 10, no. 57. Victoria, Australia. 19 December 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 30 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "Death of Journalist Harry J. Stephens". The Times and Northern Advertiser, Peterborough, South Australia. SA. 12 September 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 16 April 2015 – via National Library of Australia.