John Fairfax
John Fairfax | |
|---|---|
 John Fairfax c. 1861 | |
| Member of Legislative Council of New South Wales | |
| In office 3 November 1874 – 16 June 1877 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 October 1804 Barford, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 16 June 1877 (aged 72) Sydney, Australia |
| Resting place | Rookwood Cemetery |
| Spouse |
Sarah Reading (m. 1827–1875) |
| Children |
|
| Occupation |
|
Known for | Development of John Fairfax & Sons media enterprise |
Board member of | |
John Fairfax (24 October 1804 – 16 June 1877[1]) was an English-born journalist, company director, politician, librarian and newspaper owner, known for the incorporation of the major newspapers of modern-day Australia.
Early life
Fairfax was born in Barford, Warwickshire, the second son of William Fairfax and his wife, Elizabeth née Jesson. William Fairfax at the time of John's birth was in the building and furnishing trade. In 1817, John Fairfax was apprenticed to William Perry, a bookseller and printer in Warwick; he moved to London in 1825 and began working in a compositor in a printing office. Fairfax married Sarah Reading on 31 July 1827. He purchased an interest in The Leamington Chronicle and Warwickshire Reporter, was printer of the Leamington Spa Courier, and had a book binding business in Leamington. At this time Leamington was one of the leading spa towns in the UK.[1][2]
Fairfax and his family reached Sydney on 26 September 1838; Fairfax had just £5 in his pocket.
Business activities in Australia
In 1841, Fairfax purchased the daily newspaper The Sydney Herald and renamed it The Sydney Morning Herald the following year.[3] Fairfax's family were to control the newspaper for almost 150 years.
In 1851, John Fairfax was a foundation director of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, and in the 1860s a director of the Sydney Insurance Co., the New South Wales Marine Insurance Co., the Australian Joint Stock Bank and The Australian Gaslight Co. and a trustee of the Savings Bank of New South Wales.[1]
Final years
Fairfax died at his home, Ginahgulla, Bellevue Hill, on 16 June 1877. He was buried at the Rookwood Cemetery, Independent Section, on 19 June 1877.[2]
Legacy
John Fairfax's name lives on in the form of Fairfax Media, formerly John Fairfax Holdings and before that, John Fairfax and Sons; although the Fairfax family no longer control the eponymous company.[4][5][6][7]
References
- 1 2 3 Fairfax, James (1972). "John Fairfax (1804–1877)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- 1 2 Serle, Percival (1949). "Fairfax, John". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ↑ "The Sydney Morning Herald | Australian newspaper". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
- ↑ Bartholomeusz, Stephen (10 November 2011). "Fairfax ends the romance". Business Spectator. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ↑ Dick, Tim (11 November 2011). "End of an era as Fairfax family calls it quits". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ↑ "Marinya Media divests ownership of Fairfax Media" (PDF). The Australian Financial Review (Press release). 10 November 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ↑ Jackson, Sally; Kitney, Damon (12 November 2011). "Questions over timing of Fairfax's volatile farewell". The Australian. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- 1804 births
- 1877 deaths
- Australian Congregationalists
- Fairfax family (publishing)
- Journalists from New South Wales
- People from Warwick
- Australian mass media company founders
- 19th-century British journalists
- British emigrants to the Colony of New South Wales
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Council
- Colony of New South Wales politicians
- Australian librarians
- Burials at Rookwood Cemetery
- The Sydney Morning Herald people
- 19th-century Australian businesspeople
- 19th-century Australian journalists
- 19th-century Australian male journalists
- 19th-century Australian male writers
- 19th-century librarians
- 19th-century English male journalists
- 19th-century English journalists