William Henry Traill
Encyclopedia
William Henry Traill was an Australia
n journalist and politician. He was an early editor and in a period the principle proprietor of The Bulletin
.
, and his wife Eliza Dunbar (nee Heddle) was born in London
, and was educated at Edinburgh
and London. The Westove Estate had been held by Traill descendants for more than 300 years. Originally intended for the army, he emigrated to Australia when 17 years of age, landed at Sydney
, went to Brisbane
, and then became a jackeroo on Boondoomba Station near Dalby
. About two years later he was left a small patrimony and returned to the Orkney Islands. He stayed for only a few months, and going again to Queensland, became manager of the Maroon Estate in the Beaudesert
district. At 23 he married Miss Jesse Lewis. He did not stay long in this position but visited Melbourne
and joined the mines department, then returned to Queensland and was given a position in the lands department. Here his wife died.
. He held this position for about a year, resigning to become Reuter's agent for New South Wales. He continued to contribute to the The Sydney Mail
, Echo and The Sydney Morning Herald
. At the end of January 1880 the Bulletin
was started and Traill began contributing leaders to it. As the result of libel actions against that journal it fell into the hands of its printer. He sold it to Traill who met Archibald and Haynes
, the original proprietors, and agreed with them to transfer a fourth interest to each of them on similar terms to those of the sale to him. They agreed to work together to make the Bulletin a success, but soon afterwards Haynes and Archibald were imprisoned for failing to pay the costs of the Clontarf libel action, and Traill became editor.
He fixed its political policy, "land nationalization and protection, championed the Irish home rule case . . . and took a very practical interest in its welfare--from the production of a brilliantly-written unanswerable leader, to the phlegmatic explosions of an obsolete gas engine". (J. F. Archibald, the Lone Hand, September 1907). Having handed over the editorship to Archibald, Traill in 1883 went to America and engaged Livingston Hopkins
as a comic draughtsman, and about two years later travelled to England and engaged Phil May for similar work. These two men did remarkable work, and were largely responsible for the success of the Bulletin.
for South Sydney
. He was committed to protectionism, but otherwise was an independent and was not offered a ministry. He held a position as chairman of the commission to inquire into the working of the New South Wales Lands Office. He was defeated in 1895 and afterwards was engaged unsuccessfully in pastoral and mining pursuits in New South Wales and Queensland and declared bankrupt in 1896.
Towards the end of his life he lived at Brisbane and wrote for the Queensland government, A Queenly Colony, published in 1901, and the historical and mining portion of the Queensland Year Book 1902. He died of heart disease at his residence at Yeerongpilly in Brisbane in 1902 at the age of 58. He was twice married and left a widow, four sons and three daughters.
A PLAIN EXPLANATION OF THE NEW LAND ACT OF 1876, AND REGULATIONS: SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR THE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE OF SELECTORS IN EVERY PART OF THE COLONY, Toowoomba 1877, 33 pages.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF QUEENSLAND, Sydney 1980, 111 pages (Facsimile. Published originally as a section of ‘Picturesque atlas of Australasia’ edited by Andrew Garran, Sydney 1886)
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n journalist and politician. He was an early editor and in a period the principle proprietor of The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
.
Early life
Traill only son of John Traill of Westove, Orkney IslandsOrkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
, and his wife Eliza Dunbar (nee Heddle) was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and was educated at Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and London. The Westove Estate had been held by Traill descendants for more than 300 years. Originally intended for the army, he emigrated to Australia when 17 years of age, landed at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, went to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and then became a jackeroo on Boondoomba Station near Dalby
Dalby, Queensland
Dalby is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane, at the junction of the Warrego, Moonie and Bunya Highways. Dalby is the administrative centre of the Western Downs Region and the centre of Australia's richest...
. About two years later he was left a small patrimony and returned to the Orkney Islands. He stayed for only a few months, and going again to Queensland, became manager of the Maroon Estate in the Beaudesert
Beaudesert, Queensland
Beaudesert is a town located on the Mount Lindesay Highway, some 64 km south of Brisbane. It is possibly named after Beau Desert Park, the property of Charles Henry Alexander Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey in Staffordshire, England...
district. At 23 he married Miss Jesse Lewis. He did not stay long in this position but visited Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and joined the mines department, then returned to Queensland and was given a position in the lands department. Here his wife died.
Journalism
He began doing journalistic work, contributing a regular column headed Passing Thoughts to the Express, and in 1869 gave up his position to go on the literary staff of the Brisbane Courier and Queenslander as special commissioner investigating the land dummying being carried on in connection with the opening up of the Darling Downs. In 1871 he married Agnes Lewis, half-sister of his first wife. He subsequently purchased the Darling Downs Gazette, but later returned to the Courier, and in 1878 became editor of the The Sydney MailThe Sydney Mail
The Sydney Mail was an Australian magazine published weekly in Sydney. The weekly edition of The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, it ran from 1860 to 1938....
. He held this position for about a year, resigning to become Reuter's agent for New South Wales. He continued to contribute to the The Sydney Mail
The Sydney Mail
The Sydney Mail was an Australian magazine published weekly in Sydney. The weekly edition of The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, it ran from 1860 to 1938....
, Echo and The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
. At the end of January 1880 the Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
was started and Traill began contributing leaders to it. As the result of libel actions against that journal it fell into the hands of its printer. He sold it to Traill who met Archibald and Haynes
John Haynes (Australian journalist)
John Haynes was a parliamentarian in New South Wales, Australia for five months short of thirty years, and co-founder , with J. F. Archibald, of The Bulletin....
, the original proprietors, and agreed with them to transfer a fourth interest to each of them on similar terms to those of the sale to him. They agreed to work together to make the Bulletin a success, but soon afterwards Haynes and Archibald were imprisoned for failing to pay the costs of the Clontarf libel action, and Traill became editor.
He fixed its political policy, "land nationalization and protection, championed the Irish home rule case . . . and took a very practical interest in its welfare--from the production of a brilliantly-written unanswerable leader, to the phlegmatic explosions of an obsolete gas engine". (J. F. Archibald, the Lone Hand, September 1907). Having handed over the editorship to Archibald, Traill in 1883 went to America and engaged Livingston Hopkins
Livingston Hopkins
Livingston York Yourtee "Hop" Hopkins was an American cartoonist who became a major Australian cartoonist during the time of the Federation of Australia.- Early life in the USA :...
as a comic draughtsman, and about two years later travelled to England and engaged Phil May for similar work. These two men did remarkable work, and were largely responsible for the success of the Bulletin.
Parliamentary career
In April 1886 Traill sold his interest in the Bulletin and in 1889, he was elected a member of the Legislative AssemblyNew South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
for South Sydney
Electoral district of South Sydney
South Sydney was an electoral district for the Legislative Assembly in the Australian State of New South Wales from 1880 to 1894, covering the southern part of the current Sydney central business district, Haymarket, Surry Hills, Moore Park and Chippendale, bordered by George Street, Broadway,...
. He was committed to protectionism, but otherwise was an independent and was not offered a ministry. He held a position as chairman of the commission to inquire into the working of the New South Wales Lands Office. He was defeated in 1895 and afterwards was engaged unsuccessfully in pastoral and mining pursuits in New South Wales and Queensland and declared bankrupt in 1896.
Towards the end of his life he lived at Brisbane and wrote for the Queensland government, A Queenly Colony, published in 1901, and the historical and mining portion of the Queensland Year Book 1902. He died of heart disease at his residence at Yeerongpilly in Brisbane in 1902 at the age of 58. He was twice married and left a widow, four sons and three daughters.
Works
A QUEENLY COLONY: PEN SKETCHES AND CAMERA GLIMPSES, Brisbane 1901, 142 pages, ill.A PLAIN EXPLANATION OF THE NEW LAND ACT OF 1876, AND REGULATIONS: SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR THE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE OF SELECTORS IN EVERY PART OF THE COLONY, Toowoomba 1877, 33 pages.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF QUEENSLAND, Sydney 1980, 111 pages (Facsimile. Published originally as a section of ‘Picturesque atlas of Australasia’ edited by Andrew Garran, Sydney 1886)