Yr Australydd
Encyclopedia
Yr Australydd was an Australia
n monthly newspaper
in the Welsh language
published in Victoria
between 1866 and 1872. Its name translates as The Australian.
The newspaper was edited by Rev. William Meirion Evans and Theophilus Williams, and priced at 6d
per issue. Its precise circulation is unknown, but estimated at several hundred.
Yr Australydd’s intended readership were, obviously, Welsh Australians. It was more specifically linked to the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist
community, and devoted between a sixth and a quarter of its content to theological
writing. The newspaper's aim was also to encourage a sense of Welshness among its readers, by maintaining the language and promoting Welsh culture and literature
. In its inaugural edition, editors explained that their objective was to "gwasanaethu ein cenedl mewn llenyddiaeth, moesoldeb a chrefydd" ("serve our nation in literature, morality and religion"). They requested and printed literary contributions from readers: poetry and short stories, as well as a serialised novel, Cymro yn Awstralia (A Welshman in Australia, 1870).
The newspaper also printed news from Wales in small quantity, accounting for about 3% of its content overall.
Its publication ceased in 1872, for reasons which remain unclear. In 1874, it was replaced by Yr Ymwelydd, a similar newspaper edited by Rev. Evans.
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 monthly newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
published in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
between 1866 and 1872. Its name translates as The Australian.
The newspaper was edited by Rev. William Meirion Evans and Theophilus Williams, and priced at 6d
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
per issue. Its precise circulation is unknown, but estimated at several hundred.
Yr Australydd’s intended readership were, obviously, Welsh Australians. It was more specifically linked to the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist
Calvinistic Methodists
Calvinistic Methodists are a body of Christians forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales and claiming to be the only denomination of the Presbyterian order in Wales which is of purely Welsh origin.-Early history:...
community, and devoted between a sixth and a quarter of its content to theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
writing. The newspaper's aim was also to encourage a sense of Welshness among its readers, by maintaining the language and promoting Welsh culture and literature
Literature of Wales (Welsh language)
After literature written in the classical languages literature in the Welsh language is the oldest surviving literature in Europe. The Welsh literary tradition stretches from the 6th century to the twenty-first. Its fortunes have fluctuated over the centuries, in line with those of the Welsh...
. In its inaugural edition, editors explained that their objective was to "gwasanaethu ein cenedl mewn llenyddiaeth, moesoldeb a chrefydd" ("serve our nation in literature, morality and religion"). They requested and printed literary contributions from readers: poetry and short stories, as well as a serialised novel, Cymro yn Awstralia (A Welshman in Australia, 1870).
The newspaper also printed news from Wales in small quantity, accounting for about 3% of its content overall.
Its publication ceased in 1872, for reasons which remain unclear. In 1874, it was replaced by Yr Ymwelydd, a similar newspaper edited by Rev. Evans.
Source
- Aled Jones & Bill Jones, "The Welsh World and the British Empire, c.1851-1939: An Exploration", in Carl Bridge & Kent Fedorowich, The British World: Diaspora, Culture and Identity, ISBN 0-7146-5472-8, pp.67-70.