The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 11, Issue 9 (December 1, 1936)

A Challenge to a Duel

A Challenge to a Duel.

Meanwhile Mr. Quaife had not been inactive. He re-appears as one of the promoters of a company formed to protect the interests of the public from the “continuous misrule and indifference of the Government.” In furtherance of this purpose the “Bay of Islands Observer” appeared on 24th February, 1842. The price per copy was a shilling and the charge for twelve lines of advertisement three shillings and six pence. “Mr. Quaife, who was again editor,” says Dr. Hocken, “no longer approached abuses in a gentle indirect manner, but handled them with so much candour and bluntness as to find himself and his company in danger of an action for libel, which was averted only by humble confession and apology.” A little later—in October—“The Observer” ceased to exist, deploring as it died the little aid it had received from subscribers and the public.

The last of the early papers in the far North was the “Bay of Islands Advocate,” another weekly, which appeared on 4th November, 1843, price one shilling. It succumbed after three months.

To come now to Auckland itself. The first of the city's many newspapers was the “New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette,” the first issue
A view of Lambtom Quay, Wellington, 1936. This photograph was taken from approximately the same position as the one shown above. (Rly. Publicity photo.)

A view of Lambtom Quay, Wellington, 1936. This photograph was taken from approximately the same position as the one shown above.
( Rly. Publicity photo.)

of which appeared on 10th July, 1841. It was printed by Mr. John Moore for the Auckland Printing Company and the price was the usual shilling. It had as its editor a Mr. Corbett and the views of the journal were more those of a Government clique than of the public. This, together with the fact that those responsible for the management did not realise that a newspaper is dependent upon the securing of advertisements for its existence, resulted in the venture soon showing signs of failure.

The services of Dr. Martin, a medical man of considerable literary ability, who was at the time in Sydney, were procured. He, however, owing to having a grudge against the Government over the land question, wrote in so violent a manner that there was little chance of the journal surviving his appointment for long. Indeed within the first two months he had been threatened two or three times with actions for libel. The climax came when Mr. Fitzgerald, a Government official, seized from the printer under pains and penalties some of the editor's manuscripts. Having failed to secure the return of his property, Dr. Martin thereupon challenged Mr. Fitzgerald to a duel. The challenge was declined, and in the midst of the tumult Auckland's first newspaper came to an end in April, 1842, after an existence of only ten months. The whole of the company's plant was bought by the Government for £1,700. It remained, however, under the management of Mr. Moore, and a week later saw the birth of the “Auckland Standard,” issued presumably in the interests of the Government. The editor was Mr. William Swainson, who had come to the colony as Attorney-General. The “Standard” fared no better than its predecessor, and after four months' struggle it ceased publication on 28th August, 1842.