North Queensland Newspaper Company Archive
The company was founded in June 1910, to enable expansion flowing from the merger of the Bulletin, Herald and Register to proceed on a sound financial footing. Initial issues capital was, 48,000 with the inaugural board of directors comprising: John Marsland (chairman and major shareholder), Joseph Hodel, David Green, Henry Abbott and William Ellis.
New premises, constructed by local builder, A McCreedy, were erected on the corner of Flinders and Stanley Streets in Townsville. Confidence in the potential growth of the company was such, that a Cox duplex press (with a capacity of over 5,000 per day) was imported, the first of its kind in Australia. Dodd Clarke was appointed chief editor and much of the firm's success and stability is attributed to the fact that he had only two successors in the next sixty years, while many opposition papers found trouble obtaining and keeping highly-qualified management staff.
Major Publications
The Townsville Bulletin was first issued on 5 September 1881. Originally produced bi-weekly, it proved so successful that by January 1883 it became a penny "daily", the first paper in Queensland to do so. The founders of the business were John Mehan (a printer), Edward Rhode (a compositor) and Dodd Clarke (an auctioneer and commission agent), the last-named becoming the paper's first editor.
Within three years of its formation, the Bulletin emerged as the dominant force in northern press circles and had seen the closure of one of its rivals (the Standard) and had taken over the other (the Herald), maintaining production of the latter as a weekly.
In 1910 the Bulletin and Herald proprietors amalgamated with the North Queensland Register (founded on 4 March 1891 as the Northern Mining Register in Charters Towers). Production and editorial control of the Register were in the main transferred to Townsville in 1911, but the paper's style and content were preserved, with sections from country correspondents, local history and rural feature articles proving popular with subscribers.
The material in the collection consists of financial records, dissections of sales, correspondence, share certificates and legal documents pertaining to early operations of the company (c.1920).
Archive Location: 213L-214R, Additions 155L-159, 419R, 494, Reading Room Cabinet Drawer 12.
Series Listing
Detailed Listing
Financial Records (These records are all hand-written, in bound volumes).
PRIVATE LEDGERS of all business accounts.
NQNC/FIN/1 For the period July 1923 - June 1930. Shelf location 494.
NQNC/FIN/2 For the period July 1930 - June 1937. Shelf location 494.
NQNC/FIN/3 For the period July 1937 - June 1964.
NQNC/FIN/4 For the period July 1964 - June 1969.
NQNC/FIN/5 For the period April 1924 - December 1932. Shelf location 494.
NQNC/FIN/6 For the period November 1940 - August 1950. Shelf location 494.
NQNC/FIN/6A Wages Records 1950 - 1958. Shelf location 494.
SALES/CIRCULATION DISSECTIONS
NQNC/FIN/7 Townsville Bulletin - sales dissections from 1938 - 1942, plus summaries of sales from 1945 - 1969.
North Queensland Register - sales dissections from 1938 - 1943, plus summaries of sales from 1945 - 1969.
NQNC/FIN/8 Townsville Bulletin - sales dissections from 1948 - 1961.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
For Townsville Star Pty. Limited:
NQNC/FIN/9 For year ended June 30, 1939.
NQNC/FIN/10 For period ended March 31, 1940.
NQNC/FIN/11 As at May 30, 1940.
FINANCIAL RECORDS
NQNC/FIN/12 1911-1922 credits and debtors ledger.
NQNC/FIN/13 1913-1916 wages book.
NQNC/FIN/14 1931-1933 general expenses journal.
NQNC/FIN/15 1933-1936 general expenses journal.
NQNC/FIN/16 1935-1938 North Queensland Register wages book.
NQNC/FIN/17 1935-1936 expenses journal.
NQNC/FIN/18 1935-1940 accounts journal.
NQNC/FIN/19 1936-1938 expenses journal.
NQNC/FIN/20 1938-1940 expenses journal.
NQNC/FIN/21 1938-1944 wages book.
NQNC/FIN/22 1940-1942 expenses journal.
NQNC/FIN/23 1942 expenses journal.
NQNC/FIN/24 1957-1958 expenses ledger.
NQNC/FIN/25 July 1963 to June 1964 wages book.
NQNC/FIN/26 1963-1966 expenses ledger.
NQNC/FIN/27 April 1964 to July 1964 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/28 June 1964 to July 1964 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/29 July 1964 to August 1964 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/30 September 1964 to October 1964 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/31 October 1964 to December 1964 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/32 December 1964 to February 1965 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/33 February 1965 to April 1965 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/34 April 1965 to May 1965 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/35 May 1965 to July 1965 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/36 July 1965 to August 1965 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/37 August 1965 to October 1965 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/38 October 1965 to December 1965 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/39 December 1965 to January 1966 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/40 February 1966 to March 1966 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/41 March 1966 to May 1966 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/42 May 1966 to June 1966 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/43 June 1966 to August 1966 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/44 August 1966 to September 1966 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/45 September 1966 to Novem. 1966 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/46 November 1966 to December 1966 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/47 February 1967 NBA cheque account book.
NQNC/FIN/48 July 1967 to August 1967 NBA cheque account book.
FINANCIAL RECORDS: Northern Miner
NQNC/FIN/49 1891-1894.
NQNC/FIN/50 1895-1899.
NQNC/FIN/51 1900-1904.
NQNC/FIN/52 1905-1909.
FINANCIAL RECORDS:
NQNC/FIN/53 1902-910 share certificates.
NQNC/FIN/54 1949-1951 and 1954-1958 H.O. Balance Sheets.
NQNC/FIN/55 1957 Lino Room Stock List and 1958 Northern Electric Co. Plant expenses.
NQNC/FIN/56 1952 and 1961 Time Books.
NQNC/FIN/57 1953 accounts and receipts.
NQNC/FIN/58 1954 accounts and receipts.
NQNC/FIN/59 1957-1963 Cash Book.
NQNC/FIN/60 1960-1962 accounts ledger.
NQNC/FIN/61 1961-1964 advertising journal and expenses ledger.
NQNC/FIN/62 1962-1964 accounts ledger.
NQNC/FIN/63 1965-1966 wages book.
NQNC/FIN/64 1966 accounts and receipts.
NQNC/FIN/65 1967 weekly wage dockets.
NQNC/FIN/66 1967 weekly wage dockets.
Legal Documents
NQNC/DOC/1 LEASE agreement (duplicate) between the North Queensland Mortgage and Investment Company Limited and the Townsville Herald Newspaper Company, for premises in Stanley Street, - January 27, 1897.
NQNC/DOC/2 LEASE agreement (duplicate) renewal on the above premises - November 2, 1908.
NQNC/DOC/3 LEASE agreement (duplicate) between the Northern Miner Printing and Publishing Company Limited and Mills Day Dawn United Gold Mines Company Limited, assigning the latter mining rights to land owned by the lessor in Charters Towers - October 12, 1908.
NQNC/DOC/4 TRANSFER OF LEASE on the Stanley Street premises to the North Queensland Newspaper Company Limited - July 27, 1910.
NQNC/DOC/5 SPECIFICATION and TENDER conditions for the construction of new premises for the Northern Miner Printing and Publishing Company - November, 1913.
NQNC/DOC/6 AGREEMENT between John Marsland, Joseph Hodel and Humphrey Green, for the sale of 15,000 shares in North Queensland Newspaper Company Limited - December 11, 1913.
NQNC/DOC/7-25 Miscellaneous documents covering company business from 1917 to 1953.
Correspondence
NQNC/CORR/1-33 "PROVDAIL GAZETTE" - comprising letters and circulars from February 1956 to October 1958.
NQNC/CORR/34-68 NEWS SERVICE AGREEMENTS - consists of letters dealing with sharing of news with other Queensland-based newspaper proprietors, from June 1930 to February 1950.
NQNC/CORR/69-186 EMPLOYEE AWARDS - letters dealing with industrial awards and court decisions from 1947 - 1963.
NQNC/CORR/187-242 GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE - from January 1950 - March 1962.
NQNC/243 1925-1940 Townsville Star correspondence.
NQNC/244 1940 correspondence and accounts and receipts RE: the closing of the Townsville Star.
NQNC/245 1939-1958 correspondence RE: shares including matters relating to J. Inglis, L. Christian, W. Ritche, K. Nix, T. Coyle, E. White, M. Grosse, G. Christensen, J. Donnan, B. Castling, W. Malpass, M. Farrelly/Davis, A. A bbott and L. Love estates.
Miscellaneous
NQNC/MISC/1 Memorandum and Articles of Association 1975.
NQNC/MISC/2 Director's Annual address to Shareholders 1981.
NQNC/MISC/3 Interim Report to Shareholders 1980.
NQNC/MISC/4 Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting 1983.
NQNC/MISC/5 Memorandum and Articles of Association 1916 (fragile condition)
NQNC/MISC/6 Account receipt of the Townsville Herald Newspaper Co. 25 October 1894.
NQNC/MISC/7 Receipt book Townsville Star Pty. Ltd. 1939-1940.
NQNC/MISC/8 Record and Minute book of Townsville Star 1940.
NQNC/MISC/9 Architectural plans and drawings of famous English buildings from The Building News 1870s - 1880s.
NQNC/MISC/10 Advertising Diary April-June 1966.
NQNC/MISC/11 Advertising Diary July-September 1966.
NQNC/MISC/12 Advertising Diary October-December 1966.
NQNC/MISC/13 Advertising Diary January-March 1967.
NQNC/MISC/14 Lay-outs of newspaper pages and encapsulations of special events - End of World War II, 16 August 1945, Queen's visit 12 March 1954, Althea (cyclone) 27 December 1971, cease fire in Europe 8 May 1945, Supplement to Northern Miner 26 June 1972, The Townsville Evening Star front page 2 January 1989 (photocopy).
NQNC/MISC/15 Metal printing plates of buildings, animals, ships, Islanders, Lizard Island Tragedy - in memoriam Mrs. Watson, Cobb & Co. coaches etc.
NQNC/MISC/16 Articles of Association of Northern Miner1900.
NQNC/MISC/17 Articles of Association of Townsville Star 1931.
NQNC/MISC/18 Building Plans - proposed alterations to the Townsville Daily Bulletin office in Ogden Street x 5 plus plans for new composing room floor, new office extensions, first and ground floors (1961) also plans for proposed two story building in Hanran Street and proposed water cooling system.
Additions
NQNC/FIN/27-38 155L
NQNC/FIN/39-48 155L
NQNC/MISC/5-8 155L
NQNC/MISC/9 156L
NQNC/FIN/12 156L
NQNC/FIN/16-23 156L
NQNC/FIN/13 156R
NQNC/MISC/10-13 156R
NQNC/MISC/15 156R
NQNC/MISC/14 Draw No. 6
Map cabinet in NQ Collection Room
NQNC/CORR/243-245 157L
NQNC/MISC/16-17
NQNC/MISC/18 159
NQNC/MISC/19 507
NQNC/FIN/57
NQNC/FIN/62 158L
NQNC/FIN/64-66
NQNC/FIN/54-56
NQNC/FIN/58-61 158R
NQNC/FIN/49-53
NQNC/FIN/59
NQNC/FIN/63 159
NQNC/MISC/28
NQNC/FIN/14-15 159
NQNC/FIN/24-26 159
Earlier records:
NQNC/FIN/1 - 26
NQNC/CORR/1 - 242 213L-214L
NQNC/MISC/1- 4
NQNC/FIN 5 - 6A Above 142
New Additions
NQNC/FIN/Journal and Wages 1912-1923
NQNC/FIN/Wages books 1932-1936 and 1937-1940
NQNC/FIN/Purchase journals 1937-1938 and 1955-1957
NQNC/FIN/JFGeneral expenses journals 1922-1927, 1928-1930 and 1940-1945
NQNC/MISC/19/ Photograph of premises of 'North Queensland Newspaper Company, Limited., Estd. 1866'; probably taken in the 1920s
NQNC/MISC/20/ Photograph (with negative) of original members of the North Queensland Newspaper Company's Over 30 Years Club; inaugural meeting 1 July, 1972