Prahran Telegraph

Prahran Telegraph
Front page from April 1918
TypeWeekly newspaper
Founder(s)Howard Spensley
Founded1860
LanguageEnglish
Ceased publication1930
Headquartersvarious in Prahran, Victoria

The Prahran Telegraph was a weekly newspaper published from 1860 to 1930 in Prahran, an inner-suburb of the city of Melbourne, Australia.[1] No copy pre-1866 is known to have survived. From 1866 (or earlier) until December 1888, the paper was called the Telegraph and St Kilda, Prahran and South Yarra Guardian. From January 1889 until 7 December 1902, the paper was known simply as the Prahran Telegraph. From 13 December 1902 the banner head read the Prahran Telegraph, with which is incorporated the St Kilda Advertiser and the Malvern Argus.[2]

The newspaper was probably started by Howard Spensley, who sold it within several years to William Osment.[2] The preceding Prahran and St Kilda Advertiser was first published by John Hartley in 1857, and continued until at least 1861. The Osment family owned the Telegraph until 1882, and again from 1895-1905. Henry Osment was prominent in local affairs and on Prahran Council, serving as Mayor for 1888/89.

In general, the paper was published weekly, though at various times the frequency was increased to twice weekly. On 5 January 1889—the same issue in which the banner head was changed (see above) -- the paper moved to bi-weekly publication, declaring itself "... the first bi-weekly suburban newspaper ever issued in Australia".

In 2012 microfilm copies of the newspaper held at the State Library of Victoria began being digitised and made available in the National library of Australia's Trove newspaper search repository.

  1. ^ "Local Newspapers". City of Stonnington. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Prahran Telegraph". Local History Catalogue. Search registration number "7565" (no direct URL available): Stonnington History Centre. Retrieved 2 June 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)