Wellington Independent, Vol.X, No.966, January 13, 1855

The Independent was established in April 1845 by a consortium of five printers: George Fellingham, Thomas McKenzie, James Muir, Edward Roe, William Vincent. It continued, with only one interruption and one re-naming until 1925. Their masthead was hand-carved by the accomplished local telescope-maker and engraver, James Marriott, who also had the distinction of being Wellington's first theatrical manager, scene painter, and actor. The standard newspaper of the day was generally four pages only, consisting of three-quarters advertisements - the life-blood of an isolated community - and one-quarter news. For this number, the paper was placed "in mourning", a standard trade practice of flipping over the column rules to the wide side, so that a thick rather than thin black line appears as the dividing lines. The Independent marked the death from delirium tremens of one of their founders, the thirty-eight year old George Fellingham, in this way.

Further Reading:

• Ross Harvey, "The Power of the Press in Colonial New Zealand: More Imagined than Real?" Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand: Bulletin 20:2 (1996): 130-145.