Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1861 - 1864), Saturday 26 October 1861, page 2


The Courier

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1801.

DEATH OF MR. A. S. LYON.

ARTHUR SIDNEY LYON, the " father of the Press" in the colony of Queensland, has at length succumbed to the effects of an affliction which had made his life for years past a struggle with the " fell destroyer." He expired at Cleveland on Tuesday last, in the 44 th year of his age, and his remains will be in-terred this afternoon at half-past three

o'clock.

Although the deceased gontleman

will not be known to those whose

acquaintance with this colony dates from the era of separation, there will be few among the residents of former days who will not remember him with respect, and think kindly of his career. Talented as a writer, genial as a com-panion, and generous as a friend, his numerous good qualities will, we trust, be remembered, while the mantle of charity covers the few foibles to which he, in common with his kind, might have had to plead guilty. Our per-sonal acquaintance with him does not date beyond a period of six years, and during the whole of that time he has been more or less a sufferer from the disease which has now made him a victim.

Mr. LYON arrived in the Moreton Bay

district some little time anterior to

the year 1846. In the February of that year he convened a meet-ing at the " Victoria Hotel" for the purpose of establishing a news-paper, a project for which his ability and experience well qualified

him. His career on the Melbourne press, previous to his arrival here, we are not acquainted with, but we have been informed that it was somewhat lengthy in its duration. The meeting referred to was productive of good re suits, inasmuch as he received flattering offers of support, and when Mr. SWAN (late proprietor of the Courier) arrived soon afterwards with the requisite ma-terial, the first paper in the district

was started under the title of the Moreton Bay Courier, and our " No. I

made its appearance on the 20th of June, 1846. Mr. LYON'S connection with this journal continued for about three years, and he then entered upon other pursuits until, in July, 1850, he again made his bow as a journalist in the columns of the Moreton Bay Free Press, a paper which was started as tho organ of the party who were at that time anxious to achieve " separa-tion with exiles." The subject of this sketch does not appear to have re-mained for any length of time-not more than two years at most-on the Free Press, and we again lose sight of him in his professional capacity until 1855, in the October of which yoar he appeared as editor of the North Austra lian, thefirst number of which was issued on tho 2nd of that month. After re-

maining for upwards of two years, on that paper, a disagreement with the proprietors occurred, which ended in his relinquishing his connection with them, and he attempted to start a second paper in Ipswich. Not being satisfied with the prospects which pre sented themselves, he turned his atten-

tion to the idea of establishing a journal on the Downs, and on the 11th of June, 1858, he issued the first number of the Darling Downs Gazette. A short time subsequently, he became the subject of repeated and virulent paralytio attacks, and he was ulti-mately compelled to vacate the editorial chair, although his connection with the Gazette as proprietor did not end until long after separation had taken place. After leaviug Drayton

he betook himself to Cleveland and the southern islands of the bay. in which localities he has since lived, and in the former of which he breathed his last.

It is not often that one meets with a

career so chequered by vicissitude, aud yet so useful. When we say " useful," we refer, of course, to his newspaporial career. The man who, in a young and sparsely populated couutry, can boast of having been instrumental in, or having assisted at, the establishment of four distinct vehicles of public opinion, may surely claim credit for having conferred some benefit on the community; and we are wishful of according to the memory of Mr. LYON a meed of praise to which it is justly entitled. Three of the papers started under his auspices have now become the principal journals of the colony, and many can now recall with pleasure the perusal of certain piquant articles which proceeded from his pen in his palmiest days.

Mr.' LYON was, we believe, very respectably connected, and he had latterly expressed himself as being anxious to return to the old couutry, with tho double object of seeing his friends and procuring tho best medical advice. Death, howovor, has removed him from amongst us in the prime of life, and ho has departed ou that long, last journey-to the " bourne from whence no traveller returns."