1790: Andrew Bent was born in London.
1804: Andrew was orphaned. Got an apprenticeship with a printer.
1810: Arrested for trying to sell stolen goods. Sentenced to death. Sentence commuted to transportation.
1812: Arrived in Hobart town. Worked under George Clark, publisher of the first Tasmanian newspaper. Soon after, Clark was dismissed and Bent became Government Printer.
1816: Bent was running the paper under the eyes of a government editor.
1816: Bent married Mary Kirk: A convict.
1821: Bent began changed the title of his paper to Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser.
Bent was the government printer running two newspapers. His aim was to publish newspapers without government control.
1824: Governor Arthur arrived in Hobart Town. His aim was to have an obedient press.
Governor Arthur claimed government ownership of the Hobart Town Gazette. Bent argued against this to Governor Brisbane in Sydney who decided in Bent’s favour.
1825: Bent was sentenced to three months imprisonment and fined £500 for libel, the result of comments on the actions of government officers.
1836: Bent was again prosecuted for libel for articles in Bent's News and Tasmanian Threepenny Register which ceased publication.
When Bent remained in Van Diemens Land he was constantly involved in legal action.
1839: Bent left Tasmania and headed for Sydney. He published Bent's News and New South Wales Advertiser as a weekly paper. Bent soon sold the paper and it became the Australasian Chronicle.
1841: Bent moved to Macleay River where he kept a hotel and was a cedar merchant. The hotel burned down, the cedar was swept away in a flood.
Destitute, Bent entered the Sydney Benevolent Society Asylum.
1851: Andrew Bent dies. He had many children and has many descendants.
Today: Bent has become a hero. His reputation is that he was the first Australian to fight for a free press.
1804: Andrew was orphaned. Got an apprenticeship with a printer.
1810: Arrested for trying to sell stolen goods. Sentenced to death. Sentence commuted to transportation.
1812: Arrived in Hobart town. Worked under George Clark, publisher of the first Tasmanian newspaper. Soon after, Clark was dismissed and Bent became Government Printer.
1816: Bent was running the paper under the eyes of a government editor.
1816: Bent married Mary Kirk: A convict.
1821: Bent began changed the title of his paper to Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser.
Bent was the government printer running two newspapers. His aim was to publish newspapers without government control.
1824: Governor Arthur arrived in Hobart Town. His aim was to have an obedient press.
Governor Arthur claimed government ownership of the Hobart Town Gazette. Bent argued against this to Governor Brisbane in Sydney who decided in Bent’s favour.
1825: Bent was sentenced to three months imprisonment and fined £500 for libel, the result of comments on the actions of government officers.
1836: Bent was again prosecuted for libel for articles in Bent's News and Tasmanian Threepenny Register which ceased publication.
When Bent remained in Van Diemens Land he was constantly involved in legal action.
1839: Bent left Tasmania and headed for Sydney. He published Bent's News and New South Wales Advertiser as a weekly paper. Bent soon sold the paper and it became the Australasian Chronicle.
1841: Bent moved to Macleay River where he kept a hotel and was a cedar merchant. The hotel burned down, the cedar was swept away in a flood.
Destitute, Bent entered the Sydney Benevolent Society Asylum.
1851: Andrew Bent dies. He had many children and has many descendants.
Today: Bent has become a hero. His reputation is that he was the first Australian to fight for a free press.