William Ponsonby McMahon

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William Ponsonby McMahon (1852 – June 1933) was a founder of the Catholic newspaper Tribune in Melbourne, Australia , and its publisher and editor for 19 years.

History[]

McMahon was born in Victoria, and started adult life as a schoolteacher, and moved to Tasmania, where he spent several years as a newspaperman.[1]

Tribune newspapers[]

In November 1870 McMahon founded the Tribune as a newspaper for Melbourne Catholics,[2] which never got off the ground. He then found employment working for the Melbourne Argus.

An earlier Catholic Tribune had been published in Melbourne by bookseller James Shanley (died March 1857) from 2 July 1853,[3][4] and may have ceased with the advent of the Advocate on 1 February 1868.[5]

A third Catholic Tribune subtitled "A Journal of Information and Literature" was founded in 1900, and McMahon was with the company from the start, or shortly after. He was publisher for the whole of the period available through Trove (No. 730 Vol. XIII of 3 January 1914 to No. 989 Vol. XVII of 26 December 1918). [a] This Tribune was still being published in 1953.[b]

Later life[]

McMahon was closely associated with the . He spent several years in Adelaide, helping establish the Southern Cross newspaper, and helping the Catholic fight against the Vaughan government's Education bill. For his work on behalf of the Catholic cause, he received warm praise from Archbishop Mannix.[1] In his last years he served as organising secretary of the .[12]

Family[]

McMahon married Tasmanian-born Mary Catherine Murphy ( – 7 July 1909) lived at 35 Gipps Street, East Melbourne. their family included:

  • Eileen Mary Mcmahon (1888–1981)
  • Geraldine Julia Mcmahon (1889–1958)
  • Kathleen Clare Mcmahon (born 1890)

Notes and references[]

  1. ^ Corresponding issues of The Advocate (Melbourne), also a Catholic newspaper, are No. 2254 Vol. XLVI of 3 January 1914 to No. 2414 Vol L of 26 December 1918.
  2. ^ Several other Tribunes within that period, quite unconnected:
    • The Evening Tribune, first issue 30 March 1874, was founded by ex-employees of Mason & Firth's printery, sacked for taking part in a strike.[6] It was taken over by a consortium in October 1874[7] and vanished without trace.
    • The Port Melbourne Tribune first appeared in April 1889[8] and William Howe became manager around 1890.[9][10] It was absorbed by The Port Melbourne Standard[11] in 1894.
  1. ^ a b "Who's Who". The W.A. Record. Vol. XXVIII, no. 1180. Western Australia. 9 May 1903. p. 13. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Short-lived". South Australian Register. Vol. XXXV, no. 7501. South Australia. 28 November 1870. p. 6. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Advocate Magazine". The Advocate (Melbourne). Vol. LXXXI, no. 4827. Victoria, Australia. 29 January 1948. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Memories and Musings". The Advocate (Melbourne). Vol. LXXXIII, no. 4955. Victoria, Australia. 13 July 1950. p. 12. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "The Literary and Critical Page". The Advocate (Melbourne). Vol. LXIX, no. 4036. Victoria, Australia. 27 February 1936. p. 5. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "The Evening Tribune". North Melbourne Advertiser. No. 70. Victoria, Australia. 3 April 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Melbourne". The Ballarat Star. Vol. XIX, no. 244. Victoria, Australia. 13 October 1874. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Advertising". The Record (Melbourne). No. 12292. Victoria, Australia. 27 April 1889. p. 2. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Port Melbourne's Mayor". The Record (Melbourne). Vol. XLII, no. 36. Victoria, Australia. 11 September 1937. p. 2. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Passing of Well Known Port Identity". The Record (Melbourne). Vol. LXXXIII, no. 20. Victoria, Australia. 23 May 1952. p. 5. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Our New Mayor". Port Melbourne Standard. Vol. XXX, no. 36. Victoria, Australia. 9 September 1916. p. 1. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "The Human Interest". . No. 3426. Victoria, Australia. 27 May 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 22 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
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