Evelyn Observer


The Evelyn Observer was a weekly newspaper released from 1873 to 1942 in the north-east area of Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It was first published on 31 October 1873 from an out of school house at Kangaroo Ground. Andrew Ross, the district's first school master and hotel-keeper was the Observer’s first proprietor and he enlisted the help of a printer, John Rossiter who also became the first editor. It then operated out of a dedicated building on the top of a hill. After the transfer of the newspaper office to Hurstbridge, the building was purchased by the Eltham Shire Council.
The earliest surviving issue is 15 October 1875, held at the State Library of Victoria.
The newspaper covered the subjects of agriculture and mining as well as horticulture in later years and was usually four pages in length and cost between two and three pence. Robert Charles Harris became the proprietor and editor from 1885 and continued in this role until his death in 1921, four years after he relocated the newspaper to the new railway at Hurstbridge. While the newspaper continued under abridged titles of the Hurstbridge and then Eltham Advertiser, it was overtaken by other titles across the Diamond Valley and ceased publication in 1942.

History

Evelyn Observer and South and East Bourke Record 1882 - 1902;
Evelyn Observer and Bourke East Record 1902 - 1917;
Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser and Diamond Creek Valley Advocate 1917 - 1922;
The Advertiser 1922 - 1939;
Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser 1940 - 1942.