Samuel Bennett became the sole proprietor of the business on 3 July 1867 following the dissolution of the partnership with William Hanson and, almost immediately on 29 July 1867, launched Sydney’s first evening paper The Evening News.
Faced now with producing a morning daily, the Weekly Empire and an evening paper the business had outgrown its makeshift premises in Dean’s Auction Rooms. In April 1868 Samuel purchased a site for new premises at 190 Pitt Street, between King and Market Streets, paying £1,100 for the land. Tenders were called at the end of May. The building had previously been an eatery, the City Buffet, which he demolished, and erected in its place a purpose built 2 storey newspaper office with an impressive sandstone facade. After over 18 year’s involvement with the running of the Herald, and then 9 years with the running of The Empire, he presumably knew what he wanted and borrowed £2,000 to build and equip the Office. Typically, the printing machinery would have been located in the basement, sales and advertising on the ground floor and the composing room on the top floor, to take maximum advantage of the available light.
The Keystone
The selection of image for the keystone sculpture is something of a mystery. In keeping with the purpose of the building one would suspect it is a messenger Goddess. Is it Iris, the Greek female messenger of the Gods? Or, is it Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom? Or is it just a random Muse?
A Dinner to Celebrate
The papers first issued from the new premises on Friday 19 December 1868. The opening of the offices was celebrated the next afternoon, with a dinner for about 200 hosted by Samuel in the new premises. Guests included “about 12 Members of Parliament, differing in politics, several Aldermen and citizens representing commercial, agricultural, mercantile, marine, pastoral and mineral interests”.
The Australian Town and Country Journal
Bennett ceased publication of the Weekly Empire in December 1869 and in its place, on 8 January 1870, commenced Australian Town and Country Journal. The Empire and the Town and Country Journal were in direct competition with the Fairfax‘s Sydney Morning Herald and Sydney Mail, but The Evening News had the field to itself. John Fairfax made two attempts to launch an evening paper; the Afternoon Telegram in January 1870, which survived 4 months and the Echo in 1875, which did better, lasting to July 1893, before fading away.