David Syme

David Syme ( born October 2, 1827 in North Berwick, Scotland, † February 14, 1908 in Kew, Australia ) was a Scottish- Australian owner of the newspaper The Age, and is often referred to as the "Father of protectionism in Australia ".

Early life

Syme was born in Scotland in 1827 as jüngestes of seven children of George Alexander Syme, a school principal, and Jean Mitchell. While its bigger brothers went to university, he was raised by his father and taught. As the age of 17, his father died, he was initially undecided where his professional training should go. After two years of training to become a priest he broke them, as well as his two brothers George and Ebenezer, from, studied some time in Heidelberg and worked as a proofreader for a newspaper in Glasgow. In 1851 he left England and went looking for gold in California.

Australia

After David Syme in the gold fields of California had little success, in 1852 he traveled to Australia. The poorly organized crossing nearly cost him his life, but hardly arrived in Sydney, he took the next ship to Melbourne. He was looking for the next 3 years with some success in Bendigo, Wangaratta, Ballarat and Beechworth for gold and lost a fortune in 1855 when he one, according to the inside very valuable, claim was stolen. Syme works then for some time in the road when his brother Ebenezer the insolvent newspaper The Age bought for £ 2000 and David invited to take part. He participated in half and helped to lead the newspaper, but returned late in 1857 in his old job as a road builder back. Only after Ebenezer retired in 1859, David returned reluctantly back into the newspaper business. With the death of his brother in the following years, his 50 -year career began as a publisher and editor of The Age.

The Age

Under David Syme, the political commitment of The Age for the underprivileged little changed. As before, he campaigned for land reform, free suffrage and vernünfigte working conditions. However, with the necessary building industry, he came to the conclusion that this must be protected from the forces of free markets and was an advocate of protectionism. Under his leadership, the circulation of the newspaper continually 38,000 in 1880 grew from 2,000 copies in 1860, 15,000 in 1868, to 100,000 or 120,000 in 1890 and 1899. With the launch their influence grew on political life in Victoria. David Syme was known as the kingmaker and The Age as the Thunderer (English Thunderer ). When he died in 1908, to take his two sons, Herbert and Geoffrey the management of the newspaper.