Newspaper Archives

Diving into old newspapers can be a goldmine for historical fiction writers. in Part Two of Researching Historical Fiction I delve into some of the gems I have found in newspapers. Part One about primary source documents can be found here.

While it's true that fiction allows for creativity, accurate research is essential to crafting a story that resonates with readers. If the story lacks authenticity, readers will quickly be pulled out of the story. It's about capturing the essence of the time, and that's where social history, often found in newspapers, plays a crucial role.

In Australia, we're fortunate to have free access to a vast collection of digital archives, including newspapers, Government Gazettes, maps, pictures, magazines, and newsletters in Trove, in the National Library of Australia’s archive. This sets us apart from other regions, where accessing similar archives, like the British Newspaper Archive, can be costly. We truly are lucky to have such resources at our fingertips!

In writing my first book Conflict at Hanging Rock I found many references to the family in Australian newspapers. But what of their criminal life before being transported to Australia. I found the article pictured above from the Shrewsbury Chronicle in the British Newspaper Archives. The image is only a small snippet of the quite lengthy article which was titled ‘A Very Remarkable Family in Wales’. It goes on to mention all their names and crimes they committed.

I was also able to trace another member of this family who became a councillor in the City of Melbourne through the Government Gazettes.

I discovered a very lengthy obituary for my Great Great Grandfather in Trove and this gave great insight into his life as ‘A Colonist of 66 years’. I was able to use some of this as background in my second novel Breaking Free.

But it is not just the details newspapers can provide about people, you can get a feel for social history of the time by browsing articles and advertisements.

Trove and other newspaper archives certainly provide a wealth of information but a word of warning. Beware the rabbit hole.

Have you used Trove? What interesting things have you found?

Transcript of image: parish of Bequildy in the county of Radnor, have long been a family living chiefly by plunder and a terror to the neighbourhood. There are at present in Presteign Goal, five of this family, namely Francis……………