our100

8 - THE NORTH EASTERN ADVERTISER WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009Celebrating our100 th yearPART 2 - The North-Eastern Advertiser 1909 - 2009SOME inaccurate information from afriend and a long and fruitless tripfrom the mainland to Queenstown wasthe cause of a Victorian newspaperman buying the North EasternAdvertiser in May, 1911, and his namebecame synonymous with thenewspaper.He was A.E. Osborne. He was oneof Scottsdale's most highly respectedcitizens, and for five decades he wasone of the most enthusiastic workersfor the growth of the district.At the age of 15, in 1893, A.E.Osborne - he has never been referred toby anything other than his first twoinitials - became apprenticed as aprinter at the Atlas Press, Castlemaine,Victoria. The firm published theCastlemaine Leader.Young Osborne studied Pitmansshorthand at night-school during hisfirst year of work and becameproficient. When he was twenty-one, hebecame foreman printer and reporteron the St. Kilda Mercury. Later he wasA NEW BUSINESS TO HELP PROTECT YOUR PROPERTYBe fire safe this summerWith the fire season approaching Peter and Maree Hartley of Bridport have expandedtheir excavation and earth moving business to include bush fire hazard reduction.PETER and Maree Hartley of Bridport have expandedtheir business to include fire break clearing, slashing,fence line clearing and tree removal.The tragic Victorian bushfires earlier this year are areminder of the devastating consequences of wild fire.The New South Wales fire service has provided the followingadvice for people wanting to protect their propertiesfrom fire risk.“Reduction of fuel does not have to be as drastic asremoving all vegetation. Environmentally this would bedisastrous and often trees and plants can provide youwith some bushfire protection from strong winds,intense heat and flying embers.In many circumstances, hand and mechanical clearingmethods should be considered the best way to protectassets. These methods can be safer than burning,and easier to organise and maintain.”Peter Hartley believes that risks can be significantlyreduced simply by clearing a fire brake around fencelines, slashing, and removing thick undergrowth anddead or dying trees.Peter and Maree Hartley’s machinery includes a 7.5tonne Hitachi excavator with blade and various buckets,a Massey Ferguson 135 Tractor with slasher and rotaryhoe and an International S-Line 10 yard Tipper.P.& M HARTLEY• Bush fire hazard reduction• Gravel and sand cartage•General excavation andearthmoving, roadpreparation, culverts and drainage.•Septics and french drainsContact us forestimation and adviceFULLY INSURED7 DAYS A WEEKPh: 0428 797 400Email: petemaree1@bigpond.comengaged in a similar capacity on theWarrugual Guardian where he gavevaluable service for six years.When his employer had to make ajourney to England, A.E. Osborne wasoffered a three year lease of thebusiness. He never hesitated inaccepting the heaven-sent opportunityalthough he had to borrow the princelysum of £100 on his insurance policy. Healso had to obtain guarantors for hisobligation to make a weeklyrepayment of £3 for the lease. In 1959 herecalled that he never did miss one ofthose repayments and the guarantorshad no worries.He was so successful that he wasthen able to transfer to Morwell wherehe purchased the Morwell Gazette. Inless than three years he had increasedthat paper's circulation and resold it - ata better price - to the former owner.It was at that time that acommercial traveller told him thatQueenstown in Tasmania had apopulation of 5,000, but did not have a• Peter Hartleynewspaper. The astute young Victorianwasted little time in crossing the BassStrait and visiting the thriving WestCoast town. But to his disappointmenthe found that the traveller had erredslightly. The town was well served bythe Zeehan and Dundas Herald.Osborne then travelled toScottsdale to see an old friend, RobertMcColl, owner of the North EasternAdvertiser. As a result of his visit hebought the business.And the reign of Osborne began. Inthe next 50 years almost every memberof the Osborne family was involved inthe production of the newspaper.A prolific contributor to the paperwas the Hon. A.W. Loone who wrotewidely widely about the first settlers inthe district. Later he gathered much ofthis matter together in his book,"Tasmania's North East," which hededicated to his four soldier sons.Mr Loone's interests were verywide and it would be difficult tomention any branch of local businessadvertisement• The 7.5 tonne Hitachi excavator in operation removing dead treesactivity into which at some time orother he did not enter. He is alsoremembered for his persistent effortsto persuade Parliament to pass an"Anti-Shout" Bill, which he maintainedwould reduce the sale of liquor.Another frequent correspondentwas Mr Robert Coplestone. His brotherAlex was also a leading public man atthe time and these two, sitting onopposites of the political fence,provided their full quota of copy.Mr J.B. Hayes, who bought hisproperty at Burnside, Scottsdale, wrotecommentaries on farming properties.He was elected to the TasmanianHouse of Assembly as a member forBass and later became Premier of theState. Later he was elected as a senatorin the Federal Parliament.In December 1959 A.E. Osbornedescribed his early years gatheringnews."The task of gathering news for theAdvertiser in the early days ofteninvolved considerable personalexertion. Very few people wereconnected by telephone and contactsoften had to be made on 'shanks' pony'or by push bike.Motor cars were exceptionally rare.Whenever one from Launcestonmanaged to negotiate the Sideling, itsarrival was invariably heralded by somuch noise and clatter thatshopkeepers hurried outside to viewthe novelty.The Advertiser used to make apoint of getting full reports of themeetings of Scottsdale, Ringarooma,Lilydale and Portland Councils.My first trip to Derby, where themeetings of the Ringarooma Councilare held, was made on push bike.This meant a solid day's workriding a total of 40 miles on hilly roadsnot then bitumenised, reporting thecouncil meeting, at the same timepicking up other news items as well asorders for job printing."(Next week - More from theOsborne years)• The Massey Ferguson 135 Tractor with slasher in operation