Punch versus Punch: The Rise and (Rapid) Fall of the London Charivari in Australia, 1905–1907

This article examines the hitherto unknown attempt by the proprietors of the London Punch (1841–1992) to establish an Australian edition of the magazine in 1905–1907. This effort depended upon the personal and professional relationships established between publishers and printers on opposite sides of the world; including between Punch proprietors Bradbury, Agnew & Co., W. T. Stead's Review of Reviews, W. H. Fitchett (of Deeds that Won the Empire fame), and Alex McKinley (proprietor of the rival, Melbourne Punch (1855–1925)). Although the attempt was a failure, closer study of this episode extends our understanding of the transnational press cultures that helped foster local identities while still binding together the ‘British World’ and British Empire. Specifically, it also extends our knowledge of the intertwined press histories of Britain and British Australia, while adding another chapter to the storied history of Punch, adding nuance to the otherwise dominant triumphalist narrative of that remarkable periodical.