George Randolph Bedford 1868 – 1941 was first captivated by the idea of journalism at the age of 18. In his autobiography, Naught to Thirty Three, he writes, ‘I saw my first copy of The Bulletin and entered a new world. The only journalism I had seen before was dull and horribly respectable…and now here was The Bulletin, all the rich record of Australian life suddenly finding publication’ (1944:80).
His first newspaper job was in Bourke, but his fascination with the mining industry saw him move to the Broken Hill Argus in 1888. After a stint on the Adelaide Advertiser, he worked at the Age, becoming its crime reporter. In 1896, he launched the Clarion, a literary and mining journal, with Lionel Lindsay as part-time editor and illustrator. His later journalism included articles on mining and other topics for Lone Hand.
Bedford wrote a small work of literary journalism, “The Retail Brand of Gentleman” (1893) for The Bulletin, then a series of articles about London (1902/1903).
Like so many journalists of the era, Bedford also wrote novels, plays and short stories. He was also drawn to politics. He joined the Queensland parliament in 1917 and remained in parliament until his death in 1941.
Representative articles
- The Retail Brand of Gentleman“, The Bulletin, 30 September 1893
- “The Ringwood Mystery Close of the Inquest”, Age, 12 Sept 1889
- “Explorations of Civilisation“, The Bulletin, 11 October 1902
- “Explorations of Civilisation“, The Bulletin, July 2, 1903
Bibliography
- Bedford, Randolph (1944 / 1976), Nought to Thirty Three, Currawong Publishing Company, Melbourne