Zealandia Free Press

'On board ship where one meets, day after day, the same dresses, the same sky and sea, and are confined within the same narrow walls of a floating township - one needs amusements ...'- Zealandia Free Press, A 1681

Look-Out was the first newspaper published on board the Zealandia in response to the need for amusement noted above. However, the editors did not want the paper circulated amongst the steerage passengers or crew.

This fostered resentment amongst a number of the passengers and an opposition newspaper, the Zealandia Free Press, was brought out which later replaced the Look-Out. With J.R. Gunn as editor and W. Welch as sub-editor and printer, the Zealandia Free Press included sketches, stories, poetry, riddles and weather reports as well as details of daily life often from the point-of-view of steerage passengers.

> Read the Zealandia Free Press via the Library's online catalogue