VI
THE PRESS
The earliest English newspaper in the Colony, the Hong Kong Register, was a development of the Canton Register, which was printed in Canton from about 1827, and was the first English paper to be produced in the Far East. A daily edition was being produced in Hong Kong in 1850, but three years later publication ceased.
The oldest publication still being produced in Hong Kong is the Government Gazette, which was started in 1
was started in 1841 in Macao for publishing such proclamations as the British authorities desired to issue to their merchants. When Hong Kong was ceded, printing presses were imported into the new Colony and a weekly newspaper entitled The Friend of China and the Hong Kong Gazette began publication on 17th March 18 In 1845 the newly-founded China Mail became the vehicle for Government notifications and the name Hong Kong Gazette was dropped by the Friend of China which carried on until 1860 before ceasing publication. The first separately issued Government Gazette appeared on 24th September 1853, and the first Chinese issue of the Gazette on 1st March 1862.
42.
The China Mail, which began as a four-page weekly on 20th February 1845, is still the oldest English newspaper in publication. In 1950 it was taken over by the Morning Post group of newspapers and is now published as a weekday evening paper.
The Morning Post group now therefore produces the South China Morning Post, the China Mail and the Sunday Post-Herald. The Hong Kong Telegraph, formerly a lunch-time paper also published by the group, suspended publication early in 1951. The Telegraph was first issued on 15th June 1881, changed hands on several occasions and finally merged its interests with the South China Morning Post in 1916.
1903.
The South China Morning Post first appeared on 7th November The paper was originally founded with considerable support from prominent local residents in sympathy with the Reform Movement in China. Originally situated in Connaught Road Central, its offices
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