The Morning Bulletin

The Bulletin made its debut on 9 July 1861, making it the second oldest business in Rockhampton, just after the Criterion Hotel, which opened in October 1860. William Hitchcock Buzacott, who lived from 1831 to 1880 and was the brother of Charles Hardie Buzacott, founded and initially owned the newspaper. He transported the press and materials from Sydney in 1861, where he had previously been running a small weekly publication. At that time, the paper was known as the Rockhampton Bulletin and quickly became popular among the town's 698 residents. Initially, The Bulletin was located in a modest wooden structure on Quay Street, close to the old Customs House. Unfortunately, on 14 August 1862, this building caught fire, destroying the presses. Buzacott promptly acquired new equipment from Sydney and relaunched the newspaper in a two-story masonry building on Denham Street. However, by 1926, this location became too cramped, prompting a return to Quay Street, where they established the new Bulletin Building, which is now recognized as a heritage site.