"Historians of the popular press such as Raymond Williams and Alan Lee emphasise a range of preconditions necessary for its mid century development. These include industrial and technological developments (faster printing presses, cheaper paper) as well as urban infrastructure (transport, distribution) and social change (literacy, leisure). These conditions began to be met in Australia during the 1860s in the wake of the gold rushes, as discussed by Rod Kirkpatrick in this volume. Also important was the financial system which enabled the development of a viable commercial press. Company legislation introduced into the Australian colonies by the 1860s facilitated newspaper investment by a new class of urban professionals. Evening papers especially were produced not by the outspoken and politically ambitious lawyers who edited morning papers, or the individual newspaper owners and editors behind many provincial papers, but by companies formed by civil servants, accountants andjournalists."--p. 56.