Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first edition of The Sydney Herald appeared on the 18th of April 1831. This four-page weekly had a print run of just 750 copies and was founded by Ward Stephens, Frederick Stokes, and William McGarvie.
An Englishman named John Fairfax purchased the newspaper in 1841. He renamed it The Sydney Morning Herald the following year and established editorial policies based on candour, honesty, and honour.
The final Saturday edition was produced in broadsheet format on the 22nd of February 2014. The conversion to compact format took effect on the 1st of March 2014.
As The Sydney Herald, the newspaper's editorial stance at times reflected racist attitudes within the colony. In 2023, the paper apologised for its coverage of the Myall Creek massacre and the subsequent trials of the perpetrators.
Column 8 was first published on the 11th of January 1947. It originally occupied the final 8th column of the broadsheet newspaper's front page before moving to the back page of the first section on the 31st of July 2000.
Jordan Baker is the editor of The Sydney Morning Herald. He will take over the role from James Chessell in the beginning of 2026 after Shields resigned in November 2025.