Henry Britton

Who is Henry Britton?

Henry Britton was a journalist in colonial Australia

Britton was the second son of Alexander and Lydia Britton, born in Derby, England, where his father was engaged in tuition, was also a contributor to the press, and had some repute as a public lecturer. Henry Britton emigrated to Australia with his family in November 1854, and reached Melbourne in February 1855. He at once proceeded to Castlemaine, Victoria, where his father established a newspaper called The Miners' Right, subsequently named The Castlemaine Advertiser. He learned the business of a journalist in his father's office.

In 1863 Britton joined the parliamentary reporting staff of The Age newspaper, Melbourne. Two years later he transferred his services to the Argus, Melbourne. In 1870 he acted as special correspondent for the Argus in Fiji. The series of letters he wrote was republished under the title of "Fiji in 1870," and the volume bad a large sale. In December 1871, as special correspondent of the Argus, he accompanied the Australian Eclipse Expedition to Cape York, northern coast of Australia, where observations of the total eclipse of the sun were made.