Clara Seekamp

Clara Seekamp was the first female editor of an Australian newspaper.

She was born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1819 with the name 'Clara Lodge'.

Clara Seekamp (Clara Duval at the time) first arrived in Australia in May, 1853, as a single mother of three children. She brought over her two sons, Oliver, who was 9 years old, and Francis, who was one. She left Francis' twin sister Clara behind in Ireland. Her husband, Claude Duval, an artist, had died.

Seekamp became a languages teacher and an actress at the Gravel Pits. Additionally, she conducted a theatrical company.

In 1854, Clara became the de facto wife of Henry Seekamp, who was 10 years younger than her, and who was the editor and publisher of 'The Ballarat Times', a newspaper he had set up. The Ballarat Times was run in their household, which was on Bakery Hill, close to Gravel Pits. The newspaper was very successful, and the little building they had had before was turned into a compound which consisted of: a printing office, stables, a kitchen, a separate residence, office and a coach-house.

Henry Seekamp was arrested for writing seditious articles, however it is highly probable that Clara herself wrote them, as she was highly literate and intelligent. While Henry Seekamp was in jail, Clara took over the family business, and became the first female editor of an Australian newspaper. She used her editorial influence to promote the writing of Ellen Young. Clara's editorials often questioned the decisions that and happenings that were made and occurred during that period.

Clara was a very fiery, political editor, and wrote about what was going on at the time.

After the miners rebellion had started, and the flag and the fence had been constructed, Governor Hotham needed an enemy to blame, and decided on 'foreigners'. Clara did not fall for this, so on New Year's Day 1855, she wrote:

"Who are the foreigners? Where are the foreigners? What is it that constitutes a foreigner?....Poor Governor Hotham! Could you not have found some other more truthful excuse for all the illegal and even murderous excesses committed by your soldiery and butchers?....Why did you disregard out memorials and entreaties, our prayers and our cries for justice and protection against your unjust stewards here, until the people, sickened by hope deferred, and maddened by continued and increased acts of oppression, were driven to take up arms in self defence."

After Henry was released from jail he was in a very poor condition. Clara's daughter, now seven, had travelled from Ireland, and arrived on Bakery Hill.

Clara petitioned for money from the government to make up for her loss of business income and property value. The government gave her 500 pounds.

After Henry died in Queensland, January 1864, Clara and her three children moved to Melbourne.

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