John Norton (Australian journalist)
| John Norton | |
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| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Darling Harbour |
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In office 10 September 1907 – 18 February 1910 |
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| Preceded by | William Daley |
| Succeeded by | John Cochran |
| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Surry Hills |
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In office 6 August 1904 – 5 July 1906 |
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| Preceded by | New electorate |
| Succeeded by | Albert Bruntnell |
| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Northumberland |
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In office 20 June 1899 – 16 July 1904 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Stevenson |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Charlton |
| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Sydney-Fitzroy |
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In office 3 June 1898 – 8 July 1898 |
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| Preceded by | John McElhone |
| Succeeded by | Henry Chapman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Norton Jnr. 1 January 1857 Brighton, England, United Kingdom |
| Died | 9 April 1916 (aged 59) East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Resting place | South Head Cemetery |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Ada McGrath (m. 29 April 1897) |
| Relations | Ezra Norton, son |
| Children | 1 daughter, 1 son |
| Profession | Journalist |
| Religion | Church of England |
John Norton, (25 January 1857 – 9 April 1916), was an English-born Australian journalist, editor and member of the New South Wales Parliament. He was a writer and newspaper proprietor best known for his Sydney newspaper the Truth. Norton was arguably one of Australia's most controversial public figures ever.
John Norton claimed to have been born in Brighton, Sussex, England but may have been born in London. He was the only son of John Norton, stonemason, who died before he was born, and his mother was Mary Davis. In 1860, his mother remarried Benjamin Timothy Herring, a silk-weaver, who allegedly mistreated his stepson. He apparently spent some time in Paris and learned to speak good French. He claimed to have walked to Constantinople in 1880, where he became a journalist.
Norton emigrated to Australia in 1884 and soon became chief reporter on the Evening News, which supported free trade. In 1885 he edited the official report of the Third Intercolonial Trades Union Congress. One of its resolutions condemned the New South Wales Governments contribution of ₤250,000 to assist migration from Europe. Norton was selected by the Trades and Labor Council of New South Wales to go to Europe in 1886 to tell potential immigrants that Australia was not a workers' paradise. He attended a trade union congress in Hull and spoke in French to one in Paris.
On his return, Norton became editor of the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners Advocate, but was sacked for drunkenness after a few months. Within a few weeks of its establishment in August 1890, he then joined the Truth, which favoured exposé articles. He soon became its editor and in April 1891 he altered its masthead to claim proprietorship, but was sacked as editor for repeated drunkenness.
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