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John Norton (Australian journalist)

John Norton
John Norton, newspaper owner.jpg
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Darling Harbour
In office
10 September 1907 – 18 February 1910
Preceded by William Daley
Succeeded by John Cochran
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Surry Hills
In office
6 August 1904 – 5 July 1906
Preceded by New electorate
Succeeded by Albert Bruntnell
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Northumberland
In office
20 June 1899 – 16 July 1904
Preceded by Richard Stevenson
Succeeded by Matthew Charlton
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Sydney-Fitzroy
In office
3 June 1898 – 8 July 1898
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(1916-04-09) (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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