James Morgan (Ex Editor in Chief at Hawke’s Bay Herald Tribune)

James Morgan well versed in community service. Retired newspaper editor, farmer, forester and administrator. Life member Hastings Group Theatre; producer Napier Operatic Society; director Hastings-Guilin Sister City Board; founder-chairman Flaxmere Licensing Trust 1975-90; foundation director Trust House Ltd; national administrator NZ Sister City Board 2000-2002.
A Brief History of Newspapers in Hawke’s Bay
James Wood was the beginning of the Newspaper era in Hawke’s Bay New Zealand. His imprint is still with us today. James wood was instrumental in the formation of Hawke’s Bay and the establishment of Hawke’s as a Province. James Wood arrived in Hawke’s Bay in 1856 armed with a case of printers type and an Albion Press. He was warned to keep it under lock and key as the Maoris would love the lead in the letter types to make musket balls.
The Albion Press was a slow laborious procedure involving the grouping of letters together to form words.but the words were made and stacked in reverse and upside down. A good type linker would managed 150 words per hour. It was a slow process publishing the written word.
Mr. James Wood, an Auckland journalist, was induced to start' the “HB Herald and Ahuriri Advocate,” in Ahuriri the first number of which appeared on the 24th of September, 1857. It was a very small sheet, issued weekly at first, but soon afterwards was published twice a week.
In Auckland Willis met James Wood, sub-editor of the Southern Cross newspaper. Having tested his capabilities, Wood persuaded the young printer to accompany him to Napier, where they started the Hawke's Bay Herald. The little paper made good progress. About two years later, much to Wood's regret, Willis returned to Auckland and from there travelled to Wellington, taking a post as compositor to the New Zealand Advertiser
The standard of publishing was not very good and after a few weeks the type face was getting blurred. William Colenso was the only other person in the district with an Albion Press and who new how to use it. Wood invited William Colenso over to his workshop.He removed his jacket on arrival and promptly started to show James how to wash the rollers and type heads.
Within a year of Mr Wood campaigning for Hawke’s Bay to become a separate Province from Wellington, he succeeded. Published in the paper on Saturday 13 November 1858 Hawke’s Bay Had been officially proclaimed a Province of New Zealand.It was a very small sheet, issued weekly at first, but soon afterwards was published twice a week. Early in the year 1871, Mr. Wood ventured to issue a daily half-sheet, Mr. W. W. Carlile being appointed editor.
Willis moved on to Wellington to go Printing, he was printing Government Publications.
Willis went onto publish several books including the “Williams & kettle “ book,
Soon after the Herald Office was moved to Tennyson Street in Napier what is now the corner of Tennyson Street and Cathedral Lane. The business prospered and the building expanded and grew until 1886 when the wooden building was burnt to the ground by fire.
This was replaced by a stronger red brick building but this was only going to last until the 1931 Earthquake, when it was severely damaged. The old Albion was replaced by a Rotary Flatbed Motorised Albion which was considerable faster and type setter had improved.
The HB Tribune was severely damaged in the 1931 earthquake, however Mr Whitlock had builders on the case and within hours the building was restored sufficiently and the printing press up and running that they could print the news, and earthquake bulletin was printed on the same day as the earthquake.
A new Brick and stone premises replaced the old building at a cost of £5000. This was now the tallest structure in Hastings at the time.
In 1937 WA Whitlock was made editor replacing his father WC Whitlock and soon after the rotary flatbed Albion was replaced with a lithographic press with curved plates on a rotating press. A vast improved, utilising engrave plates to print from, faster clear and much quicker.
The present handsome brick and stone premises were suitable to all the requirements of the town and district. The quality of lithographic, job-printing, and book-binding work issued from the “Herald” office will compared favourably with that executed in much larger towns.
WA Whitlock was using teleprinters to get up to the minutes news and photos from around the country and few months later from all around the world. WA would then on sell this news to other major newspapers. The HB Herald Tribune was now an international newspaper.
As far as international news went there was a lot of English news and royalty. WA Whitlock as loyal to his homeland. England was New Zealand’s “Mother country.”,
As picture engraving was expensive WA tried engrave those pictures that he could re use, e.g. famous people, royalty, Buildings, etc they he could get repeated use from. Other would have to be important to the news e.g. floods earthquakes etc.
The Whitlock’s profound motto was “We provide depth and quality printing, we are here for the truth, not self interest” The strong maxims of the Whitlock’s was to provide an emphasis on “Local news, immediacy, and the now as it happens and unfolds as well has History and the community”
On local race day a full page on stories on the days racing was provide with pictures. A flood and they were there in hours reporting it up to the minute. An earthquake in and they travelled the miles through rubble police barricades to get it to you the same day it happened.
WA Whitlock was fantabulous with words and would wander round the building checking stories and articles looking for grammatical, punctual or factual errors. He would change articles or stories if the were not to his liking or standard.
He took history seriously, when HB Province was celebrating 100 years as a province, WA asked Lewis Knowles to write a 100 page history of Hawke’s Bay celebrating 100 years of HB as a Province. James Morgan himself compiled it, checked it and rewrote it if not completely satisfied. He had a great knowledge of the district history.
Tony Whitlock introduce the breaking news box creating the excitement of immediacy with his “fudge box” printing creating a box of space for late breaking news. Or “Stop Press”