The Lone Hand (magazine)

The Lone Hand was founded in 1907 by J. F. Archibald and Frank Fox as a monthly Australian magazine of literature and poetry as a sister magazine to The Bulletin.[1] It was modelled on The London Strand.[2] Originally, Archibald had wanted the name Lone Hand for what became The Bulletin.[2] Once the magazine was established, Archibald had little to do with its running.[3] It tended to echo the themes of The Bulletin; Australian individuality and mateship, and support for the White Australia Policy.

In common with The Bulletin, contributions from the public were solicited and paid for at the 'going rate'. A remarkable innovation was a prize offered to readers who found errors (including typo's) in advertisements and contributions.[1] It also sponsored the first Australian beauty contest in 1908 (after a challenge by the Chicago Tribune), and featured columns by celebrities.[2]

The Lone Hand was an initial success. The first issue in May 1907 sold out its print run of 50,000 copies in three days; the second issue sold out in one.[2] But two years later, faced with falling circulation and advertising revenue - mostly due to competition from overseas magazines, Fox instituted radical changes, adding a women's section and fashion photography.[4] The price of the magazine was also dropped from 1 shilling to 6 pence, and the language used in its editorials was softened to engage a broader audience. In 1914 links with The Bulletin were cut. By 1919 the magazine was being published in a larger format, with more articles on higher quality paper. However, when the price was adjusted again to 9 pence, circulation dropped and continuing the production became unsustainable. February 1928 was the last issue published.[1]

Cover design by David Henry Souter of the September 1909 edition

Major contributors included:

• A. H. Adams[2]
• L W Appleby (photographer)[5]
• Randolph Bedford[2]
• Zora Cross (inc. many pseudonyms)[1]
• Victor Daley[1]
• C J Dennis[6]
• Edward Dyson[1]
• Will Dyson (artist)[1]
• Mabel Forrest[2]
• Henry Lawson[1]
• Lionel Lindsay (artist)[1]
• Norman Lindsay (artist)[1]
• Percy Lindsay (artist)[1]
• David Low (artist)[1]
• Hugh McCrae[1]
• Ernest O'Ferrall[2]
• Dowell O'Reilly[1]
• Ambrose Pratt[1]
• Roderic Quinn[1]
• Steele Rudd The Old Homestead (serialised novel)[1]
• David Henry Souter (artist)[1]
• Louis Stone Betty Wayside (serialised novel)[1]
• J. W. Tristram (artist who contributed poetry under the pseudonym of Tris)
• David McKee Wright (inc. many pseudonyms)[1]
• Blamire Young (artist)[7]

Editors were:[1]

• J. F. Archibald 1907
• (later Sir) Frank Fox 1907 – 1909
• A. H. Adams 1909 – 1911
• Bertram Stevens 1912 – 1919
• Walter Jago 1919 – 1928

• Kit Taylor (1977). A history with indexes of the Lone hand, the Australian monthly. J.B. Hobbs. ISBN 978-0-9596824-0-3.

• The Lone hand on Trove
• The Lone Hand - State Library of New South Wales