Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/27

Rh home. Here he built up the iron constitution that was to stand him in such good stead in later years, and here, too, he made friendships that were to last as long as life itself. During the months he spent in solitary rides from one isolated station to another, the seeds were sown of his future campaign in the cause of cheapening postal and telegraphic communication throughout the world.

Leaving the bush, John Heaton spent some happy years in Parramatta, where he joined the staff of "The Mercury." For three months, December 1869–February 1870, he acted as Town Clerk of Parramatta. Fate, "playing her wonted phantasy," decreed that he should next edit a paper in GoulbournGoulburn [sic] with the predestined title "The Penny Post." From "The Penny Post" he passed on to "The Times"—of Parramatta—a natural transition in view of the part he was later to act as connecting link between another "Penny Post" and another "Times."

His next move was to Sydney, where he joined the staff of "The Australian Town and Country Journal." This journal and "The Evening News" were owned by Mr Samuel Bennett, the doyen of Australian journalists, and author of an exhaustive work on Australian history.

Mr Bennett was a remarkable example of the men of high character who in those early days had already succeeded in making the Australian press honoured and respected. Though he was never in Parliament, no Cabinet was ever formed without obtaining his views and advice. The son of a Cornishman, he united in his personality the integrity and bluntness of speech of his compatriots with the kindest of hearts and the most generous of instincts. "A