Commencing on 28 March 1831, the
Independent was published initially on Mondays, and briefly on Wednesdays, until 9 May 1831. From 18 May 1831, it was published on Saturdays continuously until 31 January 1835. Located in Brisbane Street, Launceston, the
Independents first publisher was Samuel Bailey Dowsett who had previous experience as the publisher of the Cornwall press and commercial advertiser. In 1831, the publisher of the
Launceston Advertiser,
John Pascoe Fawkner, engaged in a rivalry with the
Independent. Both Fawkner and Dowsett used their newspaper columns for heated, personal exchanges. The
Independents office in Brisbane Street, Launceston, served as an agent for the Hobart-based newspapers:
Colonial Times and
The Tasmanian. On 5 May 1832, Dowsett wrote an article in the
Independent to farewell the editor of the
Tasmanian, R L Murray, on his retirement. After leaving the
Independent, in 1833, Dowsett joined
The Sydney Morning Herald, and later
The Australian newspaper. When the
Independent ceased publication on 31 January 1835, the publisher at that time, William Mann, immediately started
the Cornwall Chronicle: commercial, agricultural, and naval register in Launceston. ==Digitisation==