Nat Gould

His life and books


J.F. Archibald 1856-1919

J.F.Archibald was an Australian journalist and publisher, co-owner and editor of The Bulletin, and founder of the prestigious Archibald Prize.

He was born on 14 January 1856 in Geelong West as John Feltham Archibald, but as an ardent francophile changed his name to Jules François Archibald.

Archibald joined in a partnership that started the weekly Sydney newspaper The Bulletin in 1880, and eventually bought out his partners. It became Australia's leading publication for writers and cartoonists, and was open to contributions from readers. He resigned as editor in 1902 and sold out in 1914. While Archibald was editor it became identified with a type of Australian literature, but declined thereafter. It was revived as a modern newspaper in the 1960s but finally closed down in 2008.

Nat Gould refers to Archibald in a letter to E.J. Brady written from England in 1895.

J.F. Archibald died in Sydney on 10 September 1919 (1).


(1) For more information on J.F. Archibald and The Bulletin see Nat Gould: The Biography by Tom Askey (2017) pages 77-79.