Port Elizabeth Advertiser

The Port Elizabeth Advertiser was a twice-weekly free newspaper founded in March 1867, by a printer and bookbinder, William Edwards, who was also the editor. The newspaper carried items of local interest and relied on advertising for its revenue. In November 1945, after negotiations with her owner, John Watt, the Port Elizabeth Advertiser and its sister paper, the Weekend News were bought out by E H Walton & Co, owners of the Eastern Province Herald.

On May 1, 1948, the Port Elizabeth Advertiser became the afternoon Daily Advertiser with Henry H Hertzog "Zog" Biermann as editor. The newspaper was housed at 28/30 Victoria Quay in a building which was first occupied by the Afrikaans bi-weekly, Ons Land.

The old Hoe Press was re-bushed, enabling it to print the required number of copies. In addition, a Gigant Press was installed in Chapel Street and the printing plates were cast at Newspaper House in Baakens Street.

On February 8, 1947, a free specimen copy of the new Saturday Post, published under contract with Unie Volkspelers with John G Sutherland as founding editor and managing director, was handed out which was well received by the public.

On July 1, 1948, Edward "Ted" M Searle, Wallace Neil-Boss, Robert St Ledger Searle, Colonel "Okkie" Oosthuizen, Langton Iliffe, Leycester Walton, H A MacPherson, John Watt, E P Dimbleby, and J Glendinning, shareholders of E H Walton, form a new company, Eastern Province Newspapers with Geoffrey Bramall as managing director, and take over the Eastern Province Herald and the Daily Advertiser.

In 1950 the Daily Advertiser was combined with the Saturday Post and the Weekend News and replaced with the Evening Post.

Sources

E H Walton, Minutes of Board Meeting, July 1, 1948.