The untold story of William Shum, Editor of Australian Home Beautiful 1926-1946

A$55 · Offered by Douglas Stewart Fine Books

Sydney : The Beagle Press, 2024. Quarto, illustrated boards, pp. 224, illustrated. New copy. Discover the hitherto untold story of William Shum, founding editor of two popular Australian magazines, The New Idea and Australian Home Beautiful (both still in print to this day), and the extraordinary impact he had on people’s lives through the first half of the 20th century, when modern Australia was being formed. Sue Walker tells the life story of her magazine editor grandfather against the larger backdrop of Australian history and cultural growth in this meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated biography. William Arthur Somerset Shum (1875-1961) was a pioneer in Australian magazines, at a time when magazines were a powerful influence on the way people lived. At the helm of these exciting publications, Shum came into people’s homes every month for 43 years, from 1902 to 1945. Born in 1875, William grew up in the goldfield town of Bendigo, in a loving Methodist family. His unwavering positive outlook on life continued, despite losing the sight in one eye at the age of 10 and being orphaned while still in high school. Shum wrote for local papers and was an active member of the Mechanics Institute in Bendigo before moving to Melbourne in 1896. He secured work with Rev Dr W.H. Fitchett who ran a flourishing publishing company, launching The New Idea with Shum as editor in 1902. Shum married Edith Moore (youngest daughter of Thompson Moore MP, and sister of William Moore,

• Binding: Hardcover

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.