Ballarat Punch Magazine: an insight into colonial cultural values

Dr Annie Thomas explores Ballarat Punch magazine and the insight it gives us into nineteenth century colonial cultural values.

The satirical Ballarat Punch magazine (1857 and 1867-1870) formed part of a global proliferation in Punch-like periodicals modelled on the London original that accompanied British imperial expansion in the nineteenth century. This talk introduces the publishers, writers and illustrators, and explores the content of both iterations of the Ballarat Punch, with a primary focus on the 1860s. Covering themes of nationalism, egalitarianism, race, and gender, the Ballarat Punch provides an insight into the earliest days of complex imperial-colonial culture during unprecedented levels of European immigration and serves as an important source for examining various aspects of the Victorian gold rush era.

Dr Annie Thomas has worked as a psychologist for the past thirty years. In 2007 she enrolled part time in a Master of History degree at the University of New England. Annie’s Masters’ thesis was focused on the Ballarat Punch, and after spending a significant amount of time in various Ballarat archives in 2022, she decided to move to Ballarat after falling in love with the city, which she now happily calls home. Annie commenced a PhD in history in 2024 at Federation University Australia to continue focusing on several under-explored nineteenth century Punch magazines in Australia and New Zealand.


Attend Talking History in person at the Eureka Centre (no booking required). Past lectures can be viewed on YouTube by clicking this link. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwU4ChgWAoB7HAlGE4ha8IgVnhAKbubIC

Image: F W Niven (publisher), Ballarat Punch (cover page), 9 January 1868. Ballarat Libraries, Australiana Research Collection.

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