Newspaper proprietor and editor, Politician, Minister of Religion

John Henry Barrow trained as a Congregational minister at Hackney College, London. He ministered at Market Drayton, Shropshire, and Leeds and Bradford in Yorkshire. While at Bradford Barrow began his association with newspapers, contributing to the Bradford observer. He migrated to South Australia in 1853 with his wife Sarah and their young children.

In Adelaide Barrow was employed in the accounts section of the South Australian register newspaper. He soon moved to the editorial department and became the leading writer. Barrow also became the minister for the Congregational community at Kensington in Adelaide's east in 1854. The Clayton Chapel was erected during his time there. In early 1858 he agreed to stand for the seat in the House of Assembly for East Torrens and in April was elected unopposed. At this time he resigned from his position at the Register and only a few weeks later Barrow's name was put forward as the editor of two proposed new newspapers for South Australia, The South Australian advertiser and the South Australian weekly chronicle, in an advertisement placed in the Register (22 April 1858, p. 1).

Barrow was one of the five directors of the two newspapers and was appointed managing director. He was to have full editorial control. The Advertiser was published for the first time on 12 July 1858 and the first issue of the Chronicle followed on 17 July. The company was not a financial success, although it also launched an evening paper, The Adelaide Express, in 1863. In 1871 Barrow and Thomas King became sole proprietors of the company.

Barrow made his maiden speech in the South Australian Parliament in September 1858 and was a member of the House of Assembly until March 1860. He served in the Legislative Council from 1861 to 1871 where he showed particular interest in land matters, being a staunch supporter of the Real Property Act and involved with the Northern Territory Land Disposals Bill. He was known as an excellent speaker in the Parliament. Barrow was a South Australian representative to the inter-colonial conferences in Melbourne in 1870 and Sydney in 1873. In 1871 he resigned from the Legislative Council but only a few months later, in December, was elected once again to the House of Assembly as member for The Sturt. Barrow also served as the first Mayor of the Corporation of Unley during 1871 and 1872. Premier Henry Ayers appointed him Treasurer from March 1872 to July 1873.

Barrow served on the Board of Education and Central Road Board. He was a member of the Free Rifle Corps.

1854: Appointed Minister Clayton Congregational Church

April 1858: Elected Member for East Torrens in South Australian House of Assembly; served until 1860

12 July 1858: First issue of The South Australian advertiser published; Barrow was managing director and editor

March 1861-September 1871: Member of Legislative Council

1871: Became proprietor of The South Australian advertiser, South Australian weekly chronicle and Express with Thomas King

1871-1872: Mayor of Unley

December 1871-August 1874: Member for The Sturt in House of Assembly

4 March 1872-July 1873: Treasurer of South Australia

SA Memory: SA Newspapers see Advertiser; Register

Coxon, Howard. Biographical register of the South Australian Parliament 1857-1957, Netley, S. Aust.: Wakefield Press, c1985, pp. 12-13

Darling, Janet L. 'John Henry Barrow of 'The Advertiser', Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch, vol. 66, December 1965, pp. 81-91

John H. Barrow, M.P.: notices of his life, labors and death / compiled from the press of South Australia, Adelaide: Advertiser, Chronicle and Express Office, 1874

'The South Australian advertiser, and the South Australian weekly chronicle', The advertiser, 22 April 1858, p.1, col.d

Australian Dictionary of Biography online search for Barrow, John Henry