While claiming not to be a religious newspaper, the Adelaide morning chronicle was in fact established largely to promote support for government funding for churches - a highly divisive issue at the time. The newspaper was founded by the draper Andrew Murray following his previous newspaper, the South Australian, closing down, and with the financial backing of a group of pastoralists. In particular the newspaper provided a voice for the influential and conservative Anglican section of the Adelaide community. This was in direct opposition to the opinions expressed by the Non-Conformist churches (against state aid) in their newspaper the Austral examiner. The newspaper was of a sufficient quality to be seen as competition to the South Australian register. In early 1852 the Adelaide morning chronicle was reduced to a bi-weekly publication (rather than daily) after 35 issues, through the economic effects of the Victorian goldrush. (South Australian register, 12 January 1852, p. 2) The newspaper ceased in early 1853. Murray left in September 1852 to try his luck on the Victorian goldfields (Adelaide times 18 September 1852, p. 5), then went on to work for the Melbourne Argus where he assisted his sister-in-law, Catherine Helen Spence, to have her work published. The plant of this newspaper was purchased by JH Barrow and a few years later used to establish his newspaper, the South Australian Advertiser.

Trove : Adelaide morning chronicle in digital format