The First of April Cracker was an April Fool's Day newspaper joke. It seems to be part of a series of single issue annual newspapers which began with Timothy Short's Journal of Passing Events published by Nathaniel Hailes in 1847. The newspaper editorial reads, 'Another year is added to our existence, for although we appear under a different title, edited by other heads, our butt is the same' (p. 1). The editorial is signed by 'Jemima Chitchat'.

The newspaper was arranged in the same manner as a normal newspaper, complete with shipping column, advertisements and news items. There were also topical issues of the day including the vaccination of children, colonial defence and the antics of Lola Montez, all referred to in a satirical fashion. The First of April Cracker was described by another newspaper as, 'A mass of vulgarity and nonsense ...' (South Australian Free Press, 8 April 1854, p. 8).