Charles Macfaull

Who was Charles Macfaull?

Charles Macfaull was an early settler in the Swan River Colony, now Western Australia. He arrived in Western Australia in 1830, and is credited with having planted the colony's first vineyard, using vines brought from the Cape of Good Hope. He worked as the colony's postmaster, and in 1833 he established the colony's first successful newspaper, the Perth Gazette and Western Australian Times, which survives today as The West Australian. The original printing press, a tiny Ruthven press, that was used to prepare the first paper is currently housed in the Fremantle Museum.

He was the subject of the first book ever printed in Western Australia. Entitled A report of the late trial for libel !!! : Clarke versus Macfaul, 4 September 1835, it gives William Nairn Clark's account of his successful libel suit against Macfaull.

Macfaull died on 13 December 1846 in Perth, the Colony of Western Australia. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, who took on the ongoing role of publishing the Perth Gazette.