StateLibQld 1 112780 Thomas Blacket Stephens, 1867

Thomas Blacket Stephens, 1867.
Thomas Blacket Stephens was the proprietor of the Moreton Bay Courier newspaper from 1859 to1869 and renamed it The Courier. He later founded The Queenslander newspaper in Brisbane. He was born at Rochdale, Lancashire, England, on 5 January 1819 and arrived in Sydney on the Bengal in 1849. Stephens established himself as a wool broker and on 24 January 1853 he moved to Brisbane and set up an export business. On 10 July 1856 he married Ann Connah, with whom he had twelve children.

Stephens was involved in the foundation of Brisbane Grammar School, and was the first Chairman of its Board of Trustees from 1869 until 1871.