Scotch has had various short-lived newsletters and magazines printed throughout its history, but the first proper magazine was Young Victoria.
Launched in July 1877 as ‘A Monthly Journal of the SCOTCH COLLEGE’, and priced at four pence, it was inspired by senior Scotch boys pressuring the school to start a magazine. Of the-then public schools – Geelong Grammar School, Melbourne Grammar School, and Wesley College – Scotch was the last to have a school magazine, and Young Victoria drew its inspiration from The Geelong Grammar School Annual (1875), The Melburnian (1876) and The Wesley College Chronicle (1877).
From the outset, Young Victoria was a useful, interesting and informative compendium of Scotch’s activities, history and Old Boys. During its short-lived existence, it covered the establishment of the first Old Boys’ association, the Old Scotch Collegians’ Society (1879) and its demise in 1885. Its detailed sports reports and comments on school sporting controversies are invaluable.
Unfortunately, Young Victoria did not survive long. Issued from 1877 to 1881, it was revived from 1884 until its total demise in 1885.
While other schools’ magazines continued, Scotch did not have another school magazine until the 1904 arrival of The Scotch Collegian. The gap in Scotch’s history caused by the demise of Young Victoria is inestimable.
All issues of Young Victoria have now been scanned and give a new audience a firsthand look at 19th century Scotch.
1877 Young Victoria, No 1 , July
1877 Young Victoria, No 2, September
1877 Young Victoria, No 3 , November
1877 Young Victoria, No 4 , December
1878 Supplement Young Victoria, No 9, December
1878 Young Victoria, No 5 , April
1878 Young Victoria, No 6 , July
1878 Young Victoria, No 7, September
1878 Young Victoria, No 8 , November
1878 Young Victoria, No 9, Christmas supplement December
1878 Young Victoria, No 9 , December
1879 Young Victoria, No 10, May
1879 Young Victoria, No 11, July
