In 1880, when the Mortlake Dispatch printing office moved from A. S. Stewart's General Store in Officer Street to the site shown in this photgraph, the Editor William Manson and his wife and two daughters lived in the house on right side of the photgraph, William Manson continued from here as editor and printer of the newspaper with his daughter selling newspaper and magazines from the front shop until his death in 1903,after which his son William John took over as editor until his own death in 1910. His mother Mary carried on the business with the help of her two daughters and in 1910 she appointed William John Bray of the Port Fairy Gazette as the editor of the Mortlake Dispatch. Willam Bray or Bill as he was affectionately known married one of the Manson daughters, (Mary Swinton Manson) and the Manson family continued to own the newspaper until the death of Mary Manson Snr in 1928 when it was purchased by Bill Bray. When the shop and building were demolished in about 1938 William Bray moved his printing works and news shop further up Dunlop Street. The Mortlake Dispatch was printed on this site for 58 years firstly by William Manson, then his son and then William BrayBlack and White photgraphmortlake dispatch, william manson and william bray, editors of country newspapers

Labelled 'Cowes Free Public Library', 'Phillip Island Historical Society, Cleeland Bequest', 'Cooper's Universal Book Exchange'. Stamped 'H.C. Bray, Chemist, Cowes, 21 Dec 1943'.