Livingston Hopkins (1846–1927)

Cartoonist with the first national magazine

Hopkins was a leading cartoonist in the United States. He was brought to Australia by the owner of the Bulletin magazine, who paid him such a high salary that the price of the paper had to be raised. For a time this meant that the magazine lost readers.

The Bulletin, which began in 1880, was the first national magazine. It promoted Australian writing, made fun of Queen Victoria and English lords and dukes, and wanted Australia to be a new nation completely independent of the British Empire. From 1894 it dropped its demand for independence, instead supporting Federation within the empire. It had serious aims but used humour to reach them – which was why cartoons were a very important part of the magazine.

Hopkins drew cartoons that were bold and funny but not savage.
He was happy to make fun of everyone and everything and was surprised when some people took offence at his drawings. He himself was a proper family man, rather stand-offish, not joining in the good times and parties of the other people who worked and wrote for the Bulletin.

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