Table Talk (magazine)

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Table Talk was a weekly Melbourne magazine that ran from 26 June 1885 until September 1939. It was started by Maurice Brodzky after he left The Herald, with help to publish his own paper. The magazine was a social publication for both men and women, covering politics, finance, literature, arts, and social notes. It was famous for its gossip about local celebrities and visiting figures, including their fashion, relationships, and social events. It was especially popular during Melbourne’s 1880s Land Boom.

In 1893, trade unionist Frederick Bromley sued Brodzky after Table Talk linked him to George Sangster, who had misused union funds. The jury ruled for Bromley, awarding £500, and Brodzky then left for America. G. V. Allen became the proprietor and publisher.

In 1899, the magazine updated its format to include photographs and varied fonts. It was printed in a folio size, starting around 16 pages and expanding to 20 pages, then 24 pages by 1888. The price rose from threepence to sixpence by 1903.

In September 1924, Table Talk was sold for about £15,000. In 1926 it absorbed the illustrated magazine Punch. The last issue appeared on 7 September 1939.

A long-running feature, “Prominent Persons,” offered biographies or character studies with portraits by Melbourne artists, usually Will Dyson or L. F. Reynolds. Later, the magazine ran a similar series titled “Pen, Pencil and Personality.”