Old newpapers can take us back in time to provide historical and social background to the world of our ancestors. In an ideal online world for family historians, entire newspapers would be accessible as digitised images. There would be a searchable index and of course, all entirely free. Then the internet would truly be the means to access a world wide library at your fingertips. This may come true in the future as there are some promising examples both in Australia and further afield

Australian Periodical Publications 1840-1845 has links to:

The Adelaide independent and cabinet of amusement. Adelaide; 1841.

Arden's Sydney magazine of politics and general literature. Sydney; 1843.

The Atlas : Sydney weekly journal of politics, commerce and literature. Sydney; 1844-[1849?].

The Australasian odd fellows' quarterly magazine. Sydney; 1845.

The Australian and New Zealand monthly magazine. London; 1842.

The Bee of Australia. Sydney; 1844.

The Colonial and Asiatic review. London; 1852-1853.
Earlier title: The Colonial magazine and East India review. London; 1849-1852.

Colonial literary journal and weekly miscellany of useful information. Sydney; 1844-1845.

The Colonial magazine and commercial maritime journal [London]; 1840-1842.
Later title: Fisher's colonial magazine and commercial maritime journal. 1842-1843.

The Colonial magazine and East India review. London; 1849-1852.
Earlier title: Simmond's colonial magazine and foreign miscellany. London; 1844-1849
Later title: The Colonial and Asiatic review. London; 1852-1853.

The Colonial observer : or weekly journal of politics, commerce, agriculture, literature, science and religion for the Colony of New South Wales. Sydney; 1841-1844.
Later title: The sentinel. Sydney; 1845-1848.

Colonization circular. London; 1843-1859.

Commercial journal and advertiser. Sydney; 1835-1840.
Later title: Free press and commercial journal.. Sydney; 1841.

Commercial journal and general advertiser. Sydney; 1845.
Earlier title: Sydney free press. Sydney; 1841-1842.
Later title: The Examiner. Sydney; 1845.

Commercial journal, general advertiser and Odd Fellows' advocate. Sydney; 1845
Earlier title: Sydney free press. Sydney; 1841-1842.
Later title: Commercial journal and general advertiser. Sydney; 1845.

The Cumberland times. Parramatta, N.S.W. ; 1845-[1911?]
Earlier title: Parramatta chronicle : and Cumberland general advertiser. Parramatta, N.S.W. ; 1843-1845.

The Dispatch. Sydney; 1842-1844.

The Examiner: : political, literary and commercial journal. Sydney; 1845.
Earlier title: Commercial journal and general advertiser. Sydney; 1845.

Fisher's colonial magazine and commercial maritime journal. London; 1842-1843.
Earlier title: The Colonial magazine and commercial maritime journal. 1840-1842.
Later title: Fisher's colonial magazine and journal of trade, commerce and banking. 1844-1845.

Fisher's colonial magazine and journal of trade, commerce and banking London; 1844-1845.
Earlier title: Fisher's colonial magazine and commercial maritime journal.. 1842-1843.

The foreign and colonial quarterly review. London; 1843-1844.
Later title: The new quarterly review, or, Home, foreign and colonial journal. 1844-1847.

Free press and commercial journal. Sydney, N.S.W.; 1841.
Earlier title: Commercial journal and advertiser. Sydney; 1835-1840.
Later title: Sydney free press. Sydney; 1841-1842.

Geelong advertiser. North Geelong, 1840-1845.
Later title: Geelong advertiser and squatters advocate. North Geelong; 1845-1847.

Geelong advertiser and squatters advocate. North Geelong, 1845-1847.
Earlier title: Geelong advertiser. North Geelong; 1840-1845.

General Index to the contents of the first ten volumes of the London Geographical Journal. London, 1844.

The Guardian : a weekly journal of politics, commerce, literature, science and arts for the middle and working classes of New South Wales. Sydney, 1844.

The Hunter River gazette and journal of agriculture, commerce, politics, and news. West Maitland, N.S.W., 1841-1842.

The Juvenile missionary magazine. London, 1844-[1887]

The Launceston courier. Launceston, Tas. ; 1840-1843.
Later title: The Teetotal advocate. Launceston, 1843.

The Maitland mercury and Hunter River general advertiser. Maitland, N.S.W.; 1843-1855.

The Melbourne courier. Melbourne; 1845-1846.
Earlier title: The Melbourne weekly courier. Melbourne; 1844-1845.

Melbourne times. Melbourne; 1842-1843.

The Melbourne weekly courier. Melbourne; 1844-1845
Later title: The Melbourne courier. Melbourne; 1845-1846.

The new quarterly review, or, Home, foreign and colonial journal. London; 1844-1847.
Earlier title: The foreign and colonial quarterly review. 1843-1844.

The New South Wales examiner. Sydney; 1842.

The New South Wales magazine, or, Journal of general politics, literature, science, and the arts. Sydney; 1843.

The Odd Fellows' magazine. Adelaide; 1843.
Earlier title: South Australian Odd Fellows' magazine. 1843-1846.

The Omnibus and Sydney spectator. Sydney; 1841-1843.

Parramatta chronicle : and Cumberland general advertiser. Parramatta, N.S.W. ; 1843-1845.
Later title: The Cumberland times. Parramatta, N.S.W. ; 1845-[1911?]

The Port Phillip magazine. Melbourne ; 1843.

The Satirist and sporting chronicle. Sydney; 1843.

The sentinel Sydney; 1845-1848.
Former title: The Colonial observer : or weekly journal of politics, commerce, agriculture, literature, science and religion for the Colony of New South Wales. Sydney; 1841-1844.

The Shipping gazette and Sydney general trade list. Sydney; 1844.

Simmond's colonial magazine and foreign miscellany. London; 1844-1849
Later title: The Colonial magazine and East India review. London; 1849-1852.

The South Australian colonist, and settlers weekly record of British, foreign and colonial intelligence. London; 1840.

The South Australian magazine. Adelaide; 1841-1843.

South Australian news. London; 1840-1852.

South Australian Odd Fellows' magazine.Adelaide; 1843.
Later title: The Odd Fellows' magazine. Adelaide; 1843.

The South Australian temperance advocate. Adelaide; 1841.

The South Briton, or, Tasmanian literary journal. Hobart Town; 1843.

The Star. Sydney; 1845-1846.
Earlier title: The Star and working man's guardian.Parramatta, N.S.W; 1844-1845.

The Star and working man's guardian.Parramatta, N.S.W; 1844-1845.
Later title: The Star. Sydney; 1845-1846.

The Sun: and New South Wales independent press. Sydney; 1843.

The Swan River news and Western Australian chronicle. London; 1844-1849.

Sydney dispatch.
See: The Dispatch

Sydney free press. Sydney; 1841-1842.
Earlier title: Free press and commercial journal. Sydney, N.S.W.; 1841.
Later title: Commercial journal, general advertiser and Odd Fellows' advocate. Sydney; 1845.

The Sydney protestant magazine. Sydney; 1840-1841.

The Sydney record. Sydney; 1843-1844.

Tasmanian evangelical miscellany.
See: The True catholic, or Tasmanian evangelical miscellany

Tasmanian journal of natural science, agriculture, statistics &c. Hobart, Tas.; 1842-1849.

Tasmanian literary journal
See: The South Briton, or, Tasmanian literary journal.

The Teetotal advocate. Launceston, 1843.
Earlier title: The Launceston courier. Launceston, Tas. ; 1840-1843.

The Teetotaller and general newspaper. Sydney, 1842.
Earlier title: The Temperance advocate and Australasian commercial and agricultural intelligencer. Sydney, 1840-1841.

The Temperance advocate and Australasian commercial and agricultural intelligencer. Sydney, 1840-1841.
Later title: The Teetotaller and general newspaper. Sydney, 1842.

The True catholic, or Tasmanian evangelical miscellany. Hobart Town; 1843.

The True sun and New South Wales independent press. Sydney; 1843.

Van Diemen's Land temperance herald : for domestic and foreign intelligence. Launceston, 1845

The Voice of Jacob, or, The Hebrews' monthly miscellany. Sydney; 1842.

The Weekly register of politics, facts and general literature. Sydney; 1843-1845.