James Reading Fairfax married Lucy Armstrong (115), the granddaughter of Rebecca Small and Francis Oakes. Lucy's mother was Elizabeth Oakes (11) who married John Armstrong, Surveyor.
Sir James Reading Fairfax's obituary (from the Adelaide Register of 29 Mar 1919 p 7) notes:
Soon after the arrival of the family in Sydney, there began that connection with the Sydney Morning Herald which has continued ever since—and which has so interwoven the history of the paper with the biography of James Reading Fairfax that they cannot be separated. The Herald was established in 1831 by Stephens and Stokes—a four-page weekly, at 7d. In 1833 it became a bi-weekly, at 6d.; in 1837, a tri-weekly: and in 1840 a daily. The late John Fairfax, with Mr. Edward Kemp, bought the paper in 1851. The latter soon retired, and James Reading Fairfax, then aged 17 years, started work in the office. In 1857 John Fairfax took into partnership his two sons, Charles and James Reading, and a few years later Charles died, and Edward Ross Fairfax became junior partner. On the death of the Hon. John Fairfax in 1877, James Reading became senior proprietor; Edward Ross Fairfax subsequently retired and died in England a few years ago. On his retirement, the proprietors, were Sir James and three sons Charles Burton, Geoffrey Evan, and James Oswald. Charles Burton retired a few years ago, and recently the partnership was merged into a proprietary company, with Sir James Fairfax and his sons—the third generation—as directors
Sir James Oswald Fairfax died suddenly from heart disease on the links at Royal Sydney on 18 July 1928 and was buried with Anglican rites in South Head cemetery. He was survived by his wife and son, Warwick Oswald Fairfax. An obituary appeared in the Brisbane Courier of 19 July 1928 p 14 and it recorded:
By the death of Sir James Oswald Fairfax, which occurred on a golf links in Sydney yesterday, Australia and the rest of the British Empire loses a splendid citizen. Sir James Fairfax came of a family which has won a merited distinction in the history of Australia. His grandfather founded the Sydney Morning Herald, and set before himself, in the conduct of his paper, the highest ideals of public service and justice, which were faithfully kept in view by his son, the late Sir James Reading Fairfax, and the grandson who has just died. In Sydney and elsewhere in Australia it is said with pride that "the Fairfaxes always conducted their paper well," and that is very high praise, said as it is said.
Sir Warwick Fairfax, obituary appeared in the Canberra Times on 15 January 1987 p 2 and notes that:
Sir Warwick Fairfax, a director of the Sydney-based media group John Fairfax and Sons Ltd and one of the major figures in Australian publishing for more than 50 years, died yesterday.
Sir Warwick, aged 85, died at his home, Fairwater, in the Sydney suburb of Double Bay, yesterday afternoon.
Sir Warwick, a great-grandson of the founder of The Sydney Morning Herald, was born on December 19, 1901, and was associated with the Fairfax group's growth as one of the country's big three media conglomerates.
Fairfax, or subsidiary companies, also publish The Sun, The Sun-Herald, The Canberra Times, The Australian Financial Review and a range of magazines in Sydney, and has newspaper interests interstate, the most important being The Age, Melbourne.
James Oswald Fairfax and Retford Park - a great day out in Bowral