Henry Lloyd (1847-1897) established a newsagency called the Sydney Bookstall Company around 1880. After Lloyd's death, the company was acquired by A. C. Rowlandson (1865–1922) who expanded it into a chain of stores and railway bookstalls, selling periodicals and stationery. Renamed the N.S.W. Bookstall Company, it also published cheap paperbacks, written and illustrated by Australians. After Rowlandson's death, Reg Wynn (1866–1925) took over as Managing Director, followed by Paul Dowling. During World War II, when comic imports were restricted, NSW Bookstall established a line of locally produced one-shot comics. The company ceased to publish books and comics when restrictions were removed again post-war.