Trove Tuesday - On the nose?

1851 'Local Intelligence.', Bathurst Free Press (NSW : 1849 - 1851), 29 March, p. 3, viewed 12 September, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62216111

As a bit of light relief Vicki Eldridge showed us this article from Trove when she was presenting a workshop on education. I quite enjoyed this article so, when I got home, I searched for it on Trove.

I found the article (above) that Vicki cited and several other references to similar stories:
1900 'GIRLS WITH TWO LOVERS.', Burra Record (SA : 1878 - 1954), 10 January, p. 3, viewed 12 September, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36106449
1857 'THE ADELAIDE AND GAWLER RAILWAY.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), 13 February, p. 3, viewed 12 September, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49763831
1851 'THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), 10 March, p. 4, viewed 12 September, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4776627
1870 'Miscellanious.', Warwick Examiner and Times (St. Lucia, Qld. : 1867 - 1919), 30 July, p. 4, viewed 12 September, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82099700
1909 'WIT AND HUMOR.', West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic. : 1898 - 1930) , 12 October, p. 5 Edition: MORNING., viewed 12 September, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6868945

and the list goes on!

Was this a forerunner of the Urban Myth?