Complex sentence: The first newspaper, The Banner, published on 11 September 1853 was one of numerous to be distributed during the gold rush period and print media played a large role in the early history of the settlement.
Split into simpler sentences: The first newspaper, The Banner, published on 11 September 1853, was one of many to be distributed during the gold-rush period. Print media played a large role in the early history of the settlement.