Photo: Ray Belt instructs Peter Plowman on the technical aspects of  running the Heidelberg Cylinder.

Our trip to see the “Petersburg Times Print Museum” in the South Australian country town of Peterborough was a huge success.

Why was it called the “Petersburg Times?” The paper was started in the nineteenth century at a time when the town was known as Petersburg. The town was a victim of anti-German sentiment during the First World War and was re-named to Peterborough.

The print shop operated continuously for more than 100 years and along with the machinery and hot metal type are a huge collection of ‘job dockets’ – a pristine record of everything printed for many decades dating from the 1920s onwards.

Front page of the Times during the 1920s.

Ray Belt (Printer), Rod Parham (Comp), Peter Plowman (Printer), Jack Flack (Planner) and Helen Flack traveled to Peterborough on 27 September to link up with Judy Evans, Secretary of the Print Museum History Group and its wonderful members.

Photo: Ray Belt, Peter Plowman, Helen Flack and Judy Evans.

Photo: The Museum has a Wharfedale printing press pictured above. The first Wharfedale was built in England in 1856.

The Print Shop is virtually in the same condition as it was left in 2001 when the owner walked out the door for the last time.

There is a Heidelberg Cylinder and Platen, a Wharfedale Press, Intertype Model C (four magazine) and a fantastic range of old metal handset type and wooden type.

Above: An Intertype Hot Metal typesetter. The Intertype was the British version of the American Linotype.

Photo: The wood fired hot metal furnace which is situated at the rear of the print shop.

Print Shop Address: 9-11 Jervois Street, Peterborough.

Open: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – 10 am to 2 pm. or by Appointment.

Telephone: 08 8651 2011 or 08 8651 2047.

Entry: $5 per person.

Rod Parham