by Ron Adams (1938-2013)
In the early stages of my years at ‘the times’ the machinery was extremely light on with one linotype and one font of type and an old hand fed printing press which with the dedicated work by a small band or workers is back on display along with the model 78 Linotype which Victor Coppens and myself removed from a fowl pen on a property in St. Arnaud and transported to Maldon on a trailer and set it up in the new premises on Main Street.
Another new piece of machinery was acquired from the catholic printing works in Melbourne which was also set up and allowed the 700 copies of the Times to be printed in less time.
This was a Kelly steam fed press that picked up the paper with a set of rubber suckers and automatically fed it into the machine saving many hours spent feeding the paper by hand.
Other machines and equipment was gathered and set up until the paper and printing works was on a par with the best of its kind in the district but the more modern system of printing was already taking over the old methods and finally when my wife Margaret and I retired on June 30, 1994, the new proprietor Chris and Tracey Oates had no use for the ‘old’ machinery.
Fortunately for the town of Maldon a number of residents saw the future in saving the old linotype machine. Some members of the community had saved these machines for the future and the idea to set them up for public display was the next step.
These people gathered some people with knowledge of these machines to help and the project was up and away. When approached by Peter Thompson to help I joined in and was amazed with the enthusiasm of this small group at the Maldon Vintage Machinery Museum.
After a few visits and the help of Laurie Shanks who was a Linotype engineer the machine is back to its original condition.
It never ceases to amaze me how the people of Maldon have joined in to help keep the amazing story of the history of the Tarrangower Times and it’s history alive and well.
I wish them all well.
Maldon Vintage Machinery and Museum 