THE Ararat Advertiser started out 160 years ago as one of the few newspapers printed outside major cities.

A hand-powered press was shipped over from England at what must have been a hefty cost.

As part of the Ararat Advertiser’s 160th anniversary celebration, we are continuing our series of feature stories on the history of Ararat.

Along with countless other artifacts from Ararart’s past, the Langi Morgala Museum contains some of the key machinery that produced the Ararat Advertiser.

Ararat Historical Society president Gerry Bolt said the museum held a major artifact from the region’s news media history.

“As far as we know, the Albion press was the first real press introduced into Ararat,” he said.

“We haven’t heard of any older ones.

“We have been given it as the original press that Jabez Walter Banfield bought to open the Ararat Advertiser in 1857.”

Mr Bolt said the press was built in 1854 in London.

“According to the blurb we have it was used to produce the first Ararat Advertiser edition.

“It’s a huge machine, it’s hand-operated with  the big old hand levers.

“It’s massively built, it must weigh well in excess of a tonne with a cast iron legs, bed and frame. It’s beautifully finished in brass lettering and bits of brass trim.”

According to museum staff, the 163-year-old press is in superb condition.

“You could quite surely use it to print an Ararat Advertiser today without any trouble whatsoever.

“I’m sure it would be fully usable. These things are built so well and so strong, they are almost indestructible.

“I would image in that Jabez Walter Banfield would have bought or ordered it direct from the dealer or manufacturer in London.”

The press was made by Hopkinson & Cope in Finsbury, London and was also used to print a variety of publications and leaflets in Ararat, including sashes for the Golden Gateway Festival.

Mr Bolt said the museum had not been unable to find an exact date when the Albion press was retired in favour of more advanced machinery but it was put in display in Ballarat before being sent to Langi Morgala in 1999.

The museum also holds a linotype machine for hot metal typesetting that was produced by Mergenthaler in New York City, USA.

“It has seen a lot of use, it’s probably still in full working order like the Albion,” Mr Bolt said.

“It has a multitude of cams and levers and a pot to melt lead so you could form letters.

“It comes with a set of advertising plates. It’s quite an impressive machine that was used at the Ararat Advertiser from 1962 to 1978 after being at the Ballarat Courier.”