For 22 years, a Double Royal printing press held pride of place in the Central Western Daily’s Kite Street office.
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The press first printed the Forbes Advertiser in 1928 before being refurbished by engineer Ken Evans.
It could print across two pages at a rate of 1000 copies an hour. The press now features as one of Orange Regional Museum’s exhibits.
Orange’s Kennards Hire was approached by Ross Harvey for equipment to help move it, but the job was too big for one man.
“We said, ‘why don’t we do it together?’” central western manager Craig McMahon said.
“The printer wasn’t designed for mobility, it’s the age of the equipment which meant we had to be careful.
“While it was a made from cast iron, one wrong move and it could have caused significant irreparable damage.”
Getting the printer out of its former home was no easy task with an internal fence removed, Mr McMahon said six men, a tilt tray truck, a forklift and other lifting aids were used to complete the whole journey.
“A bit of thought and time went in to moving it one piece,” he said.
“We’re not a specialist moving company, it was a unique museum piece and we want to do it for the town.
“We’re big on giving back where we can and this fit the bill perfectly.”
Orange City Council’s museum and heritage co-ordinator Alison Russell said the printer would be on exhibition for the next 12 months.
“The printer has regional significance, when it was offered to the museum, the museum accepted the loan as it was an item that should remain in the region,” Ms Russell said.
“The press recorded all the major events in the region, births, deaths marriage, who went to war and who returned.
“Printing technology has changed over the years, with computers and social media assisting to communicate stories and news.”
Central Western Daily editor Tracey Prisk said newspapers play a critical role and captured the spirit of the communities for decades.
“We’re here with the community sharing their stories of hope, sporting success, tragedy and advocate for change to make a difference to local people,” Ms Prisk said.
“We all love being a part of the community and writing about what matters to us.
“The Double Royal press helped keep people around the region informed and played a vital role in the development of the Central West, it was important to ensure it was kept for future generations.”