Printing Museums in Australia

The list below is a quick reference to Museums with collections of letterpress equipment, be they static displays, or active print shops. For each Museum the list links to the major items of letterpress, and occasional bookbinding, equipment (but not offset litho, etc. or small items). Based on this information, there is a separate Equipment list, which is in machine order.
The Museum list is still being compiled, and Museum names shown in italics are Museums that have not yet confirmed their entry. Also, some Museums may have been missed from the list, so please send any additions or amendments to David Bolton.

StateMuseumwebsitePhoneOpenMain holdingsDisplay
N.S.W.Armidale: NERAM Museum of Printingwww.neram.com.au02 6772 5255Thurs, FriEquipmentWorking
VicBacchus Marsh Expresswww.allpress.com.au03 55367 6677By appointmentEquipmentStatic
VicBallarat Times Office, Sovereign Hillwww.sovereignhill.com.au03 5337 1199DailyEquipmentWorking
S.A.Barr Smith Library, Univ. of Adelaidewww.adelaide.edu.au/library/special/08 8313 5224Mon-Fri 1-4pmEquipmentStatic
VicBroadford Courier Printing Office,
Broadford & District Historical Society Museum
www.broadfordhistorical.org03 5784 1970WedEquipmentStatic
QldBrisbane Museum of Printwww.bmop.com.au07 3257 3459OccasionalEquipmentWorking
QldCaboolture Historic Villagewww.historicalvillage.com.au07 5495 4581DailyEquipmentWorking
VicChiltern: The Federal Standardwww.chilternvic.com/visitor_activities
www.nationaltrust.org.au/vic
03 5726 16112nd SunEquipmentWorking
QldClifton MuseumToowoomba museums07 4612 3860temp closedEquipmentWorking
N.S.W.Condoblin: Lachlander Local Newspaper Museumwww.lachlander.com02 6895 4010Mon to Fri, by appointmentEquipmentWorking
QldCurrajong: Townsville Museumwww.townsvillemuseum.com.au07 4775 7838Mon to Fri, & pm 1st,3rd SunEquipmentStatic
W.A.Dardanup Heritage Parkwww.dardanupheritagepark.com.au08 9728 0552Sun, WedEquipmentWorking
VicDimboola Printing Museumwww.dimboolahistory.org.au03 5389 1440 EquipmentWorking
N.S.W.Dorrigo: Don Dorrigo Gazettee-mail dgogazette@westnet.com.au02 6657 2725Mon, ½Tues, Thurs, FriEquipmentWorking
VicFlagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnamboolhttp://www.flagstaffhill.com03 5559 4600DailyEquipmentStatic
N.S.W.Forbes Historical Museumhttp://home.westserv.net.au/~fbsmuseum/02 6851 6600Daily 2-4pmEquipmentStatic
W.A.Gnowangerup Star(currently closed)
N.S.W.Gulgong Pioneer Museumwww.gulgongmuseum.com02 63741513DailyEquipmentWorking
N.S.W.Gunnedah Rural Museumwww.gunnedahmuseums.org.au/gunnedah-rural-museum/02 6742 4690DailyEquipmentWorking
N.S.W.Henty Observer Printing Museumhttp://henty.nsw.au/AboutHenty/
HentyPrintingMuseum/tabid/489/Default.aspx
02 6929 3302By appointmentEquipmentStatic
QldHistoric Village, Herbertonwww.historicvillageherberton.com.au07 4096 2002DailyEquipmentWorking
S.A.Kadina: Farm Shed Museumwww.farmshed.net.au08 8821 2333DailyEquipmentStatic
W.A.The Kalgoorlie Miner 08 9022 0500Foyer weekdays
Store on request
EquipmentStatic
W.A.Katanning: The Herald Print Museumwww.katanningwa.com08 9821 1447By appointmentEquipmentWorking
S.A.Loxton Historic Village Print Shopwww.thevillageloxton.com08 8584 7194DailyEquipmentWorking
VicMaldon Vintage Machinery Museumwww.maldonauhistory/vintage-machine-museum03 5472 2202Sat pmEquipmentStatic
VicMelbourne Museum of Printingnow defunct, auctioned off Nov 2019  Equipment auctionedDefunct
VicMelbourne Museum and Museum Victoria Scienceworkswww.museumvictoria.com.au1300 130 152DailyEquipmentStored
TasMercury Print Museum, Hobart(currently closed)
QldMiles Printing Museumwww.mhv.org.au07 4627 1492DailyEquipmentStatic
N.S.W.Mogo: Original Gold Rush Colonywww.goldrushcolony.com.au02 4474 2123DailyEquipmentWorking
W.A.New Norcia: The Abbey Presswww.newnorcia.wa.edu.au08 9654 8018On requestEquipmentWorking
VicOld Gippsland Heritage Park, Moewww.gippslandheritagepark.com.au03 5127 3082Daily 10-4EquipmentWorking
N.S.W.Penrith Musem of Printingwww.printingmuseum.org.au0415 625573SundaysEquipmentWorking
W.A.Perth: Western Australian Museumwww.museum.wa.gov.au08 6552 7800DailyEquipmentStored
W.A.Perth: Bright Press (Whiteman Park Print Shop)www.brightpress.com.au0411 167 765Wed to Sun 10-4EquipmentWorking
S.A.Peterborough: The Print Shopwww.peterborough.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=30408 8651 2122Tues to Friday 10-1/td>EquipmentWorking
QldPimpama: South Coast Restoration Societywww.southcoastrestorationsocietyinc.org.au0408 764 023some Sat or SunEquipmentWorking
S.A.Pinnaroo: Mallee Heritage Centre Letterpress Print Museumwww.malleebound.com.au08 8577 8644mornings, Mon to SatEquipmentWorking
N.S.W.Queanbeyan Printing Museumwww.visitqueanbeyan.com.au02 6299 5666Sat, SunEquipmentWorking
S.A.Renmark: Olivewood Museumwww.nationaltrust.org.au/sa/olivewood08 8586 6175Mon, Tues pm, Thur-SunEquipmentWorking
QldRockhampton Heritage Village: Anderson's City Printing Workswww.heritage village.com.au07 4936 8688DailyEquipmentWorking
N.S.W.Sydney: Powerhouse Museumwww.powerhousemuseum.com02 9217 0111DailyEquipmentStatic
N.S.W.Temora Rural Museumwww.temoraruralmuseum.com02 69771291DailyEquipmentStatic
W.A.Wagin Historical Village: The Wagin Argus Newspaperwww.waginhistoricalvillage.com08 9861 1232DailyEquipmentStatic
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Holdings of Equipment (working/static/in storage)

Listed below are the major pieces of equipment. Smaller items such as typecases, lead cutters, etc. are omitted.


 
Working equipment at Bacchus Marsh Express
N.b. the building is currently for sale, but viewable.Static displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Ballarat Times OfficeStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Barr Smith LibraryStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Brisbane Museum of Print/StrongArm PressStatic displays/in storage
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Working equipment at Broadford Courier Printing Office, Broadford & District Historical Society MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Caboolture Historic VillageStatic displays/in storage
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Working equipment at the Federal Standard, ChilternStatic displays/in storage
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Working equipment at the City Printing Works, RockhamptonStatic display (but operational)in storage
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Working equipment at the Clifton MuseumStatic displayin storage
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Working equipment at the Lachlander Local Newspaper, CondoblinStatic displaysin storage
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Working equipment at Dardanup Heritage ParkStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Dimboola Printing MuseumStatic displays/in storage
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Working equipment at the Don Dorrigo GazetteStatic displays/in storage
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Working equipment at the Flagstaff Hill Maritime VillageStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at the Forbes Historical MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Gulgong Pioneer MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Gunnedah Rural MuseumStatic displays/in storage
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Working equipment at Henty Observer Printing MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at the Herald Printing MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Historic Village, HerbertonStaticIn storage
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Working equipment at the Farm Shed Museum, KadinaStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at the Kalgoorlie MinerStatic display (on view in foyer)In storage
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Working equipment at Loxton Historic Village Print ShopStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Maldon Vintage Machinery MuseumStatic displaysin storage
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Working equipment at the Letterpress Print Museum, Mallee Heritage CentreStatic displaysIn storage
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Some of the Melbourne Museum of Printing equipment auctioned Nov 2019
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Working equipment at Melbourne Science Museum
Now shared between Melbourne Museum and Museum Victoria Scienceworks. The latter occasionally has tours of their collection store.Static displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at the Murilla Express, Miles Historical VillageStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Mogo: Original Gold Rush ColonyStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at NERAM Museum of Printing
(Wimble Collection)Static displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at New NorciaStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Old Gippsland Heritage ParkStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Penrith MuseumStatic displaysin storage
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Working equipment at Peterborough Print ShopStatic displaysin storage
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Working equipment at the Powerhouse Museum, SydneyStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at QueanbeyanStatic displays/in storage
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Working equipment at Olivewood MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at South Coast Restoration Society Heritage Print ShopStatic displays/in storage
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Working equipment at Temora Rural MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Townsville MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Wagin Historical VillageStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Western Australian MuseumStatic displaysIn storage
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Working equipment at Bright Press, Whiteman ParkStatic displayin storage
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Written by David Bolton in 2014 and last updated 7 April 2023.