Hot Off the Press!

Printing Through Time

How did newspapers help connect communities and shape the history of Taranaki? 

This programme invites students to explore the story of the Albion Print Press, one of New Zealand's oldest surviving printing presses. Built in London in 1830 and brought to New Pymouth in 1852, the press played a key role in producing the region's first newspaper. Newspapers helped people stay informed and connected in a rapidly changing community.  

Step though time and discover how the sharing of news, stories, and ideas helped shape life in early Taranaki and how it continues to do so today. Students will uncover how newspapers bring people together, share local events, and record the stories that continue to shape our understanding of the present and past. They will then experience the challenges and creativity of historical printing for themselves, designing and creating a reversed image before producing a print and watching it appear the right way around.