Before the invention of rotary printing presses, the hand press was the norm. Plates were laid on the bed, inked, and each page was printed by hand by turning the fly wheel or handle.

This press was donated to the Museum in 1938 by the Lands Department but little else is known about it. It lay in pieces in our store at Alexandria until it was reassembled by Museum staff. It is badged as a 'Hughes & Kimber' press. Extensive research has revealed that Hughes & Kimber of London manufactured large steam driven lithographic presses as early as 1865 but no catalogues have been found showing earlier hand presses. It is likely that Hughes & Kimber simply placed their name as suppliers on another press.

Two copper intaglio printing plates were also found with this press. These show two halves of a chart of the Torres Strait done by Captain Blackwood in the ship Fly between 1842 and 1845. They bear the imprint of the engraver 'HC Jervis & Co' of Sydney (who also printed the first NSW stamps of 1850). They contain a general description but no specific references to being Admiralty charts although Captain Blackwood had been commissioned by the British Admiralty to do this work. However an extensive search of hydrographic sources and map libraries in Australia and the UK has failed to turn up original prints from these plates. It seems likely that the government in Sydney had this chart printed in Sydney for their own use.

The press is badged with the name Hughes & Kimber who made lithographic presses.

This press and plates were donated by the NSW Lands Department in 1938. The Lands Department is believed to have acquired this press about 1840 and it may have been one of two used in Governor Brisbanes's observatory in parramatta in 1828.

Printing press and printing plates, metal, made by Hughes & Kimber, London, England, c.1840

Printing press with two halves of a copper plate. This printing press has been badged as a Hughes and Kimber.

Made: Hughes & Kimber; London, England; 1840


Used: Department of Lands;

B1170

1840