Albion printing press (2025). Rosie Moyes.
Albion printing press (2025). Rosie Moyes.
Newspapers have long shaped the identity of Taranaki, acting as both a public record and a forum for shared voices. From the printing press to today’s digital newsfeeds, the way we share and consume information has changed dramatically.
At the heart of this story is the Albion printing press. Built in London in 1830 by Jonathan and Jeremiah Barrett, it was acquired in 1852 by Taranaki Herald founders, William Collins and Garland Woon. This press was used to print the Taranaki Herald’s first edition on 4 August 1852, marking the birth of the region’s first newspaper.
How the Albion worked
Printing on the Albion press usually required two operators. First, individual letters of movable type were arranged by hand into lines of text. These lines were built up into full pages and locked tightly into a metal frame called a chase. The chase was set on the press bed, ink was rolled over the raised surfaces of the type and a sheet of paper was carefully positioned. With a firm pull of the lever, the heavy platen pressed the paper onto the inked type, transferring the image onto the page. Every sheet was printed by hand – one at a time. This required skill, patience and hard labour.
Later in the 19th century many newspapers adopted printing plates – solid metal replicas of a composed page. These could be stored, reprinted easily or used on other presses. Printing plates became an important development in printing technology, reducing wear on the original type and speeding up production.
Whose story is told?
Local newspapers reported on politics, wars, weather, births, deaths and everyday community life. In a way, they shaped how Taranaki saw itself and recorded events for posterity. But not all voices were equally represented. Māori and other marginalised groups were often excluded or portrayed negatively in mainstream press. While some independent publications and community newsletters offered alternative viewpoints to address this, many voices still went unheard. This raises an important question: whose stories are preserved in newspapers and whose are missing?
Ink and influence
News delivery has changed over time. From the arrival of radio and television to the rise of the internet, social media and artificial intelligence, our information landscape looks vastly different. This shift has amplified new voices and challenged the authority and ethics of journalism. In the digital age of instant updates and clickbait headlines, there is a fight for our attention. Information is now delivered selectively to each individual, carefully shaping which voices we see and which remain hidden.
The Albion printing press reminds us that every generation grapples with how information is shared. It stands as a legacy, asking us to consider whose voices will be preserved for the future. What responsibilities do we have as consumers of news – and what is lost when local newspapers disappear?
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