Timeline of the Fawkner Press

Settlement onwards: Superseded and outmoded items from Britain dumped on the new colony. Wooden presses like The Fawkner Press had been superseded by iron presses such as Stanhope, Albion, Ruthven and Columbian. Peter Marsh: “. . . I think, identified its type and can date it to at least 1740 and possibly 1725. It certainly wasn't made in Tasmania”. (Peter Marsh is a Research Associate of the Museum who has worked extensively on the Printing Collection and taken a strong interest in the Fawkner Press).

18 April 1835: 1st edition of Cornwall/Launceston? Chronicle proprietor Mr. Lushington Goodwin using The Fawkner Press Date unknown Fawkner purchases The Fawkner Press from Goodwin

1 January 1838: 1st edition manuscript Melbourne Advertiser

5 March 1838: 1st printed edition (#10)

23 April 1838: Final edition (#17)

16 February 1839: 1st edition Port Ph Pat & Mel Ad

Spring 1840: New press from England replaced the Fawkner Press

Circa 1840: Fawkner provides The Fawkner Press to Harrison for Geelong Advertiser

1848: The Fawkner Press still in Geelong; Harrison fails to sell The Fawkner Press

1850: The Fawkner Press put up for auction but no bids

1850: While setting up 1st government printing office, Edward Khull purchased 2nd hand equipment possibly including The Fawkner Press.

1851: Govt. Printing Office inventory lists a Foolscap Broadside Press, possibly the Fawkner

1850s & 1860s: The Fawkner Press possibly used for proof work

1866: The Fawkner Press displayed at Intercolonial Exhibition, by F. F. Moore, the Government Storekeeper. Khull possibly gave Moore The Fawkner Press when it was no longer required. The Fawkner Press is described as being used by Fawkner to print the first paper in Melbourne

1870: Acquired by Industrial and Technological Museum

10 Nov 1880: Argus article: W. Beaver verifies the museum object is The Fawkner Press

18 Nov 1884: Argus article: A. MacDonald verifies the museum object is The Fawkner Press

24 Nov 1890: Geelong Advertiser article: W. Downie verifies the museum object is The Fawkner Press

1896: The Fawkner Press exhibited for the Intercolonial Library Conference

1902: The Fawkner Press exhibited and used for the Library Association Conference

1932: The Fawkner Press displayed at the Great Printing Exhibition

1934: The Fawkner Press displayed at the Victorian Centenary Exhibition

1935: Reference made that The Fawkner Press is in the Melbourne Public Library’s Historical Collection

1942: Fawkner Sesquicentenary – The Fawkner Press was in use for the last time

1966: La Trobe Librarian enquired (letter lost according to B. Hubber) about the ownership of The Fawkner Press among other things P. Marsh states 'There are some images of the 1932 Exhibition on the SLV picture site but they are very dark and don't download very well. The Fawkner press is in one of them and alongside is a Columbian identified by the Eagle on top. It is a wide view of the display and there is little detail. I'd be curious to know if there are any records of that Exhibition, such as who donated exhibits. I found nothing in MV archives about the press being exhibited, but I suspect the SLV had control of it at that date not the Science Museum.'

1966: Pat Reynolds wrote to F. J. Kendall and said 'Ron Anderson tells me that he thinks Fawkner's printing press belongs to you. Is this so? Mr. Feely always spoke of having it repaired.'

1970s: Transferred from SLV to MV

1974: Exhibited in Swanston Street Museum

1970s – 1980s: Extensive but not comprehensive refurbishment

1985 – 1992: Exhibited in Swanston Street

1992: Stored at Scienceworks

2008: Displayed in Melbourne Story Exhibition at Melbourne Museum

Reference: Hubber, Brian. 'The Fawkner Printing Press: a provenance study'. La Trobe Library Journal no. 57 Autumn 1996 pp. 15-25.