📜 HISTORY FRIDAY — A Little More From Our Visit to Peterborough - learn about Mr Cropper
- Julie
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A Little More From Our Visit to Peterborough A fortnight ago on History Friday, we shared our visit to the wonderful Peterborough Printing History Museum — and today, we’re excited to bring you a little more from that experience.
This time, Mary takes us deeper into the world of the Cropper Printing Press, the beautiful foot-treadle machine we showed briefly in our first story. After looking further into its history, I’m even more amazed by what this humble press meant for small towns and local newspapers across Australia. Invented by George Cropper in the 1800s, this compact press became a favourite for regional printers because it didn’t need steam or electricity — just the steady rhythm of a treadle and a skilled pair of hands. It printed tickets, posters, handbills, business cards and the everyday news that kept communities connected. Many of these presses were still in use well into the 20th century, proving just how clever and durable this invention truly was. In today’s video, you’ll be able to watch and listen to Mary explain and show how it works — the foot-power, the platen action, the careful feeding of each sheet. Seeing and hearing her bring the machine to life reminds us just how remarkable these early presses truly were.
🎥 Take a moment to watch and enjoy this special piece of history. A heartfelt thank you to Mary for so generously sharing her knowledge and passion with us — it’s people like her who keep history alive.
📍 And if you haven’t been yet, add Peterborough and its incredible Printing History Museum to your South Australian travel list. Mary and the team would love to welcome you, share their stories, and show you this wonderful machine in action.
✨ Visit South Australia — where history lives, breathes and surprises you at every turn
📌 Watch this page — we’ll be sharing one more story this month from this amazing place.
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