The historic Heidelberg cylinder press which has been printing the Don Dorrigo Gazette is headed for a new home at the Penrith Museum of Printing.

The last newspaper in Australia to be produced by the letterpress printing process closed last month. Now the 1939 Heidelberg Zylinder Automan is to be relocated at the museum in Sydney.

A Mycause page has been launched to help meet the museum’s $5,000 estimated costs in decommissioning, relocating and restoring the press.

The press is understood to be the third-last such machine made in Germany before the outbreak of WWII, and sat crated up until post-war trade got going.

Supporter Andy McCourt, who launched the crowdfunding campaign, says the $5,000 will help the museum enormously. “The press needs to travel the 575 km from Dorrigo in NSW to the museum, where it will be lovingly restored,” he says. “PMOP is all run by volunteers and is an NFP regularly running courses and site tours at this working museum.

“This press has an amazing history, which I am still researching. It was bought from a dealer by the late John English (pictured) in 1970, but had actually arrived in Australia in 1951, and was installed by Seligson & Clare at a customer in Port Pirie, South Australia.”

Those who contribute to the fund will receive a letterpress-printed certificate of appreciation, printed on the Heidelberg press once it is up and running again. More details at the Mycause website.