Withstanding the trials of the Great Depression, enduring two world wars, and surviving two pandemics, the Don Dorrigo Gazette has regrettably succumbed to the unstoppable wave of the digital age.

For over a century, this venerable newspaper has dutifully served the small coastal town of Dorrigo, nestled in the heart of New South Wales, delivering news and stories since its establishment in 1910. However, last week marked the printing of its final pages, marking the end of an era as the last letterpress newspaper in the country.

Throughout its remarkable 110-year history, the Don Dorrigo Gazette has served as the lifeblood of the Dorrigo community, chronicling significant events and everyday occurrences in the lives of its devoted readers.

Under the ownership and management of the dynamic duo, Michael and Jade English, this letterpress relic has persevered until now, displaying their unwavering dedication.

Though they valiantly weathered the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the relentless onslaught of the digital era proved insurmountable, ultimately sealing the fate of the publication.

Australia's last letterpress newspaper, the Don Dorrigo Gazette, has ceased production due to financial pressures and the rise of social media. Credit: Facebook/Destination Dorrigo.

'Things are becoming increasingly difficult, considering my health and the constant race against the tide of social media,' Mr English admitted.

'There was a time when regular advertising space was sought after by local businesses. However, the lure of free advertising on platforms such as Facebook has overturned that tradition,' he lamented.

The pressures, he noted, were not only financial. Maintaining the newspaper in the ever-changing media landscape posed an increasing emotional and mental strain. Costs of raw materials and electricity, coupled with the relentless competition from digital news, had finally taken their toll.

'Now it's reached a point where I can't wait to get out,' he said.

In its prime, the Gazette boasted a circulation of 1,000 copies per week. Over the years, since taking over the reins from his father in 2006, the circulation has, unfortunately, waned.

By this year, about 500 dedicated readers were still receiving their tangible piece of history, hot off the press, every week.

But sometimes, it's the smallest of things that stand as the final straw. A machine breakdown on a fateful Friday set the wheels in motion. After one repair, a second malfunction the same day caused Michael to declare, 'That's it. I'm calling it a day.'

This news will undeniably impact the Gazette's loyal readership, some stalwarts of which have been subscribers for more than forty years.

'The older generation, who don't use social media, are the ones who will miss out the most,' said Mr English. He recalled his younger years of writing labels for the same subscribers, whose names 'are still there'.

This also marks the end of the legacy of the Gazette's pre-World War II Heidelberg printing press. In operation in Dorrigo for approximately 40 years, it has printed an unimaginable quantity of papers and even multitasked as a label printer for a local butter factory.

There's a bit of a silver lining, though, as Mr English shared that the machine will be rehoused at the Penrith Printing Museum in Sydney. It will continue to display the front page press of the Gazette, preserving the unchanged format since 1910.

As for Michael, who was born into the business, a well-deserved holiday awaits. Post wrapping up the affairs and tidying up their family home, he signed off by saying, 'I'm going to leave Dorrigo and go on a holiday.'

Key Takeaways

• Australia's last letterpress newspaper, the Don Dorrigo Gazette, has ceased production due to financial pressures and the rise of social media.
• The Gazette has been servicing the small New South Wales town of Dorrigo since at least 1910 and has survived the Great Depression, two pandemics, and two world wars.
• Owners Michael and Jade English cited increased costs and competition from free advertising on social media as key factors in their decision to close the paper.
• The historic printing press used by the Gazette is planned to be rehoused at the Penrith Printing Museum in Sydney, signifying the end of an era for traditional newspaper printing.

Remember when print newspapers were the ultimate source of news and updates? They played such a vital role in society, acting as the heart and soul of communities. It's hard not to feel a bit nostalgic about it all.

Now, sadly, we bid farewell to the Don Dorrigo Gazette. But for the people of Dorrigo, its legacy will undoubtedly live on. The Gazette has been an inseparable part of their lives, and it'll stick around in their memories for quite some time.

Let's take a moment to wish Mr English and his wife a wonderful and well-deserved holiday after running the business for so long. It's time for them to unwind!

So, members, what do you think about this news? Does it make you reminisce about reading the letterpressed newspaper every morning with your cuppa? Or have you embraced the digital age of news reading? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

[Penny4]

Very sad. Everyone reads newspapers and the world news online these days.

 

[Mindygirl12022]

Withstanding the trials of the Great Depression, enduring two world wars, and surviving two pandemics, the Don Dorrigo Gazette has regrettably succumbed to the unstoppable wave of the digital age.

For over a century, this venerable newspaper has dutifully served the small coastal town of Dorrigo, nestled in the heart of New South Wales, delivering news and stories since its establishment in 1910. However, last week marked the printing of its final pages, marking the end of an era as the last letterpress newspaper in the country.

Throughout its remarkable 110-year history, the Don Dorrigo Gazette has served as the lifeblood of the Dorrigo community, chronicling significant events and everyday occurrences in the lives of its devoted readers.

Under the ownership and management of the dynamic duo, Michael and Jade English, this letterpress relic has persevered until now, displaying their unwavering dedication.

Though they valiantly weathered the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the relentless onslaught of the digital era proved insurmountable, ultimately sealing the fate of the publication.

View attachment 24346

Australia's last letterpress newspaper, the Don Dorrigo Gazette, has ceased production due to financial pressures and the rise of social media. Credit: Facebook/Destination Dorrigo.

'Things are becoming increasingly difficult, considering my health and the constant race against the tide of social media,' Mr English admitted.

'There was a time when regular advertising space was sought after by local businesses. However, the lure of free advertising on platforms such as Facebook has overturned that tradition,' he lamented.

The pressures, he noted, were not only financial. Maintaining the newspaper in the ever-changing media landscape posed an increasing emotional and mental strain. Costs of raw materials and electricity, coupled with the relentless competition from digital news, had finally taken their toll.

'Now it's reached a point where I can't wait to get out,' he said.

In its prime, the Gazette boasted a circulation of 1,000 copies per week. Over the years, since taking over the reins from his father in 2006, the circulation has, unfortunately, waned.

By this year, about 500 dedicated readers were still receiving their tangible piece of history, hot off the press, every week.

But sometimes, it's the smallest of things that stand as the final straw. A machine breakdown on a fateful Friday set the wheels in motion. After one repair, a second malfunction the same day caused Michael to declare, 'That's it. I'm calling it a day.'

This news will undeniably impact the Gazette's loyal readership, some stalwarts of which have been subscribers for more than forty years.

'The older generation, who don't use social media, are the ones who will miss out the most,' said Mr English. He recalled his younger years of writing labels for the same subscribers, whose names 'are still there'.

This also marks the end of the legacy of the Gazette's pre-World War II Heidelberg printing press. In operation in Dorrigo for approximately 40 years, it has printed an unimaginable quantity of papers and even multitasked as a label printer for a local butter factory.

There's a bit of a silver lining, though, as Mr English shared that the machine will be rehoused at the Penrith Printing Museum in Sydney. It will continue to display the front page press of the Gazette, preserving the unchanged format since 1910.

As for Michael, who was born into the business, a well-deserved holiday awaits. Post wrapping up the affairs and tidying up their family home, he signed off by saying, 'I'm going to leave Dorrigo and go on a holiday.'

Key Takeaways

• Australia's last letterpress newspaper, the Don Dorrigo Gazette, has ceased production due to financial pressures and the rise of social media.
• The Gazette has been servicing the small New South Wales town of Dorrigo since at least 1910 and has survived the Great Depression, two pandemics, and two world wars.
• Owners Michael and Jade English cited increased costs and competition from free advertising on social media as key factors in their decision to close the paper.
• The historic printing press used by the Gazette is planned to be rehoused at the Penrith Printing Museum in Sydney, signifying the end of an era for traditional newspaper printing.

Remember when print newspapers were the ultimate source of news and updates? They played such a vital role in society, acting as the heart and soul of communities. It's hard not to feel a bit nostalgic about it all.

Now, sadly, we bid farewell to the Don Dorrigo Gazette. But for the people of Dorrigo, its legacy will undoubtedly live on. The Gazette has been an inseparable part of their lives, and it'll stick around in their memories for quite some time.

Let's take a moment to wish Mr English and his wife a wonderful and well-deserved holiday after running the business for so long. It's time for them to unwind!

So, members, what do you think about this news? Does it make you reminisce about reading the letterpressed newspaper every morning with your cuppa? Or have you embraced the digital age of news reading? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

I feel sad for these people who've kept their Newspaper alive for so long. My Father was a 'Master Printer' way back, and when he retired installed a printing press under our house, where he would print beautiful Cards etc. (some I think for the Masons of which he was Past Master.) I was so proud of him and loved how he would print them then using a very fine brush coat the letters with gold dust. His work was always so amazing.

 

[Ricki]

Withstanding the trials of the Great Depression, enduring two world wars, and surviving two pandemics, the Don Dorrigo Gazette has regrettably succumbed to the unstoppable wave of the digital age.

For over a century, this venerable newspaper has dutifully served the small coastal town of Dorrigo, nestled in the heart of New South Wales, delivering news and stories since its establishment in 1910. However, last week marked the printing of its final pages, marking the end of an era as the last letterpress newspaper in the country.

Throughout its remarkable 110-year history, the Don Dorrigo Gazette has served as the lifeblood of the Dorrigo community, chronicling significant events and everyday occurrences in the lives of its devoted readers.

Under the ownership and management of the dynamic duo, Michael and Jade English, this letterpress relic has persevered until now, displaying their unwavering dedication.

Though they valiantly weathered the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the relentless onslaught of the digital era proved insurmountable, ultimately sealing the fate of the publication.

View attachment 24346

Australia's last letterpress newspaper, the Don Dorrigo Gazette, has ceased production due to financial pressures and the rise of social media. Credit: Facebook/Destination Dorrigo.

'Things are becoming increasingly difficult, considering my health and the constant race against the tide of social media,' Mr English admitted.

'There was a time when regular advertising space was sought after by local businesses. However, the lure of free advertising on platforms such as Facebook has overturned that tradition,' he lamented.

The pressures, he noted, were not only financial. Maintaining the newspaper in the ever-changing media landscape posed an increasing emotional and mental strain. Costs of raw materials and electricity, coupled with the relentless competition from digital news, had finally taken their toll.

'Now it's reached a point where I can't wait to get out,' he said.

In its prime, the Gazette boasted a circulation of 1,000 copies per week. Over the years, since taking over the reins from his father in 2006, the circulation has, unfortunately, waned.

By this year, about 500 dedicated readers were still receiving their tangible piece of history, hot off the press, every week.

But sometimes, it's the smallest of things that stand as the final straw. A machine breakdown on a fateful Friday set the wheels in motion. After one repair, a second malfunction the same day caused Michael to declare, 'That's it. I'm calling it a day.'

This news will undeniably impact the Gazette's loyal readership, some stalwarts of which have been subscribers for more than forty years.

'The older generation, who don't use social media, are the ones who will miss out the most,' said Mr English. He recalled his younger years of writing labels for the same subscribers, whose names 'are still there'.

This also marks the end of the legacy of the Gazette's pre-World War II Heidelberg printing press. In operation in Dorrigo for approximately 40 years, it has printed an unimaginable quantity of papers and even multitasked as a label printer for a local butter factory.

There's a bit of a silver lining, though, as Mr English shared that the machine will be rehoused at the Penrith Printing Museum in Sydney. It will continue to display the front page press of the Gazette, preserving the unchanged format since 1910.

As for Michael, who was born into the business, a well-deserved holiday awaits. Post wrapping up the affairs and tidying up their family home, he signed off by saying, 'I'm going to leave Dorrigo and go on a holiday.'

Key Takeaways

• Australia's last letterpress newspaper, the Don Dorrigo Gazette, has ceased production due to financial pressures and the rise of social media.
• The Gazette has been servicing the small New South Wales town of Dorrigo since at least 1910 and has survived the Great Depression, two pandemics, and two world wars.
• Owners Michael and Jade English cited increased costs and competition from free advertising on social media as key factors in their decision to close the paper.
• The historic printing press used by the Gazette is planned to be rehoused at the Penrith Printing Museum in Sydney, signifying the end of an era for traditional newspaper printing.

Remember when print newspapers were the ultimate source of news and updates? They played such a vital role in society, acting as the heart and soul of communities. It's hard not to feel a bit nostalgic about it all.

Now, sadly, we bid farewell to the Don Dorrigo Gazette. But for the people of Dorrigo, its legacy will undoubtedly live on. The Gazette has been an inseparable part of their lives, and it'll stick around in their memories for quite some time.

Let's take a moment to wish Mr English and his wife a wonderful and well-deserved holiday after running the business for so long. It's time for them to unwind!

So, members, what do you think about this news? Does it make you reminisce about reading the letterpressed newspaper every morning with your cuppa? Or have you embraced the digital age of news reading? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

So . Hubby still buys some of the news papers but has also turned to digital papers. I miss the good old days

 

[Vinylted]

Given the timeline you missed the Spanish Flu pandemic...

 

[Inkyveins]

On a really positive note, the old press from the Don Dorrigo Gazette is being collected (all 5 tonnes of it) on August 17th and transported to the Penrith Museum of Printing - a working letterpress and hot metal typesetting museum (featured in film 'Ladies in Black'). A visit to this marvellous Museum, group or otherwise, is a real treat and one of our volunteers used to manage all of Fairfax's presses across ANZ. We have almost raised all of the transport costs here: https://www.mycause.com.au/p/319203...tonne-historical-printing-press-to-our-museum and it will soon be working again!

 

[Mindygirl12022]

My Father was a Master Printer who when he retired set up a letter press under our house, and he would print the most beautiful cards for the Masons and other organizations. He would print them out and while the ink was still damp would dust them with this tin of gold dust. I loved watching him, he was a real artist, and had the most incredible handwriting, so neat you'd think it was done mechanically. This was long ago in the 1960's when he retired.