Private Presses in Australia

This list shows Private Presses in Australia that use/have used letterpress for printing their books, at some point since 1900. Presses that are known to have ceased printing are shown in italics. The term Private Press is taken to refer to a producer of books for primarily non-commercial/self-interest/artistic reasons, and generally where the process is wholly or in part based on traditional techniques. Presses using commercial printers are mostly omitted, as are those that have never used letterpress (but as the list is still being compiled, a few entries may have crept in in error).

The information labelled P has been taken from the annual Private Press Books compendia published between 1959 and 2007 by the Private Libraries Association (in the U.K.). The information labelled F has been taken from Geoffrey Farmer's Private Presses and Australia published in 1972, with supplement in 1976. That labelled B has been taken from Farmer's The Literature of Australian Private Presses and Fine Printing - A Bibliography 1986. Where no source is shown the information has come word-of-mouth, and nearly always relates to current Presses. The Dates column shows the earliest and latest book published, based on Private Press Books and Farmer, and so has omitted more recent books. Blank entries are where the information still has to be researched.

Additional Press names are welcomed - please send any information to David Bolton, but bear in mind that these Presses should at some point use letterpress!

Press Location Printer Dates Comments Source
Actus ReusRozelle, NSWLawrence Finn (now Hipcat Printery below) 
Alembic PressMargaret River, WAClaire and David Bolton1978 onwards(primarily UK based) 
Ampersand DuckCanberra, ACTCaren Florance   
Ancora PressCaulfield, VICBrian McMullin1976 onwards(based at Monash University) 
Ankh Press Napoleon Louwyck1939-1943 F
Ant PressSydney, NSWMonica Oppen   
Anvil Press Max Dunn1943-1954(and see Lyre-Bird below)F
Aquarian Press C Elliott Perryman1939-1940(and see Myall below)F
Argonaut Press Samuel R Simmons1892-1946(and see Simmons below)F
Atlas PressMelbourne, VICEdward MacKenzie1898-1908(and see Poseidon below)F
P Neville BarnettSydney, NSWP Neville Barnett1928-1953(mostly commercially printed)F
Barn-on-the-HillMelbourne, VICRichard Edwards & Rod Shaw1939-1942(became Edwards & Shaw, Sydney 1945-1983)FB
Beaujon PressSydney, NSWJohn Cummins1961(and see Perpetua below)P
Bilinga Beach PressBilinga, QLDJohn Setek   
Bird in the HandpressMelbourne, VICDavid Harris   
Blackdawn PressBeecroft, NSWJürgen Wegner   
Black Jack PressMelbourne, VICDerham Groves   
William Blocksidge William Baylebridge1910-1933(And in UK. Also see Tallibila below)F
Blubber Head PressHobart, TASDan Sprod1979 B
Brandywine PressBeecroft, NSWJürgen Wegner1977-1984 P
A W Brazier A W Brazier1907-1919 F
Brindabella PressDeakin, ACTAlec Bolton1973-1983(until 1996)P
Centaur Press Sidney Dorne1942 F
George A Collingridge George A Collingridge1923-1933 F
Cotswold PressWarrandyte, VICKenneth Wallace-Crabbe1954-1979(last book 1979)P
Croft PressSouth Yarra, VICJim Walker1978-1979(with Richard Griffen in 1978) P
William Alfred CumminsBerowra, NSWWilliam Cummins1979 P
Barbara A DavidsonDouble Bay, NSWBarbara Davidson   
Brian S DonagheyBrisbane, QLDBrian S Donaghey1963(and see Officina Donagheana below)P
Dubloon Press John Kirtley & Jack Lindsay1924-1926(and see Franfolico below) F
William Dunbar William Dunbar1939 F
Duyfken PressManuka, ACTBill Thorn1975-1993 P
Minauts Eglitis Minauts Eglitis1957-1959 F
Jon ElbourneSouthern Highlands, NSWJon Elbourne1973(now uses inkjet/laserwriter) 
Electio EditionsMalvern East, VICAlan Loney2004 onwards P
Escutcheon PressPearl Beach, NSWBob Summers2000-2004(last book 2004)P
Hilda EssonEmerald, VICHilda Esson1922(only one book)B
Finlay PressBraidwood, NSWIngeborg Hansen and Phil Day (last book 2009 
Fisher PressUniversity of Sydney, NSW(Fisher Library)1963-1976(and see Piscator below)F
Robert D Fitzgerald Robert D Fitzgerald1927 F
Fold EditionsPerth, WAPaul Uhlmann (based at Edith Cowan University) 
Franfrolico PressSydney, NSWJohn Kirtley & Jack Lindsay1925-1930(moved to London by 1928. Also see Kirtley below)FB
Futurian Press Vol Molesworth & Nick Solntseff1950-1962 F
Galleon Press Frank Wilmot (Furnley Maurice)1901-1933(and see Microbe below)F
Galley Press Ron Edwards1950(and see Rams Skull below)F
John Godchild John Godchild1953 F
Golden Arrow Press Christian Waller1932 F
Golden Lantern Press Geoffrey Ingleton1932-1934 F
Golden Point PressBlackburn, VICDennis Bryans   
Green PressKallista, VICPercy G Green1921-1973 PF
Hallowell PressDenmark, WAGraham & Alison Kershaw   
Hawthorn Press John Gartner1933-1953(1945 last private printing)F
Hipcat PrinteryRozelle, NSWLawrence Finn   
Idlewild PressMelbourne, VICCarolyn Fraser   
Impediment PressSydney, NSWSue Anderson   
Indian HeadPambula, NSWRichard Jermyn   
Island PressBundeena, NSWPhilip Roberts1970-1977 P
Jester PressMelbourne, VICRobert Littlewood1978-1998(Lytlewold Press now in UK)B
Juniper PressMelbourne, VICMary Quick1949-1961 PF
Kirtley Press John Kirtley & Jack Lindsay1923-1952(and see Mountainside below)F
Koolinda Press Hal Stone, Leon Stone, Mrs Stone1892-1955(and see Pallamania below)F
Labyrinth PressCanberra, ACTPetr Herel & Thierry Bouchard (Last book 2007) 
Lasting Impressions LetterpressElizabeth Town, TASDennis & Joanne Wild    
Bruno LetiCarlton South, VICBruno Leti   
Levite PressEast St Kilda, VICSchmuel Gorr1967-1968 PF
Lexicon HouseBrunswick, VICGeorge Matoulas   
Light Trap PressSt Lucia, QLDAngela Gardener   
Locks' PressBrisbane, QLDFred & Margaret Lock1979-2002(last book in Australia 1984)P
Lyre-Bird Max Dunn1954-1955(and see Anvil above)F
Lyre BirdTownsville, QLD
and Melbourne, VIC		Tate Adams (based at James Cook University) 
F T Macartney F T Macartney1951 F
Master ThiefEast Burwood, VICPeter Lyssiotis   
Ronald McCuaig Ronald McCuaig1938-1941 F
Raymond McGrath  Raymond McGrath1924 F
Hugh McKaySydney, NSWHugh McKay1909(only one book)B
Melaleuca PressCook, ACTDavid Hardy1977-1981(last book 1981)P
Meryon Press Lionel Lindsay1924 F
Microbe Press Frank Wilmot (Furnley Maurice)1901-1933(and see Galleon above)F
Monsoon PublishingTownsville, QLDRon McBurnie   
Moonflower Press Robert Rooney1956 F
Morris Press John Gartner1945-1953(1945 last private printing)F
Frank Morton Frank Morton1919-1922 F
Mountains Brown PressMelbourne, VICPhil Day   
Mountainside Press John Kirtley & Jack Lindsay1923-1952(and see Wine below)F
Myall Press C Elliott Perryman1939-1940(and see Aquarian above)F
New Albion PressHobart, TAS;Dept of English, Univ. of Tasmania1977 B
Oberon Press Alister Kershaw1947 F
Juliana O'DeanLindfield, NSWJuliana O'Dean (based at Penrith Museum) 
Officina AthelstaneRockhampton, QLDDerek Lamb   
Officina BoroniaBeecroft, NSWWendy & Jürgen Wegner1982 P
Officina DonagheanaBrisbane, QLDBrian S Donaghey1964-1967(and see Donaghey above)PF
Officina PluraloSydney, NSWJ Dickstein & J Taylor   
Officina Talkarra Walter Stone1953-1959(and see Talkarra below)F
Outlook PressMelbourne, VICGeorge Moran1960-1965 PF
Pallamana Press Hal Stone, Leon Stone, Mrs Stone1892-1955(and see Partridge below)F
Palmtree Press Adrian Feint1928-1932 F
Thomas A Parkhouse Thomas A Parkhouse1933-1935 F
Sydney Partridge Mrs Stone1892-1955(and see Wayside below)F
Pepper Mill PressRiverview, NSWMark Ferson1988 P
Perpetua PressSydney, NSWJohn Cummings1958(and see Beaujon above)F
Piscator PressUniversity of Sydney, NSW(Fisher Library)1963-1976(and see Fisher above)F
Poseidon Press Edward MacKenzie1898-1908(and see Atlas above)F
Psyclonic StudiosHighfields, NSWAnne-Maree Hunter   
Pump Pressvarious SA and NSWGerald Fischer1956-2002(equipment now at State Library, Adelaide)PF
Punch Bowl Press K S Jacobs1966-1967 F
Quandong Press L D Gilmour1929(printed by Hal Stone)F
Queensberry Hill PressMelbourne, VICPeter Marsh1976-1984 B
Rams Skull PressMelbourne, VIC then Kuranda QLDRon Edwards1952-1975(and see Galley above)FB
Ravenswood Press Kenneth Wallace-Crabbe1954-1976(and see Cotswold above)F
Red Rag PressTownsville, QLDSheree Kinlyside   
RenaissanceFitzroy, VICNick Doslov   
Rhincru Press Frederick D Powers1930-1942 F
Rockhampton PressRockhampton, QLDDerek Lamb (see Officina Athelstane above) 
Set and Forget PressMelbourne, VICDavid Harris & Robert McLaren1984(David Harris now Bird in the Handpress above)P
Shapcott PressBrisbane, QLDUniv of Queensland Library1961-1967(Bryan Harrison)FB
Simcha PressMelbourne, VICSidney Fetter1971 P
Simmons Press Samuel R Simmons1892-1946(and see Argonaut above)F
Son of Albion PressFitzroy, VICNick Doslov (and see Renaissance above) 
Steran Press Arnold B Stehr1945 F
Still Earth Press Sweeney Reed1969-1970 F
St Mark's PressBankstown, NSWCharles Darrell Fitzhardinge-Bailey1980 P
Sullivan's Cove PressHobart, TAS then Adelaide, SAJames Dally1971-2005(printed by Nag’s Head Press and Foot & Playsted)F
Sunnybrook PressSydney, NSWErnest Shea1929-1942 F
Talkarra PresCremorne, NSWWalter Stone1953-1959(last book 1959)PF
Tallibila Press William Baylebridge1934-1941(and see Blocksidge above)F
The Sign of the Penguins Ernest Shackleton1908(in the Antarctic)F
The Sign of the Rabbit Violet Teague & Geralding Rede1905-1909 F
Howard Tilse Howard Tilse1952 F
Tin TentPambula, NSWRichard Jermyn (and see Indian Head above) 
Truesdell Press Les Fryer1939-1952 F
Michael J Tully Barry Kerr1900-1918 F
Unstable PressCastlemaine, VICDavid Frazer   
Uncollected Works PressMelbourne, VICPetr Herel (see also Labyrinth Press above) 
Utility PressParadise Point, QLDJohn Setek (now Bilinga Beach Press above) 
Vaginal PressSydney, NSWColin Berckelman1938 F
Kayes & Sonja Van BodegravenHeathmont, VICKayes & Sonja Van Bodegraven1978 P
Horace Walpole Frederick E Rogers1931-1941 F
Wand'ring BarkBerowra Heights, NSWGwen Harrison   
Warlock Alister Kershaw1943-1949(some printed commercially)F
Wattle GroveNewnham, TASRolph Hennequel1958-1968(last book 1968)PF
Wayne StockAnnandale, NSWWayne Stock   
Wayside Hal Stone, Leon Stone, Mrs Stone 1892-1955(and see Yarul below)F
Wayzgoose PressKatoomba, NSWGeoff Honeyman & Harold Jones1985 P
Wayzgoose PressKatoomba, NSWMike Hudson & Jadwiga Jarvis1990-2002 P
Wine Press John Kirtley & Jack Lindsay1924-1926(and see Dubloon above)F
Woodbine PressSydney, NSWEdwin Wilson (no longer letterpress) 
Yarul Press Hal Stone, Leon Stone, Mrs Stone1892-1955(and see Koolinda above)F


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Written by David Bolton in 2014 and last updated 6 December 2015.