History – Pressing matters

In today’s fast-paced world, our morning rituals often include sipping coffee while scrolling through news on our digital devices. Amidst this modern routine, we reflect on the fading presence of traditional relics such as fold-out maps and thick diaries, now replaced by sleek apps on smartphones. Personally, I find it challenging to imagine a world where historical records exist solely in digital form.

A recent visit to the Warkworth Museum offered a stark contrast, immersing us in the tangible history of the old-fashioned and nearly lost art of letterpress printing. The meticulous process of composing and printing on a card served as a poignant reminder of a bygone era, emphasising virtues such as patience – a quality often overlooked in our contemporary world of instant gratification.

The historical significance of printing unfolds through the story of William Rawson Brame, the visionary behind the Albertland Settlement. Originally destined for the ministry, Brame’s poor health led him to a printing apprenticeship in Birmingham. After editing The Birmingham Mercury and working as a foreign correspondent in Brussels, Brame led a group of settlers to New Zealand to establish the non-conformist Albertland Settlement.

Recognising the importance of documenting this momentous occasion, Brame enlisted Samuel Johnson as both the editor and printer of the Albertland Gazette. Johnson faced challenges during the initial attempt to print the newspaper on board the Matilda Wattenbach, with storm-induced chaos disrupting the process. A serious disagreement occurred between Brame and Johnson during the voyage. Later, Johnson characterised the disagreement as “having been a discovery which, if made before we left England, would have diverted the whole course of my life”. This led to the two men parting ways upon reaching Auckland. However, Johnson’s passion for the Albertland scheme persisted. Almost a year after joining his brother Thomas in Dunedin, also a printer, Samuel embarked on a thousand-mile journey with his printing press and typesets, determined to reunite with the settlers.

Upon his return, he produced the third issue of the Albertland Gazette and assumed roles of postmaster and mail carrier, as well as being the secretary of the Settlers and Trustees of the Townlands. Despite the increased workload, he earned a modest £60 a year. In June 1864, Johnson printed the final edition of the Gazette, sold his house and relocated to Blenheim. After founding the successful Marlborough Express, he moved to Hawkes Bay where, at the age of 78, he appeared as a witness before Judge Cooper, who fondly recognised him as the former editor of the Albertland Gazette. This heart-warming reunion bought smiles to bystanders and briefly halted courtroom proceedings. Theophilus Cooper (later Judge Cooper) was a printer’s devil or apprentice under Johnson. However, this young individual seamlessly transitioned into a legal career, culminating in his appointment as a Supreme Court judge. In 1921, Theo’s contributions were duly acknowledged with a knighthood, earning him recognition as “one of the most distinguished sons of the Albertland settlement”.

Albertland Heritage Museum holds a large collection of newspaper clippings gifted by Ted Halfpenny and actively seeks volunteers to help with affixing these clippings into carefully curated scrapbooks. Would you like to be part of a team to preserve our local heritage? If so, please get in touch.