South Coast Restoration Society's Annual Rally

[Mechanic]

South Coast Restoration Society's Annual Rally
On or near the Gold Coast this weekend drop in and see us on Sunday. In addition to the C4 there is a working Ludlow which we can demonstrate. There is also a Windmill Heidelberg in working order. We need a demonstrator for that.

[John Nixon]

Interesting using the name Linotype to promote an Intertype event.

Shows the power of the name of the Original rather than the knock-off copy.

John N

[Mechanic]

You've got to promote what you've got John.
Until I retired, other than the Fotosetter, I had never seen an Intertype.
At the Sydney Morning Herald  we had 120 Linotypes and a Fotosetter. Now there seem to be more Intertypes in museums than Linotypes. Although I know the Melbourne Museum have a Large number of Linotypes, but the future of the museum is in doubt. What will happen to the Linotypes I have no idea.

[John Nixon]

You're right George, promote what you can.

At theprintingmuseum.org.nz we have a Rangemaster, a Model 8, a Model 78 and a Comet as well as 3 Intertypes, a C4, a G44SM and a Monarch.

The Dominion in Wellington, where I did my apprenticeship as a Linotype Operator, was all linotypes, about 24 in total.

Never saw a Photosetter but we do have one matrix from one.

When I took over Wellington Typesetters we had 6 Intertypes, including a G44SM. For commercial jobbing work they were by far the superior machines, mainly around ease of mould changing and a lot less parts overall.

We have just resurrected a Monotype Keyboard to use with our Monotype Composition caster, so am in the throes of learning how to use this keyboard.

It is a lot more complicated that setting type on a line caster but am up for the challenge as we are already busy with supply type worldwide and there  is a demand for composed Monotype as well.

We have recently purchased new matrices from The Type Archive so we can produce type for a publication that needs Macronised letters for setting the Maori language.

Would love to be able to get into the place in Melbourne to see what gems there are there that we may be able to save before their eventual demise.

Yours in type, John Nixon

[Les Stewart]

Good afternoon from Australia, I was interested to read your comment about Wellington Typesetters.
I worked there as a mechanic in the evenings servicing their Intertype machines.
At that time (60s) the owner was Maurice Hainsworth.
I would be happy to hear from others who worked there during that time.
Regards
Les