The North Central Review will move into a new premises this week – at 3/87 Sydney Street, Kilmore.
After nearly 60 years of publishing newspapers in its current premises, the Review is set to create its three mastheads – North Central Review, Whittlesea Review and The Free Press – from a new office.
If the walls of 62-64 Sydney Street Kilmore could talk they would have many stories to tell.
Not only stories that were printed regarding the news, sport and information important to the community, but also stories of a committed workforce who often worked into the wee hours of the night to make sure the newspaper was published on time.
Newspapers have a long and interesting history in Kilmore, dating back to 1855.
According to Kilmore Historical Society documents, The Free Press was first published in 1864 by Henry Furze before it went into ‘temporary limbo’ in 1865.
It was revived under the editorship of Thomas Hunter, and then Patrick ‘Jack’ Slattery, John ‘Jack’ Bailey and then John ‘Jack’ MacDonnell, published from 5 Sydney Street until 1960.
It then moved to the Colonial Bank building at 39 Sydney Street until the early 1970s when it moved to 62 Sydney Street.
Jim Smith purchased The Free Press in 1968, and a few years later installed a Goss Cox-o-Type newspaper printing press at the premises.
Newspapers were printed at the site until the early 2000’s.
The Smith family owned The Free Press until 2006, when it was bought by Wally Mott and Bob Yeates – the then owners of the North Central Review.
The Review had started in 2004, originally produced from the old ambulance station in an industrial estate at the north end of Kilmore, and then printed at Newsprinters in Shepparton, where it is still printed.
Today the newspaper, and the commercial printing business, is owned by the Mott family.
“Its exciting that after many years of planning and building the new offices of the North Central Review they are ready for the staff to move to,” Celina Mott said.
“The new office located on the other side of Sydney Street will be much warmer and inviting for our staff and customers.
“The layout makes more sense and we will have a boardroom back as we had to get rid of it in the old premise due to our new commercial printer that can print black white or clear.”
The office will be closed Tuesday May 14, with plans to re-open at its new premises on Wednesday. The normal phone number of 5734 3344 will remain the same.
