When they reopened the doors to the former Peterborough Printing Office, local historians suspected they'd discovered a unique collection - its 20th century equipment was still intact and boxes were spilling with historic prints. Now the value of this regional printing press has finally been affirmed.

It's been almost a decade since an expansive collection of printing artefacts was discovered in the Mid North community of Peterborough. Now a significance assessment has confirmed the historic, social and aesthetic value of this printing press.

"The Peterborough Times Printing Office is a remarkable collection," says history consultant Kate Walsh.

"There is nothing quite like it anywhere else in Australia or elsewhere."

With its collection of printing presses and equipment; inks and tools, paper stock, plus thousands of items printed on the presses, Ms Walsh describes the former Printing Office as an 'historic house'.

Purpose built in the 1890s, up until 2001 the Peterborough printing office produced a variety of newspaper mastheads and huge amounts of commercial work from across the region.

"It still stands, essentially with the same workshop layout, and the machines and equipment used throughout the 20th century."

Weaving around the machinery, Peterborough History Society secretary Judy Evans reflects on the breadth of social history captured in this building.

"Everything that was important in our town came through these doors and out the other side as press.

"There are 1000s of job dockets and inside those are examples of the work that was done, from wedding invitations to funeral cards, christenings, sporting and social events in the town, dances and balls."

The printing office was run by the Bennett family until 1975 for commercial work, and for papers such as the Peterborough Times, Orroroo Chronicle, Quorn Mercury and Northern Advertiser.

In 1975 the ageing Bennett family sold the business. It became the John Doney Printing Centre, which discarded newspaper production and focussed on commercial printing.

"John Doney wasn't a newspaper man but he certainly was a good printer. His business covered the whole state and he was well renowned for being good at his trade," says Ms Evans.

But when Mr Doney stopped printing and left the business, he didn't bother to sell equipment, discard old job dockets, or even put lids on ink tins.

"He finished in 2001 and when we came in here it looked like he'd just gone home for lunch."

It wasn't until the mid 2000s that a local historian revealed the breadth of equipment and archive of printed works harboured in this abandoned printing office.

"I think it was such an invisible building no-one even thought too much about it," says Ms Evans.

"The council was going to sell it for recovery of rates and one of our members went to council and said 'do you realise what's inside of this building?' and brought them in and showed them."

Following her recent historic evaluation, Kate Walsh concluded it was in fact a 'remarkable collection', which displayed the region's social, cultural and business history throughout the 20th century.

Peterborough's Local History Society hopes recent proof of the collection's value will help acquire the grants needed to preserve the printing artefacts.