Victory Press Printing

1932 - 2009

Tom and Mary Earner printed the Sandgate Echo Newspaper in the 1920's and later moved into general printing, starting a tradition that has seen three generations of Earner men follow the printing trade. The first location of the business was in Burnett Lane, behind Queen Street in Brisbane's C.B.D.

The Company traded through the hard years of the 1930's, and slowly built up an inner city clientele which included the Post Master Generals Department, The Red Cross Society and MacDonald and East Department Store.

It was the inner city location that saw the Company join the war effort in the early 1940's. Everything was saved and recycled as paper was in short supply. Packing crates and pallets were dismantled and the nails removed for melting down and re-use.

General Douglas Macarthur was Commander of the Pacific Forces, and his headquarters was in Edward St, just around the corner from Tom Earner's Printery.

At the direction of General Douglas Macarthur, printing plates for Japanese currency were flown to Brisbane from the United States. Grandfather Tom, under the protection of armed guards, was required to print huge quantities of Japanese paper money, The Japanese economy was in a rather ‘shaky' condition at this time, and by flooding Japan and the occupied islands of Okinawa and Guam with this currency, an effective propaganda
weapon was introduced. There was also the distinct possibility at this time that Australia could be invaded, and this currency would have found its way into Australian pockets. At the end of the war, the firm's name was changed to The Victory Press Printing Company to acknowledge and celebrate the allied victory in WWII.

During the early 1950's the company moved to Water Street, Spring Hill and changed its name to Victory Press Printing Company Pty Ltd in 1966 - dropping the "The" from the name.

Following Tom's death, the business was run by his widow Mary until his son, John, who served in the Army in 1959, took over the business which now was encumbered with a fairly substantial debt.

John and and his wife Barbara worked extremely hard to build up the business and eliminate this debt. As this was a seven day a week operation their sons Aaron and Mark were introduced very early to the world of printing, being given odd jobs on weekends and school holidays.

But expansion required another move to Henry St, Spring Hill in 1967. At the Henry Street location the company consolidated its position as a supplier of carbonless business forms and expanded its specialty areas of large numbering and stock control systems.

In 1982, the family purchased land on Bribie Island and purpose built the printing factory that it manufactures from today.

During the 1980's, the companies client base was diversifying and was no longer solely focused on Brisbane, but was growing to become Australia wide.
The usual printed jobs are all undertaken but we have since ventured into a number of specialty areas. For 40 years, since Rover Mowers was established, our firm has printed their manuals and spare parts lists, now over 30 publications in different languages.

The purchase of an expensive numbering machine, the only one in Australia, has enabled the production of heat-proof number tags for kiln dried timber. Bar-coding for industrial purposes was in its infancy, and this machine could produce bar-code rolls. On three-year contracts with the Royal National Association (Ekka), numbers for every facet of the Exhibition are produced, from numbered plastic crescents which hang round the necks of livestock to identification numbers for every exhibit in the Show. There are hundreds of different types and styles required each year.

The Mather's Fun Run in 1979 provided the opportunity to supply the runners' numbers, or bibs, which has been followed by these items for events throughout Australia. The 2000 Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Goodwill Games,
marathons and triathlons in every State have used these bibs and, through Event Management companies, Victory Press
has become the major supplier of numbers for all kinds of athletic events in a number of countries.

Huge investment in the purchase and lease of the most modern plant and machinery results in an enormous output of a great range of printed goods, utilising the skills of six valued employees plus one apprentice.
Plans for the future include the expansion of the specialty areas and the replacement and upgrading of certain equipment. Diversification is seen as essential for the survival of the company in the current era of rapid technological change.
The family still have the original press that was used by Tom & Mary to print The Sandgate Echo.