A couple of visitors to the Bega District News office last week brought with them a wealth of history to share.
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Cousins Michael Prescott, of Cowra, and Harry Stevens, of Melbourne, were in Bega for the funeral of their uncle Joe McBride.
However, their strong family links to this area go further than the late 92-year-old farmer. Their grandfather and great-grandfather were among the men who launched Bega's Southern Star newspaper - the precursor to the BDN.
Alexander "Alf" Prescott was the oldest working printer in the state at the time, working until he was 90 years old. He was joined in the Star printing office by his son Trevor Prescott under the leadership of editor WA Smith.
Harry said one his fondest memories of his granddad Trevor was watching him work on a linotype machine - a typesetting system that used hot metal to create blocks of text for printing presses.
"He made me a block of my name," Harry recalled. "I used it for years to put my name on school books."
The cousins were using their visit to Bega to chase up elements of their family history, which also includes an uncle's name on the Bega War Memorial Gate, and links to the Davidsons of Eden whaling fame.
Elsie Davidson married a William Wycherley Prescott, with AJ among their children.
"And Uncle Raymond, whose name is on the Bega War Memorial, was a Rat of Tobruk," Harry said.
Harry and Michael were keen to check out the current BDN office and get their photo taken under the Bega District News logo.
However, they were pleased to learn the building that housed the Southern Star still stands in Carp St, with the facade (above the street awnings) almost unchanged since 1868.
An iconic photo of the news printing office that features both AJ Prescott and Trevor as a young boy, along with editor WA Smith, takes pride of place among Harry's family history folder. So this editor couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a shot of the cousins in front of the current incarnation.