Ron Edwards - founder of the Rams Skull Press

About Rams Skull Press

The Rams Skull Press is the oldest privately owned publishing house in Australia. The business has been owned and operated by the Edwards family for over fifty years. The very first books issued under the banner of the Rams Skull Press were printed by Ron Edwards in 1950 and were a short run of books on a screw press featuring linocuts created by Ron.

As time passed, Ron’s interest in folk music led to a number of books on that subject as well as Australian folklore being published. For many decades Ron collected and collated Australian folk songs and folklore, which today has become an important historical collection preserving Australia’s cultural heritage. The Australian National Library houses the collection.

Until some time in the 90′s, the books were generally printed on an offset press by Ron at his home in Kuranda, Queensland. They were printed and bound by hand – sometimes the whole family got involved at such occasions as a Christmas gathering, which provided a captive free workforce!! The move was eventually made to digital printing, but the books were still wholly hand made.

Ron’s interest in the preservation of Traditional Australian Bushcrafts led to the series of 10 very well known books titled ‘Bushcrafts 1-10′. These are extremely popular with people in Australia as well as overseas, with many purchasing the full series as a whole. Many books were written to instruct people in the art of leather work, whip making, saddlery and knotting and these small books continue to be sought after by people worldwide. Altogether, over 350 books have been published by the Rams Skull Press, of which about 160 titles are still in print today.

Ron was the founding member of the Australian Plaiters and Whipmakers Association and held the office of President until his death in 2008. The Association now has almost 300 members worldwide and the Rams Skull Press continues to print their journals on a quarterly basis.

After Ron’s death his wife Anne continued to operate the publishing business until she also passed away in October 2010. In July 2011 the business was moved from its long time residence in Kuranda to Esk in the Brisbane Valley of  South East Queensland, where it continues to be managed by yet another Edwards. The next generation, their son David and daughter-in-law Deb have picked up the reins to ensure the books remain available.

The books printed on a digital press remain completely created in-house by David and Deb who edit, print and bind them. They are sold online from this website, to people worldwide and we continue to supply retail booksellers within Australia. Our product is wholly Australian in content and manufacture and now proudly produced in Brisbane Valley.

Ron Edwards was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 1992 for his work with the Rams Skull Press in preserving Australia’s heritage. He received an Advance Australia award in 1995 for recognition of achievement in Literature / Bushcraft. We carry on his legacy with pride.