A RIVERLAND woman was able to step back in time after home renovations revealed copies of a local newspaper more than 30 years old.
Loxton resident Rebecca Knowles recently found copies of the Murray Pioneer and Loxton News – printed in 1987 – under the floor of her kitchen.
Ms Knowles said the newspapers – which may have been used as insulation – remained in “surprisingly” good condition.
“We’ve done some renovations this year at our house, and for part of it we had to pull up a lino floor that was in a pantry,” Ms Knowles said.
“Under the floor was old copies of the Murray Pioneer from 1987.
“It wasn’t all over the floor it was just under one end… so whether or not they had a slightly unbalanced floor I’m not quite sure.
“They were pretty much all opened up and laid flat underneath the flooring. It’s pretty well protected from heat on top of the concrete, so the newspapers are reasonably well preserved.”
Ms Knowles said looking through the papers provided a glimpse into the history of Riverland businesses and notable local figures.
“We’ve only been in the Riverland for 15 years, but there’s a few things flicking through that you recognise,” she said.
“Either businesses that have an ad in, the odd name, or you see a photo of someone and see how they looked when they were little.
“There’s a bit of familiarity recognising people who have been long-term locals.”
Ms Knowles said she would donate the papers to a local museum or history enthusiast.
“I was going to check whether the Historical Village wanted them, but if not I was going to put them on local Facebook (pages),” she said.
“If there’s any history buff out there who wants to read through the fine print, they’re welcome to it.”