Wai-te-ata Press was founded in 1962 by Professor Don McKenzie of the Department of English. It functioned initially as a practical extension of the Department's honours courses in paleography, bibliography, and textual study, particularly in relation to issues and problems of research in literary works dating from 1450-1850. In Don's inimitable words, the aura of the Press was an enduring experience: "the Wai-te-ata Press is as antiquated and as obsolete as diligent inquiry and dust-disturbing visits to old newspaper offices and defunct printing shops can make it." Students were taught all aspects of early book production from hand-setting text with lead or wooden type to inking, printing, collating and binding. These printer's devils, or "several hands" as they were often described, helped Don (The Doctor) to expand the Press from a purely educational-oriented bibliographic press in the College or University tradition into a small printing and publishing house which promoted cultural events on and off-campus, and produced first edition poetry and prose.