Historical document ceremony:
MYSTERY surrounds how it ended up in Canada but the oldest known document to be printed in Australia is now back where it belongs.
The precious document - an advertisement for a theatre performance, or playbill - was yesterday returned to Australia as a gift from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
...The document was found at Canada's National Library and Archives inside a 150-year-old scrapbook, among several other playbills for performances in 19th century England.
It is believed the playbill was printed in the late 18th century as it advertises a theatrical performance at the Sydney Theatre on July 30, 1796.
"A 200-year-old playbill is quite a find in its own right but what makes this one even more exceptional is that it is also the sole surviving copy of the earliest known document printed in Australia," Mr Harper said.
Researchers have concluded that the advertisement was printed in Sydney by convict George Hughes, who operated Australia's first printing press, which came out on the First Fleet.
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