Category Archives: Australia

WARWICK, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Cap

Posted on by
Reply

PLACE REPRESENTED: Warwick, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Cap

NOTES: A cap from Warwick in Queensland’s southwest saying “Happy Birthday” to Warwick’s City Band … 125 years! I didn’t even know Warwick had a city band, or were a city …and I have spent much time in Warwick.

The band is the oldest continuously serving band in Australia, playing since 1866. https://www.facebook.com/Warwick-City-Band-118568308195706/

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1991

MADE FROM: 65% polyester , 35% nylon

MADE IN: China

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: One Size Fits All

TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA – Drink Tray

Posted on by
Reply

30PLACE REPRESENTED: Tasmania , Australia

ITEM: Drink Tray (is it drink tray or drinks tray?)

NOTES: A beautiful stainless steel drinks tray depicting all the sites of Tasmania, as they were circa 1965 (can’t be before the Tasman Bridge, bottom left, was completed in 1964). This drinks tray is exactly the same as another I have posted except King’s Bridge at Launceston has been replaced by Prince’s Square Fountain at Launceston. No idea why.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: stainless steel

MADE IN: Japan

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 28cm

     

SYDNEY (specifically Sydney Tower), NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – Vase

Posted on by
Reply

PLACE REPRESENTED: Sydney (specifically the Sydney Tower), New South Wales , Australia

ITEM: Vase

NOTES: A small vase depicting the Sydney Tower, the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere, which opened in 1981. The Sky Tower in Auckland is taller.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 10cm tall

MOUNT ISA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Cup

Posted on by
Reply

PLACE REPRESENTED: Mt Isa, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Cup

NOTES: A plastic cup celebrating the heart of lead, silver, copper and zinc mining in Australia. The cup certainly doesn’t try to hide the industrial nature of a mining town in Queensland’s west … the only surprise is it’s made of plastic.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970

MADE FROM: Plastic

MADE IN: Hong Kong

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 10cm high , 8.5cm diameter

     

 

MACKAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Thermometer

Posted on by
Reply

PLACE REPRESENTED: Mackay, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Thermometer

NOTES: I’m not sure why there is a nautical theme here (apart from the obvious “buy souvenirs in bulk and write town name here” aspect). Mackay is in central or northern Queensland (depending on who you ask) coast, though not a port town. The CBD of Mackay is on the Pioneer River as it empties into the ocean, It has Harbour Beach, a marina, and Bluewater Lagoon (a city water park) all of which still don’t really relate to the deep sea seafaring themes depicted (though design is quite good – a ships wheel and anchor combined with a sailing ship).

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: steel

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 14cm across x 15cm high

DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA – Tray

Posted on by
Reply

PLACE REPRESENTED: Darwin, Northern Territory , Australia

ITEM: Tray

NOTES: A tray showing the various sites of Australia’s wild north capital, Darwin. This is from the late 1960s or early 1970s and not much has changed since. Just kidding. In any event I leave it to Darwinians to tell me if this was before or after the devastating Cyclone Tracy which decimated Darwin in December 1974.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: steel

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 28cm diameter

BALLINA, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – Cup

Posted on by
Reply

 

PLACE REPRESENTED: Ballina, New South Wales , Australia

ITEM: Cup NOTES: A plastic cup, ubiquitous amongst 1970s Australian souvenirs. Here a serene picture of the waterfront at Ballina, on New South Wales far north coast, offers you “greetings” The other photo is either testament to the fact that there isn’t much to photograph in Ballina, or, perhaps, Ballina by night.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: plastic MADE IN: Australia

MANUFACTURER: Patina

DIMENSIONS: 7.5cm diameter at top x 11cm tall FOR: Use CONDITION: Very Good.

CALOUNDRA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

Posted on by
Reply

PLACE REPRESENTED: Caloundra, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Humorous Ornament

NOTES: Old school Australian humour. The wheel rotates to display many humorous quotes on “The Sport of Kings”, which is not horseracing but rather betting on horseracing. Have you ever noticed that, inevitably, everything humorous about horse racing seems to revolve about bad luck with the horses? And yet we still gamble. Clearly the “Caloundra” is an afterthought to this tourist trinket. There wasn’t, even, a race track at Caloundra (well not till after this trinket, in the mid 80s). Still, it’s a nice bit of 1960s kitsch.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 14.5cm x 22cm

 

BATHURST, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA – Dish

Posted on by
Reply

PLACE REPRESENTED: Bathurst (specifically the Soldier’s Memorial on King’s Parade), Victoria , Australia

ITEM: Dish

NOTES: The Soldiers’ Memorial (built 1909) at King’s Parade, Bathurst to remember those who fought in the Boer War. It’s still there as most Australian memorials are … one of the benefits of not being over run by other countries every few decades.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1930s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: England

MANUFACTURER: E. Webb & Co (made by Grimwade’s)

DIMENSIONS: 15.5cm diameter