CHERBOURG, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Mug

PLACE REPRESENTED: Cherbourg, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Mug

NOTES: The platinum jubilee (75 years) for Cherbourg. The town, formerly known as Barambah, was founded as a settlement for indigenous Australians in 1900 by the Salvation Army (basically a reservation to promote, intentionally or not, segregation). In 1905 its administration was passed to the Queensland government (some historical documents refer to the 1904). Not sure about “The Voice” but it is definitely, much like with Native Americans, treaty time (well it should have happened a hundred years ago) with control and wealth of the assets below the earth and on the land.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1979

MADE FROM: pottery

MADE IN: Australia

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 9.5cm tall x 6.5cm diameter opening

 

YANDINA (specifically the Ginger Factory), QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIUA – Tray

PLACE REPRESENTED: Yandina (specifically The Ginger Factory), Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Tray

NOTES: Every kid in the 1980s had to go visit the Ginger Factory at Yandina, didn’t they? Well, every kid in south east Queensland had to. It was much better than the box factory from The Simpsons as they had activities, a train ride and err ginger products! https://www.gingerfactory.com.au/

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: bamboo

MADE IN: Taiwan

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 30.5cm diameter

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Wall Ornament

PLACE REPRESENTED: Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: “I got a boot out of Queensland”. I’m sure you did. Getting a boot can be good or bad, depending who you ask, though it’s generally meant to be favourable. A souvenir of the “insert place name here” variety, this boot is usually used for ‘cowboy country” type places. So, in that respect it does apply to Queensland, at least inland and the outback.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 13.5cm across x 16.6cm high

GOLD COAST (specifically Surfers Paradise), QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Tea Pot

PLACE REPRESENTED: Gold Coast (specifically Surfers Paradise), Queensland, Australia

ITEM: Tea Pot

NOTES: A tea pot celebrating the famous suburb of Queensland’s beach city the Gold Coast. The suburb is at the heart of the Gold Coast and was (and perhaps still is), for many years, the public face of the Gold Coast and, perhaps, encapsulates all the good and the bad of the suburb. This, tea pot, hand made and colourful is for the upmarket tourists who go to Surfers.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2002

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: Australia

MANUFACTURER: Jazz (hand made)

DIMENSIONS: 22cm (from spout tip to handle end), 12cm high, 14cm wide, 6.5cd diameter hole for lid.

HERVEY BAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Coffee Mug

PLACE REPRESENTED: Hervey Bay (specifically Pialba), Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Coffee Mug

NOTES: Pialba is a coastal town and central business suburb of Hervey Bay, Shown is the Urangan Pier (which is actually in Urangan … though much of a muchness). The Hervey Bay railway line from Maryborough to Pialba opened in 1896 and was used to transport harvested sugarcane to the Maryborough Sugar Mill in addition to daily passenger trains. The extension to Urangan and the Urangan Pier ( 1107 metres) opened in 1913 and was used for the transfer of cargo between rail and ships. It was closed in 1985, and 239 metres of it was demolished, but, due to public outcry, 868 metres of the pier was left. The photograph on the mug is taken from the end of the (then railroad) pier looking back to the mainland.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: plastic

MADE IN: Australia

MANUFACTURER: Patina

DIMENSIONS: 11cm high x 7.5cm diameter

     

WARWICK, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Cap

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

MOUNT ISA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Cup

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

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

CALOUNDRA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

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

 

CANUNGRA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Tea Towel

PLACE REPRESENTED: Canungra, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Tea Towel

NOTES: A simple but hand made tea towel from the small Gold Coast hinterland town of Canungra. I think the vineyards are a relatively recent addition to the scene but a proud one, hence the grapes. Stylish

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2017

MADE FROM: material

MADE IN: Australia

MANUFACTURER: Marie May

DIMENSIONS: tea towel size