MILDURA, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA – Side Plate

Mildura Victoria - Municipal Chambers - Display Plate (1)  Mildura Victoria - Municipal Chambers - Display Plate (2)

PLACE REPRESENTED: Mildura, Victoria , Australia

ITEM: Side Plate

NOTES: A small side plate depicting the Municipal Chambers of Mildura in Victoria. I think the townscape hasn’t changed since the plate was made.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1950s

MADE FROM: Bone China

MADE IN:  England

MANUFACTURER: Royal Grafton

DIMENSIONS: 13cm  x 13cm

NOOSA HEADS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Mugs

Noosa - Mug Gift Set (6)PLACE REPRESENTED: Noosa Heads, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Mugs

NOTES: Noosa Heads on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland is a town popular with beach types, especially discerning ones. This pair of vividly coloured mugs with the first “o” in Noosa depicting the sun sums up sunny, happy Noosa days. Sunshine is so central that there is even a sun on the inside of the cup.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN:  China

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 7cm diameter x 10.5cm high

Noosa - Mug Gift Set (4)

BRISBANE (specifically Wynnum), QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Souvenir Fork

Wynnum - Souvenir fork (1)     Wynnum - Souvenir fork (3)PLACE REPRESENTED: Brisbane, Queensland (specifically Wynnum) , Australia

ITEM: Souvenir Fork

NOTES: Wynnum is a bayside suburb of Brisbane which was a separate shire until 1925 when it was incorporated into Brisbane. Until the 1980s and gentrification, and, because of its remoteness, there was always an arguable “us” and “them” mentality between Wynnum residents and Brisbane-ites. This souvenir hors d’oeuvres fork nicely captures the familiar pelican even though the concept of a hors d’oeuvres fork seems antithetical to Wynnum. Actually it’s a cake fork but a hors d’oeuvres fork seemed more humorous.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: steel  AP A1  (peninsula plate)

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: Peninsula Plate

DIMENSIONS: 12.5cm long

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Saucer

Brisbane - Story Bridge - Nic Nac Bowl - Ceramic (1) Brisbane - Story Bridge - Nic Nac Bowl - Ceramic (3)

PLACE REPRESENTED: Brisbane (specifically the Story Bridge), Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Saucer

NOTES: The Story Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River that joins the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane. Built in 1940 it is the longest cantilever bridge in Australia. The shrubbery and old iconic subtropical tin roofed houses around the bridge are still there, in part, but are soon to be redeveloped.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1940s

MADE FROM: Bone China

MADE IN:  England

MANUFACTURER: Royal Stafford

DIMENSIONS: 14cm diameter

COOKTOWN, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Salt & Pepper Shakers

Cooktown - Salt & Pepper Shakers (1)     Cooktown - Salt & Pepper Shakers (3)

PLACE REPRESENTED: Cooktown, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Salt & Pepper Shakers

NOTES: Salt & pepper shakers from Cooktown in the shape of cheeky crocodiles is cheekily appropriate as Cooktown in Queensland’s far north has its fair share of crocodiles. Google “Cooktown” and “crocodile” and see what I mean.  The locals consider them to be quite cheeky. Google “Cooktown”, “crocodile” and “cheeky” and see what I mean. People still get taken by crocodiles. There are many camping sites around Cooktown.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 6cm across x 7.5cm high

TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA – Salt & Pepper Shakers

Tasmania - SP Shakers in Stein form (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Tasmania , Australia

ITEM: Salt & Pepper Shakers

NOTES: Small salt & pepper shakers depicting Tasmania in the shape of, err, steins. I don’t know if there was any large numbers of German migrants to Tasmania so I’m not sure where the steins came from.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: steel , plastic

MADE IN:  Japan

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 5.5cm  high , 3.5cm wide (including handle)

     Tasmania - SP Shakers in Stein form (3)

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Water Cube

Brisbane - Lone Pine - Snow Cube  (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Brisbane (specifically Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary) Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Paperweight Water Cube

NOTES: A water cube. They didn’t quite take off like the snow globe but there are a few water cubes out there. This is a fairly generic one.

There are kangaroos at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary but the key word is “koala”, so why put two kangaroos on rafts in a sea of blue? Methinks there were generic novelty cubes left over that needed a place name attached.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2010s

MADE FROM: plastic

MADE IN:  China

MANUFACTURER: Wilmot Harvey

DIMENSIONS: 5cm x 5cm x 5cm

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA – Cup

Sydney - ceramic Cup Mug (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Sydney, New South Wales , Australia

ITEM: Ceramic Cup

NOTES: A souvenir cup of Sydney with a montage mural, vividly coloured, of all the main attractions of Sydney at the time. It looks quite inviting.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: glass

MADE IN:  Japan

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 7cm diameter x 10cm high

HERVEY BAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

Hervey Bay - Fan No1 (4)PLACE REPRESENTED: Hervey Bay, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Fan

NOTES: Beautifully kitsch plastic souvenir fan from the 60s (or early 70s). The fans fold in on themselves or open up and depict local sights.

Here they have thrown in some scenery from Fraser Island, across the channel.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: plastic

MADE IN:  Hong Kong (it’s written on the red bit at the bottom)

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 18cm tall , 3.5cm wide (18cm tall x 3.5cm wide (when folded in) or 25cm when open up)

Hervey Bay - Fan No1 (3)     Hervey Bay - Fan No1 (2)     Hervey Bay - Fan No1 (1)

AIRLIE BEACH, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

Airlie Beach - Minature Asian Boat (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Airlie Beach, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Wooden Ornament

NOTES: A small wooden (bamboo naturally) ornamental boat which is, Vietnamese or South East Asian in appearance despite “Airlie Beach” being printed on the paddle. Aaaahhhh, overstock.

Perhaps it was a comment on the waves (sic) of boat people who came to Australia from Vietnam in the late 1970s. It is simple but wonderfully detailed.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s

MADE FROM: wood

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 18cm long , 6cm high ,  5cm wide (at its widest point)

Airlie Beach - Minature Asian Boat (6)     Airlie Beach - Minature Asian Boat (4)