Category Archives: Queensland

CALOUNDRA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

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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

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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

CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Fridge Magnet

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Cairns, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Fridge Magnet

NOTES: Fridge magnet and thermometer with tropical relief. It is quite Cairns specific as it has the “fish sculptures” that appear in the pool along the waterfront.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2014

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: Citer Souvenirs

DIMENSIONS: 8.5cm across x 6.5cm high

HERVEY BAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Fan

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PLACE REPRESENTED: Hervey Bay, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Fan

NOTES: Beautifully kitsch plastic souvenir fans from the 60s or early 70s. The fans fold in on themselves or open up. Nice scenes of the sites at Hervey Bay and the nearby Fraser Island.

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)

         

SUNSHINE COAST, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Tray

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sunshine coast - bamboo tray (1)

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Tray 

PLACE REPRESENTED: Queensland (specifically Sunshine Coast)  , Australia 

ITEM: Tray 

NOTES: A bamboo tray from the 1970s depicting all the must see sites of the Sunshine Coast tourist trail … especially significant when they start with "The" … The House of Bottles, The Big Cow, The Big Pineapple, The Big Shell, The Endeavour Replica (demolishedin 2007), Tanawha World (now closed), a lighthouse, and The Glasshouse Mountains (the only natural beauty on this list).  

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s MADE FROM: bamboo     

MADE IN:  unknown   

MANUFACTURER: unknown 

DIMENSIONS: 33cm diameter   

sunshine coast - bamboo tray (2)

BUNYA MOUNTAINS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Tea Towel

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Bunya Mountains - Tea Towel (1)

BUNYA MOUNTAINS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Tea Towel 

PLACE REPRESENTED: Bunya Mountains, Queensland , Australia 

ITEM: Tea Towel NOTES: A tea towel with all the colourful flora and fauna of the Bunya Mountains, on the Great Dividing Range in south east Queensland. 

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s 

MADE FROM: 100% cotton     

MADE IN:  India   

MANUFACTURER: Souvenirs Australia 

DIMENSIONS: 45cm x 70cm        

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Coasters

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queensland - coasters - black 01 (1)

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Coasters 

PLACE REPRESENTED: Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Coasters 

NOTES: A perfectly kitch set of coasters in a flip open coaster holder. Cheap plastic, cheap graphics, made in Hong Kong, with the standard proclamation for Queensland, "The Sunshine State". Still, they are very handy. 

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s 

MADE FROM: plastic     

MADE IN:  Hong Kong   

MANUFACTURER: unknown 

DIMENSIONS: 8.5cm diameter (coaster)      

queensland - coasters - black 01 (5)     queensland - coasters - black 01 (3)      queensland - coasters - black 01 (4)

          

BOWEN, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Bottle Opener

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bowen - bottle opener (1)BOWEN, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Bottle Opener 

PLACE REPRESENTED: Bowen, Queensland , Australia 

ITEM: Bottle Opener NOTES: A simple (but useful bottle opener depicting Bowen, or perhaps the surrounds of Bowen. Bowen is on the coast but this depiction of Bowen seems to be facing inland perhaps because in the days before tourism this was a farming and cattle area. I like how this bottle opener has a small protusion at the bottom which has no purpose except for spinning …. perhaps for drinking games? 

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s 

MADE FROM: steel , plastic .  

MADE IN:  unknown   

MANUFACTURER: unknown 

DIMENSIONS: 11.5cm   x 5.5cm  

bowen - bottle opener (2)

CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Key Chain

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Cairns - Keychain - VW - 2014 (1)PLACE REPRESENTED: Cairns, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Key Chain

NOTES: The Volkswagen Camper Van is hardly Australian. But, with a surf board on top, and a couple of blokes inside looking for the perfect wave in the endless summer it becomes Australian … and you do see them around Cairns (no surf there though)

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2014

MADE FROM: steel

MADE IN:  Australia

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 4cm across x 4cm high (van)(7cm including chain)

Cairns - Keychain - VW - 2014 (2)

MACKAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Pin Cushion

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Mackay - pincushion - shell (3)PLACE REPRESENTED: Mackay, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Pin Cushion

NOTES: A  most unusual pin cushion and quite a good one. I’m not sure is this locally made as I’m not sure Mackay is famous for its shells given it’s located on a river (the Pioneer river) though it is a jumping off point for the nearby Great Barrier Reef, and the Whitsunday Islands. Still, I would be happy to put my pin in this cushion.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1960s

MADE FROM: shell

MADE IN:  unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 7.5cm long x 5cm high

Mackay - pincushion - shell (2)   Mackay - pincushion - shell (1)