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

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Frankie

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

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Frankie

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

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Frankie

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

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Water Cube

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Frankie

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

HERVEY BAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Frankie

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)

AIRLIE BEACH, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Frankie

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)

CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Wall Ornament

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Cairns, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Wall Ornament

NOTES: Simple and effective. Barramundi fish plus Australia equals Cairns. Cairns is, rightly so, famous for its barramundi fishing but this trinket could also have had “Darwin” substituted for Cairns (who knows maybe it was in the Darwin market) which also has its fair share of barramundi. In Australia, barramundi is an iconic eating fish revered as a quintessential Australian brand. But, far from being only native to Australia, barramundi are found in the Indo-West Pacific region from the Arabian Gulf to China, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s

MADE FROM: wood , steel

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 20cm diameter across x 16cm top to bottom (at its longest)

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Salt & Pepper Shakers

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Salt & Pepper Shakers

NOTES: Stylish (or garish) 80s looking salt & pepper shakers depicting popular Queensland symbols … pineapples, sun, sunglasses and waves.

No art, literature, or culture?

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 5cm diameter , 7cm high

CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Side Plate

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Cairns (specifically Stony (or Stoney) Creek Bridge and Falls), Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Side plate

NOTES: Stony Creek Falls (10-15 minutes from Cairns City Centre) is a cascade waterfall on the Stony Creek. This small creek amongst the suburban rainforest provides a quick and easy natural swimming pool … or so the tourist brochures of the time suggest. The falls are best known for the curved lattice railway bridge that passes in front of them.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1930s

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: Czechoslovakia

MANUFACTURER: Victoria

DIMENSIONS: 15cm x 15cm

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Dinner Bell

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Frankie

PLACE REPRESENTED: Brisbane, Queensland , Australia

ITEM: Dinner Bell

NOTES: A large ceramic dinner bell celebrating that ode to middle brow banality, the State sponsored World Fair … in this case the World Expo 88 held in Brisbane.

YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1988

MADE FROM: ceramic material

MADE IN: unknown

MANUFACTURER: unknown

DIMENSIONS: 13.5cm high x 8.5cm diameter

TRAVEL TRINKETS

Tourist souvenirs from around the world

Category Archives: Queensland

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

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Saucer

COOKTOWN, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Salt & Pepper Shakers

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Water Cube

HERVEY BAY, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

AIRLIE BEACH, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Ornament

CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Wall Ornament

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Salt & Pepper Shakers

CAIRNS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Side Plate

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA – Dinner Bell