PLACE REPRESENTED: Burra, South Australia , Australia
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: Small hand painted (?) plate depicting the copper cliffs of Burra …which ended up being a very large copper mine. This is quite a beautiful small piece of individual art of a place which I hope still exists.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1950s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 11.5cm x 8.5cm
PLACE REPRESENTED: Broome, Western Australia , Australia
ITEM: Mug
NOTES: The mug proudly states “Broome the Pearl Coast Western Australia” and it should. Broome is a coastal and pearling (and tourist town) in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 2200 km north of Perth. It is remote. According to wikipedia, “The permanent population is estimated at 14,436, growing to over 45,000 per month during the tourist season”.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1990s
MADE FROM: glass
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 11.5cm high x 7cm diameter x 11cm across (including handle)
PLACE REPRESENTED: Paris , France
ITEM: A steel photo frame.
NOTES: A very kitschy photo frame depicting all the famous sites of Paris with sparkly red writing and hearts to make sure it is known that you love Paris.
To be wilfully perverse I will put a photo of me standing in front of the Colosseum or the Taj Mahal in the frame.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: Steel , glass.
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 21cm long x 16cm high
PLACE REPRESENTED: Fitzroy Falls & Cascades, New South Wales , Australia
ITEM: Nic Nac Dish (dish)
NOTES: Fitzroy Falls & Cascades is near the head of the Yarrunga Creek in the Morton National Park located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales (approx 170 kilometres south south-west of Sydney). Fitzroy Falls is not famous for fish or fishing so I’m not sure why this is in the shape of a fish. Well, apart from the manufacturer in Germany saying “vee have 10000 fish dishes da finkelstein Norvegins dont vant to buy from us. Ring da dummkopfs in New South Wales and ask if they vood like to put their vater fall on za dish”. Yes, I know that was lame and also a poor reinforcement of ethnic stereotypes, but … it’s late.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1930s
MADE FROM: ceramic material
MADE IN: Germany
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 15.5cm from head tip to fin end x 10cm (top to bottom) x 2.5cm high
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
PLACE REPRESENTED: Kings Canyon, Northern Territory , Australia
ITEM: Steel cup
NOTES: A steel cup. Kings Canyon (which is part of the Watarrka National Park in remote Northern Territory, Australia, about 323 km south-west of Alice Springs).
Everything suggests this souvenir had a functional use around a camp fire.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1980s
MADE FROM: steel
MADE IN: China (we probably sold them the iron ore to make this cup)
MANUFACTURER: Shanghai Bon Voyage International Trading Co
DIMENSIONS: 8.5cm diameter x 8cm high
PLACE REPRESENTED: Perth, Western Australia , Australia
ITEM: Wall Ornament
NOTES: Now, this I like. Locally made with local materials (I assume). A microcosm of Perth’s flora (albeit dried and lacquered) stuck onto a piece of wood. Beautiful.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 1970s
MADE FROM: wood
MADE IN: Australia
MANUFACTURER: Croft Craft
DIMENSIONS: 25cm long x 8cm wide
PLACE REPRESENTED: Melbourne, Victoria , Australia
ITEM: Nic Nac Dish
NOTES: All the sites of Melbourne in (on) melamine. There is more to Melbourne. Where are the hipsters?
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: plastic (melamine)
MADE IN: Australia
MANUFACTURER: Ashdene
DIMENSIONS: 21cm x 14cm
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
PLACE REPRESENTED: Alaska , USA
ITEM: Herb Knife
NOTES: I’m sure there are herbs in Alaska but a herb knife as a souvenir? Well, at least you can use it.
The knife has a curved blade to get a rocking action and is also known as a ‘Hachoir’ or ‘Herb Chopper’.
YEAR (APPROXIMATE): 2000s
MADE FROM: steel , wood
MADE IN: unknown
MANUFACTURER: unknown
DIMENSIONS: 10.5cm high x 14.5cm long (herb knife) 10cm long x 2cm high (base)