The most direct route to this collector’s heart was through his stomach
TG devoured his way through the Toppa Woppa, Toppa Trumpet, Slippery Sam (tube of frozen ice) and Donald Duck X29 (orange icy pole) – all Toppa products.
TG is mainly a biscuit packaging and advertising collector but he also has an important collection of material relating to, mainly, Victorian ice cream companies. His collection includes material from Toppa, Swallows, Sennitt’s, Peter’s, Paul’s, Devondale and Streets.
The range of material includes: wrappers, Dixie cups with wooden paddles, bricks, ice cream tins (now superseded by the plastic tubs), showcards and signs. He also collects related material including stationery, product catalogues, advertising from full colour magazines like Table talk and Woman’s Day and Women’s Weekly as well as snippets from daily newspapers.
He collects material up to the early 1970s. He feels that the presentation of the ice creams became less interesting after that time. TG is of course still looking for Australian ice cream packaging and advertising.
He is building up this collection and his knowledge about ice cream. He uses the magazines and newspapers of the era to work out when products went on sale; when the companies merged; when the design or format of packaging changed.
A very small proportion of Terry’s collection are ‘gap markers’ – for example a high quality colour photocopy standing in the place of the currently elusive original wrapper, box or label. Like many collectors, he has found the Australian libraries’ online search service Trove a good source of historical material.
This time next year we hope to publish a more authoritative history of ice cream packaging and advertising in Australia. If you can assist TG with dates, company histories, anecdotes and realia, please let us know.
Stop the presses
This newspaper story from 12 February 2014 reports on some recently found Sennit’s material, http://m.theage.com.au/money/
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Here are a few more items that TG would like to find:
4 Comments. Leave new
Hi Terry,
I love your collections. I am wondering if you sell any of your items? I work at an art deco style restaurant/cafe/event space and we are looking to carry peter’s ice cream, however are not at all interested in the new look, so we are hoping to get some vintage decals to put on a vintage freezer, maybe a nice vintage poster, etc.
Thanks Lara, I will pass your request on to Terry.
Hii Terry. My father was the original manager of Swallows Ice Cream at Belgrave. He built the home and factory where he commenced making ice to deliver in the Dandenongs. I grew up there and have many many fond memories. He then built the chassies on Toppa trucks and proceeded to be the depot for Pot Melbourne. The home is still there built 1939, but 3 homes take the place of the factory. I am disappointed I cannot find a tin sign advertising. I have a poster of the Woods Point general store which has the sign on the side and I used to go with dad to firstly deliver ice then icecream, to them. A guy in Hoddle Street had a huge sign but wanted 1500 for it. Two weeks later he was gone. If you know anywhere I could get a sign, i would appreciate hearing from you. I have hunted and hunted. I’m sure there are many buried where the factory was and where as kids we went through the creek to Macawber Park, noa called Highway Inn. I could go on for ever as I have beautiful memories
Hi All
I have a Swallows Ice cream sign in original condition (rather large – can take measurements and photo if required) that I am looking to sell. I am located approx 30 mins from Belgrave.
Please feel free to contact me on tanyavs131@outlook.com.
Regards
Tanya