This felt rat is significant because it is a unique, handmade mascot carried by an Australian soldier at Tobruk. The soldiers were called 'the rats of Tobruk'. He gave it to an ambulance driver, a local Frankston woman, who treasured it.This is a handstitched felt toy rat. It is made from light brown and pale green felt with pink embroidery thread blanket stitching. The facial features are made from felt. It has a pale green grograine ribbon neck tie. The stuffing is very firm.This item is handmade with no inscription or markings.1942, england, trench art, australian soldier, rat of tobruck, felt toy, handstitched, blanket stitch, ambulance driver, j pickles, f a n y

This felt deer was made by Helena warren of Newmerella. The deer was exhibited in the Royal Melbourne Show in the 1950's. Helena Francis Warren (nee McKeown) was married to William John Warren and lived in Newmerella. She was a fine amateur photographer who supplied the photos for the Back-To-Orbost celebration book in 1937 and also designed the Back-To-Orbost badge. She was known for her soft toy making. (by Ivy Rodwell in from Personalities and Stories of the Early Orbost District by Mary Gilbert).This object reflects the needlework skills of women in the early to mid 20th century. This item also has significance in its association with Helen Frances Warren, a popular Orbost identity who was well known as an accomplished photographer and needleworker,A handmade felt toy fallow deer which is light brown with darker brown spots. It has dark brown antlers, dark brown feet and plastic eyes.handcrafts needlework warren-helena

This item was made by Mrs Helena warren of Newmerella. Helena Francis Warren (nee McKeown) was married to William John Warren and lived in Newmerella. She was a fine amateur photographer who supplied the photos for the Back-To-Orbost celebration book in 1937 and also designed the Back-To-Orbost badge. She was known for her soft toy making. (by Ivy Rodwell in from Personalities and Stories of the Early Orbost District by Mary Gilbert).This item reflects the needlework skills of women in the first half of the 20th century. This item also has significance in its association with Helen Frances Warren, a popular Orbost identity who was well known as an accomplished photographer and needleworker,A handmade white fluffy squirrel holding a gum nut. It is possibly made of sheepskin. The eyes are pink plastic. The whiskers are white nylon thread (item no. 2495.4)toys needlework warren-helena handcraft

The Kew Historical Society’s collection includes a wide range of leisure objects. Many of the items are European-made, generally of British origin, however there are a number that were made for the Australian market by Australian manufacturers. There were clearly a huge range of toys produced for the Australian and International children’s market in the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries. The examples of toys in the collection include examples of alphabet toys, arcade toys, baby toys, construction toys, dolls, doll accessories, educational toys, soft toys, tin toys, toy animals, toy blocks, toy machines, toy typewriters, etc. Yellow and pink stuffed felt toy donkey wearing a metal collartoys, soft toys, toy donkeys

Used by Margaret in 1940\50 when she lived at 31 Drummond Road, Blackburn Blue felt toy donkey with cream leather saddle and yellow felt bridle. Cream sheepskin mane - yellow felt on underside of feet and yellow stitching in glove stitch on all seams. Small metal rings attached to saddle to represent stirrups.toys, soft toys

Helena Francis Warren (nee McKeown) was married to William John Warren and lived in Newmerella. She was a fine amateur photographer who supplied the photos for the Back-To-Orbost celebration book in 1937 and also designed the Back-To-Orbost badge. She was known for her soft toy making. (by Ivy Rodwell in from Personalities and Stories of the Early Orbost District by Mary Gilbert)This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early 20th century.A hand-crafted toy fluffy dog. It is cream coloured with brown patches.It is made from sheep skin and has a pink silk protruding tongue, ears lined with brown silk and felt foot pads. It has one glass eye.handcraft toy needlework warren-helena

Made from design by Norah WellingsFemale sailor doll in blue felt uniformAURELIA-FLAVIAdoll, norah wellings, sailor

Displayed at History HouseHand-made fabric doll. Cotton body (stocking material?), cotton print fabric (red and white flowers and squares on black background) for dress. Embroidered belt (green and gold), bonnet and cuffs. Felt boots with blue and green stitching. Beading at base of skirt in red, white, green, yellow and clear beads (plastic). Stuff with dried plant material. Red ribbon tied around waist. Curly brown hair (human?). Embroidered face.toy, doll, childhood

The poodle was purchased at the PX store in Vietnam by a soldier returning home as a present for his girlfriend (later to become his wife). Andrew Clyne, Service no: 3799091, served in 110 Signal Squadron, Vietnam, in 1971.Two-toned blue synthetic toy poodle with a gold collar and chain around its neck. It has two brown glass eyes, a black plastic nose and red felt tongue. A metal zipper under belly conceals the mechanism of a transistor radio.Transister Japan/ Novelty/ Vol/ Tuner/ Made in Japan on tag attached to hind leg. Red NOVELTY printed on control. toy poodle, japan, transistor radio, clyne, 110 signals, andrew clyne

Conatiner made with the 'wrapping' technique developed by Hucker. She began working with unspun wool and making dyes from the natural sources from her garden and the farm trees around her. From knitting and croceting articles, she progressed to felting and a 'wrapping' technique, always using unspun wool. She was a successful exhibitor at many craft shows and was always willing to pass on her experience and knowledge to others, often travelling widely to help groups requiring a demonstration.Toy (container and pig) crocheted by Joyce Hucker.crochet, hucker, mrs joyce

This knitted toy rabbit was given to the donor as a child, made by a prisoner at the Geelong Gaol. The donor spent Christmas holidays at the gaol, below are some of her memories of these times: Eric Stafford was the Governor of Geelong Gaol and he and Elsie Stafford lived in the Governor’s residence at the front of the gaol where I stayed during Christmas holidays from about 1959 to 1962. ‘Aunty’ Elsie had the help of prisoners with the housework. One and sometimes two prisoners did the heavy cleaning of floors, windows and furniture polishing. I remember one prisoner down on his hands and knees polishing the lino in the long hallway to a bright gleam, and when a prisoner was helping in the residence, ‘Aunty’ Elsie, the prisoner and I would always have morning tea together in the kitchen. The backyard of the Governor’s residence was divided in two. The kitchen window overlooked the front part of the yard and I was allowed to play there with the dogs as ‘Aunty’ Elsie could keep an eye on me. The back part of the yard was behind a gated wall and I was not allowed in there as prisoners worked on the back garden, the chook pen and doing general maintenance – although I sometimes sneaked in with the dogs to see the chooks and have a chat but was called back. In the back there was a large padlocked iron bound door in the large bluestone wall which ‘Uncle’ Eric could open. A couple of times he took me through this door which opened into the gaol’s large vegetable garden. I only went twice as a didn’t like going there because all the prisoners working there would stop doing what they were doing, stand and silently stare at me. Of course holidaying in Geelong there was always the great beach and carnival rides. ‘Aunty’ Elsie and I would walk to and from the beach and on the way home would stop and buy an ice cream at the nearby shop. Sometimes we would buy an ice cream for ‘Uncle’ Eric and if there weren’t any vans, prisoners or visitors in the gaol entrance courtyard I was allowed to take the ice cream to ‘Uncle’ Eric in his office after ‘Aunty’ Elsie phoned him from the residence. ‘Uncle’ Eric had a sheep farm in Meredith and sometimes he took a prisoner with him to do some work on the farm. I can remember on the way to the farm sitting in the front seat of the vehicle squeezed in between ‘Uncle’ Eric and a prisoner with the dogs and equipment in the back tray. - Donor, 2025Woollen cream knitted toy rabbit in a knitted pink dress with a knitted green petticoat, knitted green panties and a little knitted cream rabbit tail. Holding a bouquet of felt flowers and a coronet of felt jewels on the forehead. Wool embroidered eyes, nose and mouth, and whiskers of silk cord.geelong gaol, craft, prison, prisoner, governor geelong gaol, holidays, childhood, working life, eric stafford, elsie stafford, geelong, meredith, rabbit, toy, knitting, hand made

This style of doll was called a Golliwog at the time, the 1960s, when it was made by donor for her daughter's school (Melbourne Ladies College) projectBlack felt doll with black velvet hair, white cut out felt for eyes, white felt hands and white feet with black soles, white felt waistcoat, pearl buttons, red and white spotted bow-tie, red felt jacket with two brass buttons, black and white striped trousers, yellow boater hat decorated with black and white bandtoys, soft toys

Collection of Dolls:- 4 x Corn-Husk dolls dressed in country style clothes; 3 x Straw dolls wearing hats, two carrying baskets and one carrying a baby; 2 x Peg dolls depicted as early settlers wearing mop caps and long aprons edged in lace and a wooden toy duck in a felt pink hat with ribbons, a long cotton floral dress edged in lace and a felt face with a beak.peg dolls, dolls

This pyjama case was produced in the 1930s by Joy-Toys, an Australian toy company founded in South Yarra in the early 1920s. It was gifted to Elaine Morris (then Nobelius - the granddaughter of Carl Axel Nobelius) at an early - perhaps 3rd - birthday. Elaine was born in 1934, so it would have been gifted around 1937. Several other Joy-Toys monkeys were made with hands and feet, which might either have fallen off or been removed over the past century or which may not have been included on this model. Some other models of Joy-Toys monkeys were based on the characters of British illustrator Lawson Wood, who used a wide cast of monkeys and other animals in his work. The zipper was made in Australia by Lightning, indicating that the monkey's components were also likely made locally.This pyjama case belonged to a member of the Nobelius family, and reflects a style of toymaking that today is far out of fashion from a distinctive company that is no longer in business.The monkey has a hollow body, with the interior lined with orange satin fabric and closed by a zipper. The shape of the monkey is filled out by the case's intended purpose - storing pyjamas. The head is stuffed, and features a face made of felt molded over buckram, with painted features in red (mouth and nostrils) and black (closed eyelids and eyelashes). Outside of the face, the monkey is covered in synthetic brown 'fur'. It is possible that the monkey once had hands and feet which have since been removed or lost. The monkey's limbs and tails are also stuffed and separated from the hollow body. The head and arms of the monkey are on joints allowing them to rotate 360 degrees. The monkey also has small furless fabric ears. There is damage separating fabric at the right shoulder and at several points in the interior.Zipper Obverse: "LIGHTNING" Zipper Reverse: "AUST MADE / PATENTED" Inside Tag: "JOY-TOYS / MADE IN AUSTRALIA"elaine morris, nobelius family, elaine nobelius, toys, children