BRITISH HONG KONG VIEW OF AUSTRALIA

 Old   playing  cards   stripped  Jack  and  Oz   naked .

Featuring both the Australian  and British flag, the  above  illustrated  pack of   cards  presented  a land in which there were Aborigines , lots of  cattle, crocodiles ,  koalas, kangaroos , hedgehogs, several deserts, Ayer's Rock ,perhaps cacti , and  a   bland  looking  Tasmania   which  only boasted not one  but  two  apples  , it   known  as   the  Apple  Isle .

Another Hong Kong  designed and   produced  pack , above,   highlighted in  greater detail   Beautiful  Tasmania  , inserted in a giant apple , and    its  noisy, snarling    Tasmanian   Devils . Jovial  Jokers  and a court jester Ace of  Spades  were  also  included  in  the   plastic  coated  pack  of  54  cards.   

 

FRAGRANT FRANGI LANDING

Vallis.

AUSTRALIA ( ALMOST ) RULED THE WAVES

Waterlogged   matchbook   throws   light   on  the  Port Line, a passenger and cargo  shipping company,   which  served  Australia  and  New  Zealand  .  Initially formed  in 1914 as the Commonwealth and Dominion line , an amalgamation  of four shipping  companies, which operated routes to Australia and New Zealand, it operated  in  one form  or  another  until  1982. 

House flag of the Port Line ..

The  company's  large  fleet. 

Its many offices  and agents  included one in Townsville, and one of its fleet was  Port Townsville , where this  link with the line was found by our Shipping Reporter. 

CHOPPERS OVERHEAD

Chinooks, Townsville 

PULLING THE WOOL OVER AMERICA

 Next  to  LIttle  Darwin's  pet headless bulldog  is another  recently added oddity - a flag-waving  seemingly headless   wooden  sheep   bearing  the  name  of   the    American  Wool.  Co. 

The  critter was  found  tucked away  in a  Townsville  garage  sale  by  our  Shipping Reporter  who  discovered the American Woolen Company was established in  l899 ,which by l920 owned 60 mills ,  one the largest in the world. 

One  mill had  a  four-sided clocktower  which  was  a foot shorter than London's  Big  Ben  tower .

The  company- like Australian wool growers  -  thrived  during  the  cold   Korean War   which  created  a  big  demand  for warm   woollen clothing . However,  at  the end of the  war  and the loss of government   contracts , the  company was  taken  over. 

SKY SCRAPER

Special  from  Aeronautical  Correspondent   Abra.

ROUND THE RUGGED ROCKS ,THE RAGGED RASCAL RAN , WITH ROYAL RITZY RUGS

Lock up  your  bedsheets , duvet and doona covers  - creative  new age   clothesline  snafflers  are  roaming   about  eager  to  grab  material  to  rip  up  and    turn  into  a  wide  range  of  attractive   rag   rugs  .  

A  small sample of  creations  made  by  Rita ,  a  renowned  rampaging   rag  rugger .