Little Darwin recently had the privilege of browsing through a large collection of Australian and New Zealand political tin buttons , the property of a person keen on amassing the offbeat political history of the nation . Australia,it seems ,is not yet as interested in its political memorabilia as are Americans, some of whom are keen collectors, he said . In America the buttons are called pin backs.
The collection included several of ALP PM Ben Chifley with his pipe , the slogan CHIFLEY SPELLS SECURITY and LABOR FOR SECURITY . The Big Fella –Jack Lang –was seen glaring from a button with the message LANG IS RIGHT . Anti war buttons included DROP HOLT ON HANOI and PUT THIS MAD DOG ( Bush ) ON A LEASH .
Bearing a Petty drawing of the PM, one says GORTON’S GOTTA GO . An October 22 , 1966 button carried the message that NSW welcomes LBJ, pictured . A rare World War 1 NZ button highlighted the disastrous DARDENELLES and said NO NZ BOYS AS CONSCRIPTS . The bulbous nosed Victorian Premier, Sir Henry “Hanging” Bolte , stood out . KERR MUST GO and EXPORT FRASER NOT KOALAS featured on one page . Naturally there were ones referring to John Howard: HOWARD’S NO QUITTER –JUST ASK COSTELLO and the outrageous MY MUM SAYS JOHN HOWARD IS A LYING, ROTTEN, MONGREL, RODENT, BASTARD . Fancy any mother saying such terrible things about the PM. HAPPINESS IS A LIBERAL GOVERNMENT was another slogan.
Greens’ leader Bob Brown was promoted as PM . GIVE A DAMN- VOTE DEMOCRAT . Other buttons were for the CANBERRA UNITY PARTY and THE NORTH WANTS A NEW STATE . Apart from the buttons , there was a wide ranging collection of political posters, how to vote cards, pamphlets , magazines and other ephemera.
The collection included several of ALP PM Ben Chifley with his pipe , the slogan CHIFLEY SPELLS SECURITY and LABOR FOR SECURITY . The Big Fella –Jack Lang –was seen glaring from a button with the message LANG IS RIGHT . Anti war buttons included DROP HOLT ON HANOI and PUT THIS MAD DOG ( Bush ) ON A LEASH .
Bearing a Petty drawing of the PM, one says GORTON’S GOTTA GO . An October 22 , 1966 button carried the message that NSW welcomes LBJ, pictured . A rare World War 1 NZ button highlighted the disastrous DARDENELLES and said NO NZ BOYS AS CONSCRIPTS . The bulbous nosed Victorian Premier, Sir Henry “Hanging” Bolte , stood out . KERR MUST GO and EXPORT FRASER NOT KOALAS featured on one page . Naturally there were ones referring to John Howard: HOWARD’S NO QUITTER –JUST ASK COSTELLO and the outrageous MY MUM SAYS JOHN HOWARD IS A LYING, ROTTEN, MONGREL, RODENT, BASTARD . Fancy any mother saying such terrible things about the PM. HAPPINESS IS A LIBERAL GOVERNMENT was another slogan.
Greens’ leader Bob Brown was promoted as PM . GIVE A DAMN- VOTE DEMOCRAT . Other buttons were for the CANBERRA UNITY PARTY and THE NORTH WANTS A NEW STATE . Apart from the buttons , there was a wide ranging collection of political posters, how to vote cards, pamphlets , magazines and other ephemera.
