On the Second Day of Christmas

My true love sent to me, two turtle doves …

The Australian Women’s Weekly, 24th November 1976 page 92.

But what is a “turtle dove”? Simply a dove with a distinctive band of colour on the top of the neck. Apparently this makes it look like the dove could draw its head in like a turtle does, but I don’t see it myself!

Australian Women’s Weekly, 19th June 1974 page 49. Indian Turtle Dove, a common introduced bird in Australian suburbia.

From ‘Just Buttons’ magazine, March 1943 page 1.

These buttons depict the traditional ‘willow pattern’, and were made in Birmingham, possibly in the 1830-40s. They show the two runaway lovers transformed into turtle doves at the top. A more easily seen version of the design on a plate is shown below:

The New South Wales school magazine of literature for our boys and girls, 1st April 1952 page 87.

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