I’m including these buttons because its my blog and I can! However, most of them were not manufactured in Australia. I’m not a collector of modern souvenir buttons (either Asian made or by local artists) but I do love vintage buttons depicting kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras and the like. (KKKs),. Thanks to Carol, Robyn, Pat, Deb, Lois and everyone else!
Below are some examples of animal shapes punched from sheets of casein. These style of novelty buttons were popular from the late 1930s. They were described as continental, but some like these were made in Australia, as claimed in The Advertiser (Adelaide) 20th March 1944, page 3.
Here is a picture from a pattern for a knitted cardigan in the The Sun (Sydney) 26th Mar 1939 showing the use of these koala buttons.
Punch, 16th April 1891.
From The Victorian Button Collectors Club magazine.
A glass platypus button!
There is a backmark of an “anchor and bomb”; the mark of Coinderoux who bought Trenton, Weldon & Weil in 1904 and traded until around 2008. It was then taken over by Janvier.
Souvenir button pack from the Australia Zoo. See contents below.
A Uniroo, or a kangacorn?