Authentic Bear-faced Cheap
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday April 20, 1988
IN this year of interest in Australia, where do you send overseas visitors and friends to buy souvenirs? And what do you take to friends and relatives overseas as a reminder of Australia?
Selwa Anthony, literary agent, Oyster Bay: "Well, naturally I always take Australian books away with me as gifts, and send all visitors straight to the nearest bookshop! That might sound impractical, but for between $2.95 and$6.95 you can get small, light, fabulous picture books on Sydney, the outback, the Rocks, the whole country, whatever.
"I always take half a dozen away as gifts. And when visitors come here and want a good Australian read, a book which tells them something about the country and the people and what inspired us, forget the convict sagas; I tell them to buy Mary Durack's Kings in Grass Castles.
"The other place I go for souvenirs is Christies in Pitt Street, opposite the Hilton. It has loads of flags and badges and buttons and so forth. I always buy heaps of those koala pins and everywhere I go, when I start talking to someone, I give them one. The Americans love them. I also buy the same sort of stuff at the shops at the airport.
"When my relatives come to Australia to visit I always send them to Skinnys for sheepskin. They generally buy a small rug which will fit on a chair or the floor and they roll it up and carry it on the plane and fly home with it as a backrest."
Robert Burton, training officer, Department of Education, Woollahra: "I'm a bit particular, in that I like souvenirs and gifts that are Australian and environmentally and ideologically sound. So the first place I always go is the National Trust at Observatory Hill, although they have other outlets ... there's a new one at Darling Harbour. They have historical books, posters, pottery and unusual things like convict uniforms, so they are quite inventive and it's all very Australian.
"The Trust also makes up terrific hampers which you can send overseas or give here. They include hand-made Australian chocolates, cheese, wine and wildflowers. They cost between $16 and $23, or you can have one made up especially.
"There are two other shops I go to to buy gifts when travelling, or where I send visitors, and that is to The Gallery and The Shop down by the Opera House. They have really beautiful pottery inspired by local flora and fauna -I saw a fabulous frill-neck lizard ceramic pot. They also have Australian paintings, but if people want art work I suggest the Aboriginal Art Gallery in The Rocks and in Walker Street, Paddington. I do most of my shopping for friends overseas at Christmas time, and the Aboriginal Art Gallery was helpful with packaging stuff and mailing it.
"My other favourite souvenir place for Aussie items is the Wilderness Centre in Cadman's Cottage at The Rocks, or in Liverpool Street, near the Spanish Club. It has fantastic posters and wonderful Australian animal toys, but made with artificial fur, of course.
"But the gift people best like to take away, and one I've sent to people planning to come out here, is a video on Sydney called Destination Sydney from the Video Lounge at Grace Bros. It has the best shots from helicopters of Sydney and the Hawkesbury and only costs $29.95 - you could never take a video like it yourself."
Willie Barton, Avalon: "I came originally from Holland and I have a big family back there, so I can't afford to take very expensive presents to all of them each time I travel. Several years ago I bought about 30 of those little clinging koalas to hand out everywhere I went and that was a big hit.
"I generally find items in handicraft or cottage craft-type shops ... little dried wildflower arrangements, calendars and bookmarks. Australiana placemats are also great. I must say I tend to be practical. Kids in Europe love those packets of Australiana noodles and pasta just for fun, too.
"However, my most successful souvenir and gift, which I now take away with me, are Australian tapestry pictures I stitch myself. You can buy them in any handicraft shop for about $24. They are done in big bargello stitches and it only takes me two weeks to do one. They take up no room in a suitcase and the person I give it to has a little Australian scene she can frame or make into a cushion.
"When I have visitors out here they tend to look for things which are a bit original. My sister collects thimbles and wanted an Australian one, which we couldn't find, but now I have found a souvenir shop in the QVB which has adorable china thimbles with painted Australian birds and flowers on them for about $12, so that will be a good gift for her next visit.
"I would love to take Australian wines overseas as a souvenir to give friends, but how do you carry a dozen bottles in your luggage? Instead, I suggest visitors try the wines while they are here and I also tell people about the jewellery stores in the city which have semi-precious and good stones like sapphires and opals.
"And for children, the best present I ever took was a soft, stuffed, washable possum with a baby on its back, which I took to a niece. It wasn't one of those terribly expensive Australian toys - I bought it in the Avalon chemist and now all the children want one!"
Stephen Fitzsimmons, realtor, Cremorne: "Well, The Rocks is the obvious place to go and to send visitors, also the QVB. Even friends from interstate looking for souvenirs always find something at one of these locations. The other obvious stop is a Ken Done shop for something exclusively Sydney. Everyone likes his stuff and it's great for both kids and adults.
"Older folk seem to like things like scarves and tea towels with wildflowers and fauna on them, but I have to admit nearly every Australian gift or souvenir place I've been into has the same stuff.
"One place my wife and I like to buy things to take overseas is at the Mosman Miniature Gallery. They have nice little silver and pewter Australian animals, swagmen, gold diggers and the like which are easy to pack and they also have more expensive art pieces.
"Friends from overseas also have told me they really found good buys at the Geological and Mining Museum in The Rocks, which has interesting displays and Australian minerals, crystals and semi-precious stones for sale. It also has a lot of jewellery including opals, Australian garnets and sapphires for very reasonable prices, starting at about $25 for earrings, for example. My wife also likes the Argyle Alchemist in The Rocks, which sells Australian perfumes and toiletries, which are good to take overseas. I do most of my shopping at Christmas time so there seems to be more around then, but you really have to spend time looking for something that's a bit different."
Cheryl Vick, visitor from Wargrave, England. "Well, I came out with some ideas. I wanted to take back a bush hat, but couldn't find one to fit me and thought some of them very expensive. My daughter wanted an Australian sun hat, but we didn't get around to that and I was pleased because we had enough to carry. I did fall in love with a cockatoo mobile, which I saw in several shops, and I thought The Rocks had the best selection of touristy souvenirs like T-shirts and knick-knacks. I was also looking for nice Australiana stationery to take back, as I always bring pretty English cards and notepaper to friends in Australia.
"However, the best thing I found in Australia is one you can't really take back home other than as happy memories - and that is the food. I think the standard and quality of food and restaurants here, not to mention the variety, is tremendous.
"It's very expensive to take my two children out to dinner in England and you never really do it unless it's a special occasion, but on holidays that's half the fun. We have gone mad over the fresh fruit for breakfast, as in England the fruit is never sweet enough, and we have been trying various types of food. We have Chinese and Indian restaurants near us at home, but here the Asian food seems so much better and so different. For the first time we experienced Japanese food, which we thought was wonderful, especially when they cook it at your table and perform while doing it ... you know, chopping like a rocket, juggling and throwing the dishes at you. Of course we bought T-shirts and my daughter bought tapes of Australian rock groups, but I'm going to recommend all visitors who come to Australia spend their money eating!"
Jeremy Chance, actor, Mosman: "If I'm looking for gifts to take overseas, or if I have visitors in town looking for really Sydney-type gifts, I go to The Shop Front Gallery in Ridge Street, North Sydney. They have quality original hand-crafted things by a team of artists which are really terrific. It's sort of yuppie, but has everything from knick-knacks and stuffed toys to a really fabulous collection of clothes in silk or cotton, from T-shirts to fashion items. But what everyone loves in the clothes are the strong, hot, Sydney colours - you don't see other people wearing such vibrant colours as much as they seem to in Sydney.
"People also like Aboriginal arts and craft items and there is a great T-shirt shop in The Corso, in Manly, which specialises in every imaginable type of T-shirt, from three-dimensional puffy paint, satirical ones to really lovely aboriginal rock art ones. These run about $15 to $20 and are always popular. I bought some for myself as well and they are a huge hit overseas. I generally tend to stay clear of the Australiana stuff, as it's pretty rubbishy. And, of course, we all love the Ken Done Shop at Mosman - his table mats make great souvenirs.
"When I go away I bring back weird and exotic coffee mugs as souvenirs, along with post cards. This started in Los Angeles, as I found so many great post cards I started buying them and now I have hundreds to send to friends. I buy two of the same card - one to send and one to keep. But I think we could do with some more original Australian post cards."
© 1988 Sydney Morning Herald