Toltoys Kid

Doctor Who has enjoyed a close relationship with Australia since the very beginning, with several key writers, a popular companion (Tegan) and even the composer of the famous theme music being Aussies. The show enjoyed a loyal following on the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) from 1964 until the end of the original series in 1989.

As a child of the 70’s my Doctor of choice is and always will be Tom Baker. He was beatified in 1981 by the Australian licensing gods with his own Streets ice cream, which as you know by now (if you’ve read my blog before anyway) is a sure sign that you have officially arrived Down Under. The TV ad for these ice creams has also turned up, with a grainy VHS copy uploaded to You Tube in 2011 by some kind soul.

The ice cream box and wrapper are extremely tough to find, I believe only one example of each has appeaered on Oz Ebay in 13 years. While I wasn’t able to win them I did manage to swipe the pics, they are poor quality but what can you do? If you were the lucky purchaser (or seller) of either of these items I’d like to both apologise for my use of your pics and plead for new ones!

Above is the landscape side of the box, here is the portrait…

And from a seperate auction, the wrapper (flattened)…

Another exclusive-to-Australia piece of Whomabilia is the rare “Showbag”, a plastic bag of cheap toys and ephemera sold at local agricultural and royal society exhibitions throughout the country, notably the Royal Melbourne Show. I sold the example below on ebay many years ago, and it is now one of the very few items I regret parting with. Another couple have turned up over the years, I cant find any references to what was inside but if any of the Whomaniacs out there know drop me a line and I’ll update this post.

The Showbag (Yes I should have used any background other than white)…

In 2007 I showcased the take-home box for Paul’s Buck Rogers ice creams, featuring the Star Stick competition for MEGO Buck Rogers action figures. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to track down both the Milk Bar store dislay and an example of the wrapper, so I’m going to call that a complete set and move on!

Here is the box, the display, and the wrapper…

A few years ago I posted the Milk Bar store display for “Smurfee” Smurf ice creams, now here are three wrappers from that same 1979 release.

I’m not sure why the wrapper above is in landscape while the two below are portrait. Possibly the difference was between those purchased in Milk Bars and those purchased in take home packs.

Either way, I love ’em!

The 5c price point on this Australian Milk Bar store display for Streets Mountie ice creams suggests it is from the early 70’s. That also happens to be when I remember watching a lot of Rocky & Bullwinkle on Saturday morning TV. A Canadian moose in a Mountie uniform – what a coincidence!

Anyone remember these? As kids I would presume that we’d never have known we were eating bootleg character confectionary, nor would we have cared!

Here’s a ripping piece that escaped my clutches on Aussie Ebay a few years ago, an early 80’s Milk Bar Store Display for Pauls Donkey Kong Icey Poles (Orange and Pineapple Treats). It features a competition for Futuretronics (The Australian Nintendo distributor) Game and Watch electronic hand helds. Did they come in take home packs I wonder. Anyone remember them?

You know those memories from childhood that flood through your mind when you hear an old tune or smell a long lost aroma? Well that’s what it was like when I saw this early 70’s Streets Whammy Stix Milk Bar display. It wasn’t so much the ice cream, it was those great little construction sticks. While I can’t recall constructing anything as exciting as the rocket featured, I’m sure I made many three sided boomerangs that may or may not have come back…

Will

Cheers!

Licensed Australian Ice-Creams