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Recollections of War > Records

Moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra wearing a slouch hat

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c. 1920

Overview

World War One era moulded plastic (Bakelite) brooch depicting a kookaburra wearing a slouch hat with a rising sun badge on the side.
The kookaburra is sitting on a perch and is facing to the left. It is cream in colour with the exception of a slit in its beak which may have been red, and the rising sun badge on the hat which looks to have originally been gold. Both colours have mostly worn off over time.
It has a metal brooch fitting on the reverse which has been reinforced using glue when the original has failed.

Historical information

It is possible that this kookaburra brooch may have been sold in conjunction with a series of patriotic postcards by Valentine & Sons Publishing Co. of Melbourne during and after World War One. There were three cards in the series, with each having the kookaburra wearing a different hat representing the three armed forces - Army, Navy and Air Force.

Details

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW00581

Item type

Decorative Objects

Themes

Social History
War and Conflict
War and Conflict > World War 1

Material

Width

35 mm

Height or length

50 mm

Depth

2.5000 mm

Keywords

Sweetheart Brooch

Patriotic Souvenir

History - Social

Year

Primary significance criteria

Artistic or aesthetic significance

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity

Rare or representative

Last modified

Monday, 14 July, 2025

Completeness

94

Recollections of War

Recollections of War

Organisation details
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Other items from Recollections of War

Moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra wearing a slouch hat

Moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra wearing a slouch hat

Reverse of moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra wearing a slouch hat

Reverse of moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra wearing a slouch hat

Side view of moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra

Side view of moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra

Other side view of moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra

Other side view of moulded plastic brooch depicting a kookaburra

Reproduction of Valentine postcard featuring kookaburra wearing a slouch hat

Reproduction of Valentine postcard featuring kookaburra wearing a slouch hat

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