POKER MACHINE

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J Landes & Co

c. 1911

Subcollections

Overview

A wooden and metal cabinet with 5 card reels inside and known as a Poker Machine or Crackerjack Slot machine.
Operated at the Toodyay Club c1911 by using ' Toodyay Club Tokens' valued at 6d and winnings used at the bar to buy cigarettes and beer.
The payout legend on the machine refers to the ' cigars' which were given for the various winning combinations and probably is a standard legend provided by the makers.
There are 3 entry slots 1,2,3, so that up to 3 choices could be made of which reel to use. So one person could have 3 chances per spin or 3 different people could play at once.
Payment would be made at the front of the machine through a small slot which has now been covered by a plastic sheet.
Operation was by using a brass lever below the coin entry slots which could only be depressed after a token had been deposited.
After pressing the lever the reels would spin for a short time,3 going forward and 2 going backward until stopped by internal cams.
The payout mechanism has been disconnected but is stored inside the machine.
Above the coin slot is a horse and horseshoe cast into the metal and painted.
The back is a wooden panel secured with a hasp and padlock. The keys are on a a leather tag.

Historical information

Was originally at the Toodyay Club,founded 1905, until it was banned from the club in c1960.
It was donated to the Tourist Information Centre in the1970/80s for display in the ground floor of Connor's Mill.
It was relocated to the Toodyay Visitors Centre after that was built in 2000 and remained there until the office space inside was modified in 2021 and the display area was reduced. It was then donated to the museum collection.
Manufactured by J. Landes of 108 Pitt Street, Sydney.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-37-2022.38

Themes

Material

Width

42 cm

Height or length

66 cm

Depth

34 cm

Inscriptions and markings

J Landes & Co Sydney

Place made

Sydney
New South Wales
Australia

Year

c. 1911

Statement of significance

Social: With the Australian love of gambling this machine served the purpose of an inexpensive gamble with the takings benefitting the club for all the members' benefit.
Historic: A mechanical machine now superseded by electronic

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance