PADDINGTON BEAR DOLL

This Paddington Bear was originally borrowed from Mrs Sheila Svendsen who owned the Kelmscott gift shop Svenart, located over the road from the Kelmscott Library. The toy was borrowed in late September 1983, which coincided with Australian Library Week, for an event at the Kelmscott Library to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the literary character Paddington Bear. The event was a teddy bear themed picnic birthday party and local children were invited to the party where Paddington stories were read, they enjoyed party food and they sang happy birthday to Padding Bear. Mrs Kathy de Bretton had the job of reading the Paddington stories to the children. A story about the party featured in the Comment Newspaper on 27 September 1983.
When branch Librarian, Patricia Walker, went to return the bear to Svenart library staff convinced Patricia to keep the bear because 'the children had sung happy birthday' to the bear. So Patricia purchased the bear for around $70, which was a lot of money in 1983. Paddington remained at the library for several weeks before going back to Patricia's home in Wandoo Street, Kelmscott, where the bear spent the next 10 years living in her son's Ashley's room. Ashley had also been one of the children who attended the Paddington birthday party. Ashley used to hide his pocket money under Paddington's hat.
In 1994 Paddington moved with Patricia to her new home in Salter Point where he lived in her home library. Paddington was much loved in the Walker house.