This card was a jumper of another sort, the Kangaroo. Australia have the strange custom of spending Christmas at the beach, because it is their summer, so you get Father Christmas on a surfboard rather than being drawn along the sky behind the reindeer.
This set was issued in two versions, both being un-numbered, with the difference being the back design. Our set (A) has the back in green and it is headed "Advertisement Gifts" - the other one (B) has the back in yellow, and is specifically printed for "Peter Pan" brand.
At this point a note - for the fronts are identical in style to Snider & Abrahams "Animals" - and the artwork was done by the same person, "Prae"? (I have not yet found out anything about them). The cards are also untitled, also of sixty cards, and for "Peter Pan" brand. However the backs are different, our set has framelines around the text blocks, whilst this set only has the two lines across the body.
Sniders and Abrahams were based in Melbourne, South Australia. At this time they were at 268-270 Lonsdale Street. Their cards vary in size to our standard size, and these measure 68 x 40 m/m. If you look on many of their cards you will find either "O & A" or "O & Co" and this is the printer, Osboldstone & Company Pty Ltd, printers and publishers of Temple Court Place, Little Collins Street, Melbourne. They did not only print cards, and you can find their name on various booklets, maps, postcards, and posters, the latter especially in respect of military and recruiting subjects.
I had a quick look at the companies listed on the back, and was quite intrigued by one, so will try to track down the rest...
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A. Blashki Ltd of Equitable Buildings in Sydney
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E.S. Lazarus and Co. Pty Ltd of Standard Place in Perth were founded around 1910-1911. This was Emanuel Samuel Lazarus, who was born in England in 1869, and started out as an importer, but somehow took over a jewellery business in Murray Street. With this knowledge, I am wondering if he supplied the watches listed on this card? He is quite important in Perth, and was heavily involved with the Synagogue there.
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W. Cornell & Co. of Rundle Street in Adelaide.
In 1923, a company called G.G. Goode Ltd was incorporated purely to take over Sniders & Abrahams. A year later they issued a set of seventeen un-numbered cards, called "Prominent Cricketer Series". These cards measure 63 x 42 m/m and are brown and white. The ones I have seen show a cricketer with a black circle or square behind them. I am not sure if all cards are like this but will try to find out. On the back they say "SMOKE CLUB HOUSE & MILO CIGARETTES And obtain a complete set of the Prominent Cricketer Series. One card enclosed in every packet. Obtainable at all tobacconists". The set contained portraits of the MCC 1924-25 Touring Team, so can be dated quite precisely. However I am not sure why this information did not appear in or as, the title - to my way of thinking this suggests the Touring Team formed but a part of a larger set of cricketers and there are more cards, especially as there is no number on the cards. Anyway in 1926 G.G. Goode also took over J.J. Schuh. And in 1931 G.G. Goode was taken over by Carreras.