Glenn R Cooke (1946–2025) was a generous donor to the Ipswich Art Gallery, which wanted to pay homage to his generosity, idiosyncratic collecting and endless curiosity and humour. The Gallery’s response was a display showcasing a selection of donated objects fashioned out of matchsticks.
The David Roche Foundation, Adelaide will show highlights from the Luke Jones toy collection this winter.
Many collectors keep up their obsession for decades, but they don’t always begin as children. Luke Jones recounts his passion for collecting Australian toys over nearly 40 years, and how he turned that into a useful and well-illustrated reference book for other collectors.
Many fields of collecting remain undocumented in Australiana, despite nearly 40 years of publication. Australian toys are just one area that has been neglected and under-researched. Children grow up and usually grow out of their children’s toys. Their toys – especially soft toys and books – often get dog-eared and battered from use, and may be handed down or discarded. Many are damaged, and some show signs of repair. John Wade explores toys based on the hopping motion of our favourite Australian animal, the kangaroo.
