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Day Return Hot Dusty City to the Cool Seaside and Relaxation
Day Return Hot Dusty City to the Cool Seaside and Relaxation

Day Return Hot Dusty City to the Cool Seaside and Relaxation

Publisher
Printer (Australian)
Date1930s
Object number00037551
NamePoster
MediumColour lithograph on paper
DimensionsOverall: 1000 x 700 mm, 0.6 kg
ClassificationsPosters and postcards
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionPoster titled 'Day Return Hot Dusty City to the Cool Seaside and Relaxation' produced by Victorian Railways. This Victorian Railways poster (No 89), attributed to Gert Sellheim bears the initials GTS in the lower right of the design. It promotes the seaside as a relaxing alternative to every day city life. The move to paid annual leave in the 1930s gave more Australians time to travel and Victorian Railways provided an affordable and regular service to many of the state's destinations.HistoryThe move towards annual leave in the late 1930s meant more people had time to travel. A part from a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon cruise, only the railways offered travel that was within the budget of most Australians. As states invested heavily in rail transport there was pressure to provide tourist facilities to keep the travelling public using the railways. To overcome the limitations of fixed rail routes a marketing campaign was developed between state railways and tourist bureaus. The Victorian Tourism Bureau remained an agency of Victorian Railways until 1959. Alluring beach imagery featured strongly in the graphic design of posters produced by Victorian Railways. In 1929 the Australian National Tourism Authority, based in Melbourne, commissioned journalists and graphic artists who had worked for the Victorian National Railways Betterment Board to produce posters for every Australian state. By the 1930s ANTA had commissioned posters for every Australian State emphasising tourist sites and regions. ANTA also established 'Walkabout' magazine in 1934. SignificanceCoastal tourism provided Victorian Railways with new destinations and tourist routes. This poster design cleverly uses a train ticket and bold colour to contrast the city and seaside.