Australia for Surf
Date1960s
Object number00040865
NameBadge
MediumCloth
Dimensions76 x 50 mm
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis white cloth badge with orange trim features the text 'Australia for surfing' and an embroidered image of a golden surfboard across a map of Australia. Popular in the 1960s and 1970s, tourist badges and patches associated with surfing competitions were often sewn onto duffle coats and parkers.HistoryTourism badges and pennants were produced by state and international authorities as well as local organisations, and represent international and domestic perspectives on tourism. Cloth badges were produced for different locations around Australia, with an emphasis on high profile holiday destinations such as Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. Souvenir badges and pins from swimming clubs, learn-to-swim campaigns, Surf Life Saving clubs and beach girl contests were popular during the 1960s and 1970s, with images of sailing and surfing and attesting to the influence of an outdoor beach and blue water lifestyle on popular culture.SignificanceTravel souvenirs related to surfing in Australia document the development of a tourism industry that has focused on the beach and its associated leisure activities since the first half of the 20th century.
before 1945
