Beach bucket: Two children in a boat called SAUCY SAL

Maker Chad Valley Toys (British, 1860 - 2008)

Datec 1950

Object number00001533

NameBeach bucket

MediumTin

DimensionsOverall: 152 x 190 x 188 mm, 0.25 kg

ClassificationsToys, games and souvenirs

Credit LineANMM Collection

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DescriptionChildren's beach bucket from the 1950s manufactured by Chad Valley in England. Features a boat called the SAUCY SAL.HistoryIn the mid-19th century beachgoing became easier and more popular and families took their leisure time to the shore. More accessible public transport meant that picnics, walks on promenades and paddling became weekend staples. Children discovered the simple joy of wet sand. Manufacturers soon caught on and beach toys of small buckets and spades made of tin were produced. These were small and light enough for little hands to carry. They were decorated with brightly coloured scenes of cheery animals and frolicking children that soon gave way to licensed characters from Disney and other popular cartoons of each era. The buckets in the ANMM collection were not disposable objects. They were not forgotten in the sand at the end of the day as the sun went down and families packed up. Some buckets are dented and worn, their once vivid colours faded by days in the sun. But the hours of fun and litres of water they must have carried made them special to someone.SignificanceThis simple little bucket represents a time of great change in Australian culture – when the coast became not only a source of employment but an acceptable and widespread source of pleasure for all, and where all members of the family and all classes of society could share the joy of the same experience.