In 1922 the Australasian Publication Company were given the sole rights for a three year period to sell Waddington’s playing cards in Australia and New Zealand, and in 1930 Waddington’s unsuccessfully tried to establish a manufacturing branch in Sydney. Usually these cards showed local scenes on the back or advertised local companies. It was not uncommon, especially in more remote parts of the country, for local newspapers to be involved in the production of playing cards because they had the resources. Before the 1920s it seems that most Australian cards were made by small local enterprises producing small editions. who were printing cards in the mid-1880s. Most cards today arrive in ships from Shanghai. The advent of television and more recently computers and the Internet have diminished the popularity of playing cards as a leisure pastime and as a manufacturing proposition. But there is not a long history of local manufacturing and there has probably never been a company in Australia whose sole business was making playing cards. Belgian manufacturers also exported cards to Australia during the 19th century and American cards influenced the local cardmakers. Thomas & Co., c.1910 Playing cards from AustraliaĪt first cards were exported to Australia from England and newspaper adverts for cards being imported exist from as early as 1803. Above: Australian ace of spades designed to mimic a national coat of arms, W.
