" A Patty Pan for all occasions" so says one of the original advertisements for these cake containers.
And true to their word they produced a patty pan for the 1934 Centenary of Melbourne .
For the European "un-settlers" this was an era of patriotism for their 'mother country' whilst also trying to establish their own identity as a nation. In the Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 9 th September 1934, the Mayor of Melbourne was quoted as saying "Not one per cent of the people of Europe know that such a place as Melbourne exists." Mayor H. Gengoult Smith was determined for this place to become known around the world, "advertising its resources and natural beauties" and organising boats for overseas tourists, expecting 5,000 overseas visitors to Melbourne's celebrations, he even proposed(in an early example of Melbourne, Sydney tunnel vision and competition) that, after attending all Melbourne's festivities ,the visitors "would visit New South Wales and other States."
And true to their word they produced a patty pan for the 1934 Centenary of Melbourne .
For the European "un-settlers" this was an era of patriotism for their 'mother country' whilst also trying to establish their own identity as a nation. In the Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 9 th September 1934, the Mayor of Melbourne was quoted as saying "Not one per cent of the people of Europe know that such a place as Melbourne exists." Mayor H. Gengoult Smith was determined for this place to become known around the world, "advertising its resources and natural beauties" and organising boats for overseas tourists, expecting 5,000 overseas visitors to Melbourne's celebrations, he even proposed(in an early example of Melbourne, Sydney tunnel vision and competition) that, after attending all Melbourne's festivities ,the visitors "would visit New South Wales and other States."
Historian and Exhibition Curator, Jan Rhodes, in the 2004 article, “The secret life of the patty pans” published in the journal “Ephemera News” (no.49) wrote about the Cakoes Decorative Patty Pan collection. Rhodes details the history of patty pans, their changing social and cultural values asserting that the ephemeral decorative patty pans fulfil a function, not just in decoration or ‘micro’ events of home entertainment and eating, but also in shaping “macro” ideas of national identity. The Patty Pan designed for the Centenary of Melbourne presents, as Rhodes describes, a contrast of “the natural bushland of the Yarra River in 1834-complete with two traditionally dressed Aboriginal figures-to the bustling buildings of the modern capital city of Melbourne encroaching on the Yarra River in 1934." “Ephemera News” (no.49) There could be many readings of this image, reminiscent as it is of much 20 th Century depictions of First Nations Peoples Australia as suited Colonising Immigrants , from school kids projects and (whitewashed) History books to newspapers and magazines. The picture appears to show a convenient re-working of actual history trying to show Aboriginal people as passive onlookers, looking on in awe at western 'progress', rather than resistance fighters, oppressed,stolen, sad or understandably angry at denial of their lands and culture. From a 2023 perspective this patty pan design could be seen to be bringing into question our national identity
as forged by colonial, industrialists', concepts of progress, these beliefs and attitudes. A "white-washing" of
Australian history, which was taught in schools till relatively recently.
ANNETTE SOUMILAS in The La Trobe Journal No 102 September 2018, writes about the "Pageant of Nations" , one of the major celebrations of the Centenary. Annette describes a similar sounding image that was created for the front cover of the Program for this event, "The cover design also shows two Aboriginal Australian figures contemplating the landscape prior to its settlement, next to a medallion illustrating Melbourne’s skyline as it was in 1934. The image is similar to that on the souvenir centenary postage stamps, which depicted an Aboriginal Australian as the noble savage standing on the south bank of the Yarra, spear in hand, with the city of Melbourne in the background.”
It is now, more than ever, clear that the 60,000, years or more of culture of the first peoples of Australia, Aboriginal Australians,and the fact that 'Melbourne' is and was actually on the never ceded lands of the Kulin Nation is in desperate need of reconciliation.The patty pan design perhaps displays a narrative from an industrialists' view of ‘progress’; unfortunately the history of this 'progress‘ was not so simple, straightforward or beneficial for all and there could be any number of very different and difficult to hear versions of this story from 1834 to 1934. The depiction of the first peoples as complacent bystanders watching on is in stark contrast to accounts of the "frontier wars" that took place. The character and deeds of the alleged so called founder of Melbourne,John Batman,
has more recently been called into serious question. This 'founder' can be viewed as representative of a shameful period in Australia's history with the character of “a rogue, cheat, thief, liar, a murderer of blacks and the vilest man I have ever known” a quote attributed to the Artist John Glover in Nicholas Clements,Researcher at University of Tasmania, article :"The truth about John Batman Melbournes founder and murderer or the blacks." https://theconversation.com/the-truth-about-john-batman-melbournes-founder-and-murderer-of-the-blacks-1025#:~:text=John%20Batman%2C%20the%20beloved%20founder,with%20the%20local%20Wurundjeru%20people.
In 1937 Yorta Yorta man, William Cooper , circulated a
petition requesting Civil rights and an Indigenous leader in parliament, he gathered 1800 signatures
and asked the Australian government of the time to send it to the King, the government of the day refused to
even send it. https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/william-cooper-protests
I hope, like many, that today, an unbelievable 85 years later, the discussions and referendum on a "voice to parliament"
may be but a small step, in meaningful acknowledgement of our past and building of a better future.- OF course now six months after I wrote this, sadly the referendum was not accepted and it now seems as one commentator put it, a serious "ache in the soul of the nation" with the issues still needing much reparation, acknowledgement and serious respect!
Meanwhile in another eleven years , in 2034 we may be able to see what the Centenary organisers put in this locked casket back in 1934;
"MELBOURNE CENTENARY
The Centenary Council, Melbourne,
has decided to place a record of the
celebration, with histories of the State
and Melbourne, in a lead casket, to be
placed in the museum and not to be
opened until the year 2034."
The Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW : 1894 - 1939)Friday 15 February 1935 - Page 5-via Trove
as forged by colonial, industrialists', concepts of progress, these beliefs and attitudes. A "white-washing" of
Australian history, which was taught in schools till relatively recently.
ANNETTE SOUMILAS in The La Trobe Journal No 102 September 2018, writes about the "Pageant of Nations" , one of the major celebrations of the Centenary. Annette describes a similar sounding image that was created for the front cover of the Program for this event, "The cover design also shows two Aboriginal Australian figures contemplating the landscape prior to its settlement, next to a medallion illustrating Melbourne’s skyline as it was in 1934. The image is similar to that on the souvenir centenary postage stamps, which depicted an Aboriginal Australian as the noble savage standing on the south bank of the Yarra, spear in hand, with the city of Melbourne in the background.”
It is now, more than ever, clear that the 60,000, years or more of culture of the first peoples of Australia, Aboriginal Australians,and the fact that 'Melbourne' is and was actually on the never ceded lands of the Kulin Nation is in desperate need of reconciliation.The patty pan design perhaps displays a narrative from an industrialists' view of ‘progress’; unfortunately the history of this 'progress‘ was not so simple, straightforward or beneficial for all and there could be any number of very different and difficult to hear versions of this story from 1834 to 1934. The depiction of the first peoples as complacent bystanders watching on is in stark contrast to accounts of the "frontier wars" that took place. The character and deeds of the alleged so called founder of Melbourne,John Batman,
has more recently been called into serious question. This 'founder' can be viewed as representative of a shameful period in Australia's history with the character of “a rogue, cheat, thief, liar, a murderer of blacks and the vilest man I have ever known” a quote attributed to the Artist John Glover in Nicholas Clements,Researcher at University of Tasmania, article :"The truth about John Batman Melbournes founder and murderer or the blacks." https://theconversation.com/the-truth-about-john-batman-melbournes-founder-and-murderer-of-the-blacks-1025#:~:text=John%20Batman%2C%20the%20beloved%20founder,with%20the%20local%20Wurundjeru%20people.
In 1937 Yorta Yorta man, William Cooper , circulated a
petition requesting Civil rights and an Indigenous leader in parliament, he gathered 1800 signatures
and asked the Australian government of the time to send it to the King, the government of the day refused to
even send it. https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/william-cooper-protests
I hope, like many, that today, an unbelievable 85 years later, the discussions and referendum on a "voice to parliament"
may be but a small step, in meaningful acknowledgement of our past and building of a better future.- OF course now six months after I wrote this, sadly the referendum was not accepted and it now seems as one commentator put it, a serious "ache in the soul of the nation" with the issues still needing much reparation, acknowledgement and serious respect!
Meanwhile in another eleven years , in 2034 we may be able to see what the Centenary organisers put in this locked casket back in 1934;
"MELBOURNE CENTENARY
The Centenary Council, Melbourne,
has decided to place a record of the
celebration, with histories of the State
and Melbourne, in a lead casket, to be
placed in the museum and not to be
opened until the year 2034."
The Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW : 1894 - 1939)Friday 15 February 1935 - Page 5-via Trove