The “Stump-jumpers:” National Identity and the Mythology of Australian Industrial Design in the Period 1930–1975

Abstract

Introduction Stump-jump plows, Sunshine harvesters, Ford and Holden utes (pick-up trucks), Victa lawn mowers, Hills Hoists—even if these objects are unknown to an international audience, they are celebrated by Australians to the point that they have become interwoven with the national identity. Most visible in the public’s recent awareness of Australian design objects has been the 1988 Bicentennial and 2000 Olympic Games festivals which have used certain design objects as emblems of what it is to be Australian. Smaller events such as the earlier 1996 Adelaide Festival also made use of such objects—in this case an image of a Hills Hoist rotary clothesline was used in its official publicity poster. Despite this public interest, specific books on the activity of industrial design in Australia have been few. While many general art books have included a few pages on the subject of Australian designed objects, a certain pattern has emerged—some design objects are celebrated, while others are ignored. This paper asks why. A review of historical and contemporary writings has suggested a list of myths that reveal how Australians have chosen to view themselves, and how industrial design has helped define perceptions of the Australian character.