Summary

White plastic miniature or doll's toilet, labelled 'Marquis Australia'. Part of a set of assorted doll's furniture from a home in Albert Park, Melbourne. The toilet was donated to Museum Victoria during the South Melbourne Oral History Project in 1990.

The style of the toilet, with cut corners on the pedestal, was introduced in the mid-1920s.

According to the Powerhouse Museum, Marquis pioneered the Australian plastics industry, probably benefiting from World War II contracts. In 1943 Marquis Mouldings was operating at 242 Prince's Highway, Arncliffe, New South Wales; later the business advertised as Commonwealth Moulding Pty Ltd, manufacturing 'Marquis Plastics - Mouldings of Merit' (compression, injection, transfer and extrusion plastics), making kitchen and tableware, toys and fancy goods, industrial and building components, toilet seats, custon mouldings, electrical components and nylon mouldings (Sydney Morning Herald, 20 August 1954, p.4s).
By 1962 'Commonwealth Mouldings' was listed as manufacturer of toilet seats 'Marquis', 'Crown', and 'Commould' - interesting in view of this example.

Physical Description

White plastic toy toilet with hinged lid and cut-corner pedestal. The tank is close-coupled to the bowl (short connection between).

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