Billabong playing cards
Billabong Dual Deck by Hudson Industries, 1950s.
Billabong dual deck by Hudson Industries, 1950s. This dual deck features two paintings by Peg Maltby, both of young and glamorous aboriginal girls. Peg Maltby was a renowned artist, but these two images: Talinga and Wongana, appear to have been specially commissioned rather than prints of existing paintings.
Above: Billabong Dual Deck by Hudson Industries, 1950s. Both packs have two jokers. The box is a two part plastic box with a clear lid and map of Australia in low relief on the inside. The reverse of the box also shows the tax code (3/3).
By Matt Probert
United Kingdom • Member since March 02, 2012
I have adored playing cards since before I was seven years old, and was brought up on packs of Waddington's No 1. As a child I was fascinated by the pictures of the court cards.
Over the next fifty years I was seduced by the artwork in Piatnik's packs and became a collector of playing cards.
Seeking more information about various unidentified packs I discovered the World of Playing Cards website and became an enthusiastic contributor researching and documenting different packs of cards.
I describe my self as a playing card archaeologist, using detective work to identify and date obscure packs of cards discovered in old houses, flea markets and car boot sales.
Related Articles
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia and is the world's third-oldest airline stil...
Adelaide Casino
Adelaide Casino by Spicers Paper Ltd, 1987.
Erlenmeyer City Sights
Erlenmeyer City Sights hand-illustrated playing cards by Stephanie Gray, 2015.
Australia by Steve Parish
Australia souvenir deck with photography by Steve Parish
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet Playing Cards feature amazing images from all over the globe.
Flinders playing cards
Flinders playing cards manufactured by Hudson Industries Pty Ltd (Australia).
44: Australia
Two early makers, Thomas and Sands & McDougall, used courts copied from those of the New York Consol...
Hudson Industries
Hudson Industries Pty Ltd of Carlton in Victoria was first registered as a printing company in 1920....
SNP Ausprint Pty Ltd
Formerly part of Singapore National Printers (SNP), the company went into receivership in April 2008...
Ausgold by SNP
“Ausgold” by SNP Ausprint Pty Ltd
SNP Ausprint Jokers
A series of SNP Ausprint jokers with the various wording and name changes
Australia
Playing cards from Australia.
John Sands
John Sands had incorporated the earlier playing card manufacturing businesses of Hudson Industries P...
The Valentine Group
The Valentine Group, Australia.
Drover’s Dilemma
“Drover’s Dilemma” - a card game from Australia.
Australian Excise Duty
Excise Duty was introduced on Australian playing cards in 1932
Watersprite tarot
The vibrant colours and artwork glorify the symbolism, mood and positive energy in this exciting new...
Cats, Cakes, Clothes and Cups
Dianne Longley is a print artist who produces books and folios as well as intaglio and relief prints...
The Enchanted Journey
The Enchanted Journey
Queen of Hearts
“Queen of Hearts” by Josie Callipari, winner of the Brian Tucker Accounting Desert Fantasia Award 20...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
