CAN FATHER CHRISTMAS FIND HIS WAY HERE? THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF BARRIERS. The first was the tendency for locals to buy the northern hemisphere image. Here was a great response from Greg Bakes of Graphic Bakehouse. Like it? Go to the Graphic Bakehouse website.
The next problem has been getting him close to Australia – looks like he ran into a contemporary problem. John Ditchburn of Inkcinct captured the problem in a card. Like it? Go to the Inkcinct website.
OK he made it in 1999 and it was recorded by Australia Post. Unfortunately we can’t show that image, but he is in a hammock overlooking the beach with some of the island’s crabs crawling over his boots. Here is one published in the same year that might show an illegal entrant.
![[Father Christmas arriving at Christmas Island], undated.](https://ephemerasociety.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Xmas_Island_Christmas_Stamp02a1.jpg)
![[Outback store with Father Christmas visiting], Australia, contemporary.](https://ephemerasociety.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/scan00091.jpg)
![[Father Christmas near Uluru with local fauna], contemporary.](https://ephemerasociety.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/y1.jpg)
The next step from Father Christmas visiting is Father Christmas acclimatising classically as a Surfing Santa.
![[Surfing Santa and marsupial mates on boards], circa 2013.](https://ephemerasociety.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/surfsanta1.png)
![[Father Christmas and close friend relax], contemporary](https://ephemerasociety.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/loungekat_bucketothoughts_aussie_christmas_greeting_card-r6bd0d452f07749fbb11954bedc586ac6_xvuat_8byvr_3241.jpg)
We have come a full circle with an Australian card designed this time by Reg Mombassa, looking at Father Christmas in a wintry scene brought about by climate change. Website? of course Website for Reg.
Andrew Hillier says
The “surfing Santa” image seems to have been picked up by advertising agencies in recent time too. A 2014 Christmas campaign by the German-owned Aldi supermarket chain, which obviously wanted to position itself firmly in the Australian market, depicted a bevy of surfing santas in television commercials, clutching items such as Christmas Hams and other assorted small goods, whilst attempting to surf, and all of course available in store.
If anyone wishes to view same, it is probably available via a download from the Gruen Transfer program, which featured an analysis of this marketing campaign in its 2015 series on ABC television.
Sue Barnett says
Roland Harvey has produced many Christmas cards featuring Australiana.