Cyclops Toy Factory - our new digs

It's true, Shelbyville has relocated, and the new digs are quite befitting for a girl who loves her vintage games and toys as much as I do.

After yesterday's exhausting 8-hour move (starting at 6am no less!!), we now find ourselves setting up home in yet another converted warehouse space - this time it's the old Cyclops Toy Factory! 

A piece of genuine Australian heritage, Cyclops were the makers of tricycles, pedal cars, dolls prams, and other wheeled and tin toys since 1913, although their heyday was undoubtably in the 1950s and 60s. Loving things of retro vintage, this prompted me to do a little searching around for some piccies and such.

 

^ The Lightning Car!

 

^ The Senior Pedal Pusher

 

^ Pedal car held in the National Museum of Australia's collection

 

^ The iconic 50s pedal car, commemorated in a series of Aus Post stamps based on vintage toys.

 

 

^ A 1970s catalogue showing Cyclops's range of toys.

 

^ an old Cyclops advertising poster - a framed postcard-sized copy of this poster hangs just inside our front door.

 

^ And sweet tricycle memories from the lovely Floresita, the cute little girl on the right who's out riding the streets with her big brother.
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Upon entering our apartment, there's also a framed collection of historic black & white images of the old Cyclops factory building and its workers assembling the toys:

 

As I type this, I am currently sitting by that third window from the left...!

I'm hoping to do more research about both the building and the toys, with a little help from the library. The few bits and pieces I've come across on the interweb have intrigued me enough to dig a little further. There's something really nice about living in a building steeped with history, and finding out about some if its stories.
:)

But anyway, I better head off now so I can continue with the overwhelmingly huge task of unpacking and turning this place into a home... wish me luck.

Comments

[Georgi]

So when can I book in for a visit?
That is amazing Shell. So you! Wouldn't you love to have some of those old catlogues for real? I feel some wrapping paper sketches coming on. X

[Alisa]

Fab post Michelle! Look at that cutie pie poster! Ooooh I've green with envy!! : )

[katiecrackernuts]

Wow, so it's residential? How fantastic that it wasn't pulled down to make way for something new. That's an architectural feat in itself. What a sweet place to live.

[Simply Phoebe]

wowowowowow! So jealous. You could have so much fun with this theme when decorating, specially with your knack for great vintage finds.

[Tom Caldwell]

Thanks for your information on the Cyclops Toy company. I have just completed a restoration of a 60 year old Cyclops toy pram. Looks like one of those illustrated in the catalogue on your blog.
Unfortunately the transfer-logo was almost gone and could not be saved. I would like to replicate it if possible. All that was left is the word "Toys" underneath a standing figure who might well have been 'cyclops'.

Sorry to bother you but if you have any way of directing me to a reliable illustration of the logo it would be appreciated.

Tom Caldwell
Coffs Harbour

[Dave Owen]

Is it possible to obtain Cyclops tricycle badges/stickers?

[Kylie]

I have just broken my daughter's vintage cyclops tricycle and was looking for a supplier to fix the wheel and came across your post. Very interesting. I just wish finding someone to fix the wheel was easier.

[jemma]

i too am looking for a replacement plastic spoked wheel with pale blue hub cap for a vintage cyclops dolly stroller i picked up today. very fascinating to live in an old toy factory wow!

[Michael from Thornleigh]

What a great place to live! I managed to find the top photo somewhere on the web a few years ago and was delighted to learn that the building had been retained. The signage is really great to see! I drove along William St back in about 1988 and the building was then being used as "Kennards" or similar storage. My first job was in this building in the school holidays in 1970. Merle Stirling, my next door neighbour ran the shipping dept there and she got me the job as a filing clerk. The office had clunky black bakelite telephones and a manual switchboard, the faux "posh" voice of the "bitch on the switch" could be heard booming through the PA system every few minutes throughout the day, usually paging Mr Stuart Pittman whom I think was the production manager. There were "golfball" typewriters, messy ink-laden duplicating machines and some ENORMOUS electronic adding machines called Comptometers. Every day I used a "Sortigraph" to file away mountains of orders, delivery dockets and delivery receipts for the princely sum of $17 a week. My desk was on the ground floor, up the stairs and to the right, about halfway along the William St side towards the loading dock. The pay office was upstairs and my pittance came in a fancy cream "Computa Pay" envelope bearing 1960's artwork. I remember I blew my first pay on a "Scalextric Rally 45" racing car set for the special staff price, strange considering I was keen on "Tri-ang" model trains. Lunch was obtained from a tiny shop on the corner of Hubert St and was usually a "Sargent's" pie with sauce and a bottle of "Mirinda or Tarax". Leichardt was still very much a mix of working class neighbourhood and light industry and "urban renewal" was a lifetime away. I am really pleased to see the historic photos and would dearly like to have copies if possible. Sorry for the long post, but that's nostalgia for you!

[Fathi Bawazier]

I used to work there back in 1983. I was 19. It was a great memory

[ROBBE]

Hi !
I would like to get a scan of Cyclops catalogs especially 1975, 1977, 1978.
I can give 1968 and 1976 scans.
I'm looking for two Jouef trains made for Cyclops :
Australian Freight Set and Australian Passenger Set.
Can someone help me ?
Regards from a french Jouef enthusiast.

[Andrew]

I have both of these models 4801 and 46200 among others my email is [email protected]