# World's Finest Display of Australian & New Zealand Antique Bitters Bottles



## ozbottles

Hi Folks,  Not far from Melbourne, Victoria the Gippsland Antique Bottles & Collectables Club Inc. is hosting the "World's Finest Display of Antique Australian & New Zealand Bitters Bottles", at Kernot Hall, Morwell, Victoria on 28 & 29 November 2015.  There has never been an Australian Bitters bottles display anywhere near the magnitude of this one.  The collection has never been on public display previously & it will probably never be shown publicly again.  Many Australian Bitters bottles are very rare and some are only known by one or two complete examples.  Many bear American names such as Frisco, Philadelphia, Utica, Boston, St. Louis, New York and Milwaukee.  These names seem to have been used to lure the public into thinking that the product was indeed American as America had a reputation for superior bitters at the time.  Most of these bottles date from around the 1870-80s.  They were popular with the stage coach drivers, many of whom were American.  The stage coaches opened up outback Australia to "speedy" travel as Australia lacked railways to many inland towns until later on.  Many of these rare bottles were found at the inns and horse change stations along the stage coach routes in the outback. As with your beautiful American Bitters bottles, many of the Australian Bitters bottles are found in a range of colours.  Semi-cabin shaped bottles predominate. If you collect Bitters bottles & you have ever contemplated a trip "Down Under" to the land of the Kangaroo, why not bite the bullet & hop over?  The $ exchange rate is heavily in your favour at present, & you'd be made most welcome over here.  Do it!


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## macjxl

G'day ozbottles.Fancy meeting you here. Kernot hall is my local show - I'll be there.It's always a great day & I look forward to it every year.


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## cowseatmaize

I wish Wayne. I'd love a summer down under and an skip the winter up ???... what would fit there? Up over?[]


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## Robby Raccoon

You advertised it really well there. lol.


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## ozbottles

Thanks for your interest & replies.  I also have a competition going on the Aussie Bottle Forum, for members to guess how many bottles will be displayed.  You can have a look on www.ozbottleforum.com in "Forums", then select "Discussions", then "Competition".  In 4 weeks' time the Fair will be all winding down & the Bitters bottles will be returned to their owners & tucked away, probably never to be seen together again.  Are you coming?


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## CreekWalker

I would love to see those, photos are appreciated! Best regards, Rick


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## ozbottles

Sincere apologies for the inordinately late posting of these photos of the Aussie Bitters display that I put up in Morwell back in 2015.  I suppose that I was so busy with running the show and making sure that my bottles were safe, that I forgot to get back with the photos that I promised.  These are some photos of my Bitters - not all taken at the time of the display.  Most have American or British names, but they were made in Australia for Australian companies.  This was done because America, in the 1870-90 period had a reputation here for the best Bitters and there was a prejudice against colonial (i.e. Australian) products.  Luckily for us, Americans have never swooped on our rare Bitters bottles or they would all be over with you folk in the land of their names, if not origin.  Enjoy!


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## CanadianBottles

Wow, those are stunning!  I never knew that Australia had bitters bottles like that, and especially in such fantastic colours.


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## shotdwn

Great collection! I love the colors and how crude some of those bottles are. Especially the Boston Hops Bitters.


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## ozbottles

Only a month to go & two weeks until cut-off for trading tables & display entries for the 51st Australian National Bottles & Collectables Exhibition & Fair.  There are already more than 180 trading tables and more than 80 competitive displays entered.  You can still make this great Aussie National which will be held on Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 November in the beautiful Latrobe Valley, just 100 miles east of Melbourne, Victoria's capital city.  It is an easy trip by rail or freeway.  You'll miss a wonderful event, friendly collectors, fantastic bottles and a unique experience, if you stay home in your winter.  Make it the trip of a lifetime!  All of the collectors from Australia-wide, New Zealand & Britain are champing at the bit to get back to the top bottle event in Australia after three years of Covid cancellations.  The venue is the recently vastly expanded Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium, Catterick Crescent, Traralgon, Victoria.  Contact Wayne Harris, President & Fair Coordinator, Gippsland Antique Bottles & Collectables Club Inc.  Email: waynhbotl@yahoo.com for any information you require.  It's now up to you - the welcome mat is out for you!  Oh, yes - the attached logo incorporates a rooster and lyrebird.  Both of these birds feature on antique bottles from local Gippsland towns.


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## UncleBruce

ozbottles said:


> Only a month to go & two weeks until cut-off for trading tables & display entries for the 51st Australian National Bottles & Collectables Exhibition & Fair.  There are already more than 180 trading tables and more than 80 competitive displays entered.  You can still make this great Aussie National which will be held on Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 November in the beautiful Latrobe Valley, just 100 miles east of Melbourne, Victoria's capital city.  It is an easy trip by rail or freeway.  You'll miss a wonderful event, friendly collectors, fantastic bottles and a unique experience, if you stay home in your winter.  Make it the trip of a lifetime!  All of the collectors from Australia-wide, New Zealand & Britain are champing at the bit to get back to the top bottle event in Australia after three years of Covid cancellations.  The venue is the recently vastly expanded Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium, Catterick Crescent, Traralgon, Victoria.  Contact Wayne Harris, President & Fair Coordinator, Gippsland Antique Bottles & Collectables Club Inc.  Email: waynhbotl@yahoo.com for any information you require.  It's now up to you - the welcome mat is out for you!  Oh, yes - the attached logo incorporates a rooster and lyrebird.  Both of these birds feature on antique bottles from local Gippsland towns.


Is this show generally the same time every year?  If I knew far enough in advance, I would love to plan a visit.


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## willong

ozbottles said:


> Most have American or British names, but they were made in Australia for Australian companies. This was done because America, in the 1870-90 period had a reputation here for the best Bitters and there was a prejudice against colonial (i.e. Australian) products. Luckily for us, Americans have never swooped on our rare Bitters bottles or they would all be over with you folk in the land of their names, if not origin. Enjoy!


Thanks for getting around to it! I did enjoy!

Interesting juxtaposition on that one bottle with "St. LOUIS HOP BITTERS" embossed on field of Australian flag!


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## ozbottles

G'day Willong.  The National is rotated around the various Australian States.  The club that stages the National sets the date for that particular year.  Next year the Aussie National will be held at Caloundra, Queensland on 29 & 30 April, so plenty of time for you to get to that one, Willong.  Make sure that you see lots of Australia while you are here.  It is a huge and fascinating country with amazing diversity.


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