Curio

State Library of New South Wales
First Australian Christmas cards

First Australian Christmas cards

Designs for John Sands’ Christmas card competition   

1881

Watercolour on card

PXA 648


The practice of exchanging Christmas-themed greeting cards first became popular during the mid-nineteenth century. Christmas cards available in Australia, however, portrayed only English and European scenes. On 26 February 1881, Sydney stationer John Sands advertised an Art Competition offering prizes for original Christmas card designs showcasing ‘Australian subjects’. 700 designs were submitted and displayed at the Art Gallery of NSW in May, with 24 designs placed into production and ready for sale by early December. 


John Sands’ Christmas card competition offered prize money ranging from £15 to £1, awarded for original designs of ‘Australian subjects…executed in colour’. 


A critic writing for the Daily Telegraph, on 23 May 1881, reported that ‘the talent displayed by the artists… [was] pronounced greater than was anticipated…[with] specimens of all degrees of excellent from the very best to the very worst.’


On 24 May 1881, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that 800 invited guests thronged the exhibition on the first day of viewing, which was intended to be an annual event.