Located in Sydney from 1946, this firm was owned by Pierwood Engineering Co. Ltd., which became Pierwood Plastics Ltd in 1950. Moulded Products started to buy up the company in 1956 and it was wound up in 1975. Apparently when the company was sold, some of the designs remained in use but were branded with ‘Nylex Gayware’. This would be some time after 1956. The name ‘Gayware’ was last used in advertising in 1960.
Smith’s Weekly (Sydney), 29th April 1950 page 33.
Fethalite products: 1946-1955
Compacts, clothes pegs, combs, coat hangers, plates, cups, mugs, cutlery, toys (see down the page), biscuit cutters, spice dispensers, jugs, crispers, bowls, pour-top containers, trays, ice cube trays, novelties such table-top Christmas trees.
1946: compact
1948: featuring clothes peg, compact, clothers hanger, baby bowl, hair comb and ‘walking tortise’.
This “party table tree” in clear or tinted, was meant to have small pieces of food skewered onto the branches as “an exciting centre piece”! 1950.
Tomato shaped table set, 1954
The Sydney Morning Herald, 20th August 1954 p.2
Fethalite crisper
salt & pepper
“Children’s sets” for 7d per set in 1948.
Colours
The Fethalite ‘Chef’ series of kitchenware was available in ivory with red, green or blue lids from 1952-1954. After this, the products were re-badged as Gayware.
The Sun (Sydney), 19th August 1954 page 38.
This originally came with red plastic pegs for making a note of what you needed to buy.
1955
Gayware products: 1955-1965
Canisters (from 1955-57), jugs, scoops, cup and saucers. The “Jolly Chef” was still in use.
Colours
Red, green, black, coral, turquoise, lime, blue, yellow, flame red and harlequin.
The Australian Women’s Weekly, 19th October 1955 page 42. Unfortunately, the plastic lettering is often found broken.
The Australian Women’s Weekly, 16th November 1955.
The Australian Women’s Weekly, 19th December 1956 page 43.
The Australian Women’s Weekly, 7th May 1958 p.64
Toys
Pierwood made many toys from circa 1947-1954. Some, possibly all of these, were based on American and English designs. These are quite collectible. They included teasets (of course), trucks, dolls, guns, boats, ducks, fish, jack-in-the-box.
1949
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 25th October 1950 p.14
1953
“Peggy’s Magic wardrobe” consist of snap on clothes.
1949 cupie doll
1953
The Sun (Sydney), 1st December 1954 p.26