Retrospect: the arrival of the Japanese

One of the great displays of industrial design products from all over the world was held at the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings between February 26 and March 14, 1959. Seventeen foreign countries brought their manufactured goods, raw materials and cultures generally before the Melbourne public. Participating countries were Australia, Austria, Ceylon, China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, America and West Germany. In the absence of official world exhibitions (none were hosted in Australia between the late 19th century and the 1988 Brisbane World Expo) the Melbourne 1959 International Trade Fair, and the subsequent International Fairs in Melbourne and Sydney may be regarded in retrospect as ambitious undertakings at a time when Australia was strangely reluctant to present itself as an independent country at world exhibitions abroad. [Introduction]