TitleUnfinished Single shellwork baby shoe with cardboardDatec 1880s-1950sAbout this objectA single, unfinished decorative children’s shoe, handmade from cardboard. These miniature shoes are part of the distinctive La Perouse shellwork tradition, practiced by Aboriginal women who produced souvenirs for visitors.
From the late 19th century, women in Sydney, particularly at the Aboriginal reserve at La Perouse (established 1895), made shellwork objects such as shoes, jewellery boxes, and replicas of famous landmarks. These items reflected a Victorian sensibility for decorative crafts and became an important part of the local souvenir trade.
Although initially encouraged by missionaries as a way to occupy residents, the shellwork industry helped sustain families and challenged segregation policies, as visitors from Sydney and overseas came to purchase these souvenirs.Object No.99.54:1-6Physical descriptionCardboard children's shoes with pink and white fabric around heel. Basis for decorative shoes. Hand made:
99.54:1-1 Pink cardboard baby shoe with pink and white striped fabric
99.54:1-2 Brown cardboard baby shoe with pink and white striped fabric
99.54:1-3 Brown and pink cardboard baby shoe with pink and white fabric
99.54:1-4 Brown and pink cardboard baby shoe with pink and white fabric
99.54:1-5 Brown and white cardboard baby shoe with pink and white striped fabric
99.54:1-6 Brown and pink cardboard baby shoe with pink and white fabricInscriptions & marks99.54:1-3 '038' written in pen on toe area
99.54:1-4 '038' written in pen on toe area
99.54:1-6 '026' written in pen on toe areaDimensionsH: 32 mm W: 50 mm D: 100 mmPlace madeSydney, AustraliaMaterialCardbboardSourceLa Perouse MuseumOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)ThemesFirst Nations
Unfinished Single shellwork baby shoe with cardboard (c 1880s-1950s). Randwick City Council, accessed 26/05/2026, https://ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/12463
