Our Touring Past

Radix

This advert appeared in The Argus (Melb) on 19-11-1938 and announces that a leading Melbourne caravan maker has adopted the Radox Stove for use in their vans. Unfortunately that maker isn't named. It at least operated on kerosene which would make me far less nervous thrusting a match into it than the Primus stove which ran on petrol. George

This Aladdin turned up at a local collectables store recently, nice to see the real thing at last. It was in it's box with the instruction sheet and filling funnel. The instruction sheet indicates it was printed in 1969 and upon reading it I can see why such stoves would have been made obsolete by LPG, much easier to light it would seem. And a carry case was available as an optional extra.
George

The following two pages are from the Caravan Park Ltd. "Caravan Parts and Accessories Catalogue" of 1953, and show the various offerings in stoves available from them. Some of the prices from the accompanying price list, in pounds, shillings and pence, were;
K1 - 10 17 4,
K15 - 13 15 7,
K8 - 33 12 4,
K6 - 25 10 0,
K7 - 5 2 6 and K9 - 3 12 6.
Initially I thought some of these were pretty pricey in their day, but K1, which is roughly a bit over $21 would be comparable to one of those 2 burner Chinese Butane outfits at Bunnings these days for about $65. Maybe I need to compare incomes to get a better picture, and in that case I'm sure today's prices are way cheaper, but the item doesn't have any character or substance.
George

A 1960 ad from the Australian Womens Weekly with the Primus range.

Gloria Portable Stove

Advertisement from 1938. George

We recently went off to Young, NSW, for the Cherry Festival where among the many events was a large machinery show, and I think one of the largest I've seen. One of the exhibitors displayed his collection of stuff, among which was a fine selection of camping stoves and a Coleman camping oven. An interesting note on the inside of the Coleman oven door.

George