Forgotten Games of Yesteryear

Dear reader, it is with some considerable excitement, we give you this serialisation of games that almost made a great name for themselves in Australia.  In an exclusive first we’ve been given access to a virtual trove of games that for one reason or another were never released to the mass market. And through this journey we glean a fascinating snapshot of where Australia was in those glory years of the Ming dynasty, (1939-66).

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Father Risdale’s House, (1955). Game includes counters for four players, a dice, and a rotating owl, which would point to ‘Father’s Surprise’ hidden in one of the many rooms. Games to be sold at Sunday Schools for the rrp. 2 shillings halfpenny.

In doing so we hope to add depth an colour to the most excellent documentary currently being screened on ABC television by the ‘second greatest Prime Minister, (ever) John Howard. So sit right back and enjoy this romp through the anals of Australian board games and toys from that golden era.

‘Father Risdale’s House’, (1955) was the first venture by the then new DLP, (Delinquent Leisure Project) games house, which sought to popularise the image of parish priests as “fun-makers’ for children. This game, designed by Father Risdale himself, was due to be released in the Ballarat parish in 1956, and held much promise. The cover art was designed by the design team at Hole-phoke house, a commercial printing unit set up by the Catholic Education Office. Their work specialised in Sunday school posters, and illustrations for religious texts across Australia. Taking advantage of one of the first federal education grants for arts and science, the education office successfully applied to divert the funds into a number of community faith ventures, this game being one of the first.

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” Dressing up for Father”. A snapshot of some of the fun re-captured during those stays at Father Risdales.

The inspiration behind the game was Father Risdale himself, who was popular in the district for his enthusiastic participation in bottle drives, school fetes, scouting, pantomine, and processing young unmarried mothers into the numerous orphanages and foundling homes that sprang up in post war Ballarat. It was Father Risdale who inspired the notion of the “ haunted house” as a way of capturing the imagination of the younger folk imbued with a love for the holy spirit and the concept of “Original Sin’. At this time the church was under threat from cinemas, television and sport in capturing the ‘hearts and minds”. Father Risdale’s house the ‘Bishopric, St Bernadette’s’ was used as a characterisation of the “ Bishopric” where he entertained younger charges in the company of his colleagues George, and Bob.

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Happy children from the orphanage, bound for a sleep-over at Father Risdale’s.

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‘Father Risdale’s House’, image details.

In Risdale’s own words; ‘I wanted the kiddies to capture the excitement and magic of sleepovers at St Bernadette’s, and felt that a game was a perfect way to stimulate their interest in fun, dressing up, and God. Sadly, due to persistent rumours attained to Father Risdale’s activities, the release of the game was suspended. Sadder still, the printing house was re-badged, and removed following numerous complaints, and only this copy exists as the sole survivor, thanks to the generous intercession of Cardinal George Pell. We cannot capture the innocence of that period, but one can appreciate the fun and laughter that must have inspired Father Risdale and his charges during those halcyon days at St Bernadette’s.