The Biggest Oz Collection in Australia

When you're an Oz fan in Australia, you don't really expect to meet many Oz collectors nearby. You can meet other people who like Oz and become friends, but not quite on the same level as what the U.S. has. So when I found out about this exhibition, I knew I couldn't miss out on it. And, in true Oz spirit, I had to invite anew friend along: Matthew Beveridge - someone I hope to properly introduce and bring to OzCon International someday.

Funny enough on the day we decided to attend (Friday February 22, 2019 *), the morning played "the Simpsons" with Mr Burns wanting his teddy Bobo back (the episode with his guards chanting and marching like the WWW's soldiers) and the sky was full of grey clouds ("behind me") before stepping into this super colourful, musical environment.

There was a large display, all belonging to Dorothy Overton, of various items - snow globes, teddies, dollss, books, calendars, watches, domes, plates, music boxes, cards, jugs, pots, toys, figures, videos, Christmas ornaments, tapestry; Not just MGM but also "Legends of Oz", "Tom & Jerry" "G&P".

Music from various versions of MGM, WIZ, wicked were playing in background near the stage and Dorothy's house beside a Silver Slipper-wearing mannequin, which led to a kids' mini putt-putt golf with Oz Movie trivia facts (which upon reading reading you would have already known) and decorations for a path through Munchkinland, the forest and finally the Emerald City, which is where the main display was exhibited.

It had opened on Tuesday night with a great feast and so many more people - but I made it to the end so it was easier to walk around and talk about.

Matt and I looked around the large collection, in a small yet comfortable space, as we talked to the owner Dorothy Overton who said she had left others in order to make the packing and travel easier.  Among the things she said was how she met Munchkin Margaret Pellegrini and got her autograph with a photo.

Eventually we met another Oz fan, Christie Wilson, who was relieved to find other adult Oz fans at a children's funland without any children of their own ... likewise she seemed very knowledgeable of Oz and its various books and films too, without knowing or seeing everything.

We discussed our disappointment with "Great and Powerful", our opinions of "wicked" and a bit about MGM, we had a look at the other Oz displays in the other glass cabinets that are already displayed at Funland - Oz cows and ducks, figures ("Simpsons"), plates, etc. - under a selection of posters for MGM, Wiz and Betty Boop.

It was through Christie that I learned how during Nikki Webster's performance that she was putting on a Californian accent (I never noticed that or gave it much thought before, to be honest, I miss some of those unless they're really obvious or noticeably strong). There were programs and merchandise and a few things for sale . . . but if you wanted Ruby Slippers, they were $150 - however you could get them custom-sized or get some soft slip-ins. Set-up seemed the same as before. The only difference between the first visit and this time was that I was able to drive myself. Exhibition closed after 2 pm, Matt and I both content at our varying Oz collection sizes.

(originally handwritten Friday February 22, 2019, with additional entries on Monday night Feb 25 and Tues Feb 26, from own recollection and second-hand information; slightly revised on typing) 

* Yes.  5 years ago, to this day.

Happy Anniversary to this special event with a long-awaited overdue Blog (originally intended as a Baum Bugle article, but never happened.)