Invented in 1948 and manufactured 'from the early 1950s, Splades or Splayds were a favourite gift for shower teas, weddings and Mothers’ Day in 1960s and 1970s Australia. We were vaguely aware that they might be an Australian innovation, but that wasn’t part of their advertising – they were promoted as a useful luxury item. When an English collector emailed us about them, we asked Yvonne Barber to dig deeper into the origin of the Splayd. A year’s research reveals their more than 70-year history, which touches many nostalgic aspects of our lives, especially if you have lived in Sydney.