Gollies

Our wide varieties of Gollies have made an amazing comeback, to the delight of all who are captured by these striking individual toys. Our range currently includes the brands Mel and Steff, Elka and Boyle.

The origins of the Golliwog began with the British soldiers who occupied Egypt near the end of the nineteenth century.

The Egyptian labourers working for the British wore the letters W.O.G.S. on their arm bands, indicating that they were Working On Government Service.
These labourers were spoken of as Ghuls - the Arabic word for desert ghost - by the British troops.

The children of the Egyptians played with black stuffed material dolls. These dolls in turn were given as gifts of purchased by the soldiers returning home to England.

These dolls became known as Ghuliwogs, a name which would eventually become the Golliwog we know today.

by Elka Australia