A boy wearing a soldier's uniform and a girl dressed as a nurse seated in a toy car decorated to support Red Cross activities during a charity fund raising event in Adelaide, South Australia. It is difficult to identify the model of car underneath its decoration and plea for help.

It is possible that this was a homemade car, but pedal cars were produced by Cyclops in Australia from 1917. These were made of pine wood and sheet metal and had spoked wheels with rubber tyres. The front wheels were smaller in the front, whereas the car in the photograph appears to have same sized wheels all round.

By the early 1920s Cyclops were producing a range of pedal cars and wagons. The cars were sold for 3 pounds 15 shillings (roughly $7.50), or a slightly cheaper version at 3 pounds 9 shillings and sixpence ($6.95). This was nearly the average wage for men at the time, so any young boy who was given one of these manufactured toys was very lucky indeed.

The endless playground: celebrating Australian childhood, compiled and edited by Paul Cliff; with introductory essays by Robert Holden and features by Jack Bedson ... [et al.], Canberra: National Library of Australia, 2000

Fabian, Sue. Children in Australia: an outline history, Melbourne: Hyland House, 1980

Fainges, Marjory. Cyclops toys through the years: Australia's childhood icon, Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press, 1997

Canberra Bicycle Museum: Children's trikes, bikes and toys. Scroll down to pedal cars

Powerhouse Museum Collection: Ride on pedal car

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing exhibitions. To be a child August 2004-