Construction toys and instructional play

In late 19th-century Australia amusements and pastimes for children were generally guided towards instructive and educative play.

Various types of building blocks became popular around this time, but evolved into more sophisticated puzzles and construction toys by the early 20th century. During this era toy buildings designed for children to construct often imitated actual buildings. Construction toys were promoted as a means for children to develop manual skills and dexterity.

Australian companies developed their own construction toys: a model of the Sydney Harbour Bridge could be built using Ezy-bilt perforated steel strips, similar to Meccano. Bildabrix, similar to LEGO®, was a set of interlocking plastic bricks with which children built houses, churches and factories like those commonly seen in 1950s suburban Australia.