I found out some sad news on the weekend. The Corinella colouring competition that has appeared in the Herald-Sun each Saturday morning for the past 90 years, is no more.
This made me feel terribly sad. Not just for me, but for the future of kids, creative kids.
I don’t know where I would be today without Corinella. As a kid, I wanted to be Corinella! I even tried to get work experience in their office at high school (ok so I was a big kid, I went to a Sunbeamer Annual Party in my retirement year, I was 15, I’m sharing a lot here).
Whilst I have my dream job now, the door has closed on the fantasy of one day being Corinella! Maybe I need to start a petition…
Growing up, we didn’t have a lot. Corinella gave me the opportunity to win some FUN things. Things that kids with slightly wealthier parents could afford to buy them. Instead, I won those things. I got better at colouring and then when my older sister taught me about ‘tone’, that’s when the winning really started happening. Corinella made me competitive. It made me excited about colouring, and boy did I love colouring. Did I mention, I won a lot? I had at least half a scrapbook filled with paper clippings of all my wins.
When my sister handed down the news, she looked at her husband and said “Corinella’s the reason we were having kids”.
It’s the end of an era. Nothing ever lasts… and I don’t want to believe a word of it. I am thankful Corinella was there for me. I had something to look forward to each week. And when there was a delivery, I was ecstatic! It has definitely made me who I am today, just ask my mail guy at work.
Sonia Knits 
Interesting! I’ve never heard of the Corinella comp… I bet all that colouring is paying off in your job now!
Really? Are you not originally from Melbs?
I just found this post for the first time. I am 60 now and I reckon my long history of happily writing letters to newspapers and others began with Corinella!
Oh no how sad. I used to do Corinella and my son did it too, receiving little badges when we got to a certain level. I actually have no idea where they are either. What a sad thing and I am sure so many children will be upset unless they were not getting many entries anymore and that is why it finished.
Hi Sue, it must be why it has stopped… not having as many kids entering. It’s a real shame… I guess time and things move on. My mum gave me my scrapbook about 10 years ago; I hope it’s still here somewhere.
Such a lovely tribute, Sonia. I also enjoyed sending in things to Corinella but I wasn’t as dedicated as you. I wished I’d known about it sooner and started collecting points earlier.
Thanks Karen! I wasn’t that dedicated until I was about 13. It took me some time to figure out how to colour in newspaper with brilliant colours whilst not putting a hole in the paper! Very tricky 🙂 There began my love affair with watercolour pencils…