Very first Transformer sightings?

[Paulbot]

It's Transformers 25th Anniversary this year but when did Transformers come to Australia?

I'm wondering if we can track down the earliest documented proof of Transformers in Australia, be it the cartoon on TV, the toys on sale, the books, the merchandise, whatever.

A lot of us were quite young in 1984. Some of the members here weren't even born!

The earliest I can actually remember Transformers is 1985. But I think others remember them in Australia around Christmas in 1984.

Memories are nice and all, but can you back it up with some sort of proof?

The earliest thing I can find among my memorabilia is dated from September 1985 but I'm sure someone can beat that.

What was the very first sighting?

[Sky Shadow]

The earliest I can actually remember Transformers is 1985. But I think others remember them in Australia around Christmas in 1984.

Memories are nice and all, but can you back it up with some sort of proof?

The earliest thing I can find among my memorabilia is dated from November 1985 but I'm sure someone can beat that.

What was the very first sighting?

I think Goktimus says he got Brawn for Christmas in 1984. That sounds very early to me - until he said that I always thought Transformers didn't reach Australia until 1985. The earliest 'evidence' of the toys in Australia that I could personally supply would be from August 1985, but I do know Transformers were around before then. How long before though, I couldn't say exactly. I was seven years old.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, I got Brawn and my brother got Huffer in late 1984. Unfortunately I have no tangible evidence like receipt or photos... the earliest photo I could find of me with Transformers was from 1986.

[TF76]

My mummy bought me a Thunder Cracker befor I saw the cartoon on TV.

I went shopping a couple of weeks later at the most and saw Mirage and she bought him for me.

The First episode I saw on TV was a few in say 3-5 episodes first run.

Have no idea if that helps figure out a timelime.

[TheDirtyDigger]

Well I know a couple of things for sure.


The cartoon first aired in 1985 on The Early Bird Show. The Early Bird Show didn't go on air itself until 1985.

There was already hype before the show screened on TV as myself and my neighbours woke up early to record it on VHS. I remember the hype well and I had that scratchy old tape for years.
Now the pre-show hype for Tf's had to come from somewhere so I'm making the supposition that the toys were already on the shelf.
But that is, of course, a supposition. The hype just may have been from TV advertisements for the show.

[Omega Supreme]

I was too young to remember, but my mother tells me I got my first TF for my 3rd Birthday which was Dec 85, it was an optimus, apparantly I liked the red of it. Anyways my mother has always purchased presents in advance so I can safely say they had TF's in Perth prior to Dec 85.

[griffin]

I was rather late myself with my first TFs toy (Nov 1985), but a number of people have said they got one by Christmas 1984. I've added it as a question to Hasbro for next month, to see if they have the details handy or free to let us know.

[klystron]

No tangible proof, but...
I grew up in a very very small country town. Every Xmas we would travel to Bundaberg (QLD) to visit the fam. At one of those 'big-smoke-fancy-department-stores' (aka kmart, target or bigw) I found this cool red lamborghini that changed into a robot. Thinking this was very flash, I blew a good portion of my xmas spending money on it. That was pre-Dec 25th 1984.
(Was definietly not 1985, because in 1985 I had a few more transformers, had seen the cartoon, and had a TF comic).
Once again, though, nothing tangible to back this up.

[Paulbot]

I think I got Rumble/Ravage for Christmas in 1984 but I have no proof of it.

I have this image from my grade one (1985) exercise book that is the earliest thing I have found so far in my memorabilia with both a date and a mention of Transformers on it. Since I don't mention the tapes here I guess I actually didn't have them until Christmas 1985.

[STL]

I think I got Rumble/Ravage for Christmas in 1984 but I have no proof of it.

I have this image from my grade one (1985) exercise book that is the earliest thing I have found so far in my memorabilia with both a date and a mention of Transformers on it. Since I don't mention the tapes here I guess I actually didn't have them until Christmas 1985.

That's just an awfully adorable photo! Powerglider? Seaspry? Comos? Awesome.