This torch is the 4th generation redesign of the successful Dolphin Lantern. It was designed by Design Resource Australia in Crows Nest, New South Wales and manufactured in China for sale around the world.

In 1965 Eveready in the USA designed and manufactured the first Dolphin torch - a large torch for world sales. It did well, but in 1972 Eveready's Australian arm redesigned the torch for Australian conditions, using an Australian design company. The new torch had to be shock resistant and waterproof. The designer Paul Cockburn of Design Field in Sydney insisted that it should be fairly ugly because he believed that many people would see this as a sign of ruggedness and reliability. He also wanted the torch to be multi functional, so he gave it an angled head that threw light down onto the path ahead or up when placed on the ground, useful when you're changing tyres in the dark. From 1978 until 1989 Cockburn's Dolphin Mark II was the best selling torch in the world. Another redesign in 1989, again by Cockburn, created the even uglier, high-tech styled Dolphin Mark III.

The most recent versions of the torch (Mark 4 and 5) were created by Design Resource in Crows Nest for the US-based Energizer company. This torch and packaging, together with the other Dolphin torches, illustrates the the transformation of a single product from one manufacturer over a period of 40 years.

This torch was designed by Design Resource Australia in Crows Nest, New South Wales, between 1996-1997. It was made in China for the Eveready Battery Company Inc, United States of America, in 1998-2000.

The brief for the designer was to produce a new, modern Dolphin retaining all of the strong image characteristics of previous designs, improve the parabolic performance of the reflector, maintain its waterproof floating feature and to incorporate new features. This current model has an internal 'dial-a-beam' mechanism, enabling the user to select focus beam or area light and integrated shoulder strap fixings.

The external form was designed to enhance the traditional styling of the Dolphin torch. This new design has a larger reflector and a softer more flowing form than the Mark 3 design. The blow moulded body has a soft, rugged extremely strong form with an ergonomically balanced handle and the reflector lens assembly angled down to provide lighting on the pathway directly in front of the user. Cost reduction was also an important consideration in this redesign and the new form is more efficiently produced using blow moulding. This product was engineered to take advantage of developments in DFMA (Design For Manufacture and Assembly) to reduce assembly time and to improve strength and moulding details.

Information sourced from 1997-1998 Australian Design Awards entry 098-97-98 : Dolphin Lantern

The Dolphin torch has been revitalised a number of times in its 40 year life. The most recent versions of the torch (Mark 4 and 5) were created by Design Resource Australia for the US-based Energizer company. Design Resource Australia has been creating products for Energizer, and its former subsidiary Eveready, since 1989.

Torch with packaging, 'Eveready Dolphin Mk4', mixed materials, designed by Design Resource Australia, Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia, 1996-1997, made in China for Eveready Battery Co Inc, United States of America, 1998-2000

This rectangular shaped lantern is made from red and black plastic with an angled handle. A black push button is at the top centre of the case. Around the lens is a black lens protector with protruding impact zones. Holes for attaching a shoulder strap are at the top of the lens protector and at the back of the handle. The colour printed cardboard packaging is wrapped around the body and base of the flashlight and a yellow sticker on the outside of the lens reads 'Now with Dial-A-Beam'.

Designed: Design Resource Australia; ; 1996 - 1997

Made: 1998 - 2000

Manufacturer's logo, printed on both sides of label and on front top of lens protector, 'EVEREADY'.
Product information, manufacturing information, lifetime guarantee and barcode are printed on label.

2006/107/4

1996 - 1997

147 mm

130 mm

270 mm