Barbie is someone we’ve all met somewhere along the way from childhood to teenagerdom. My own experience of Barbie was that I encountered her gradually, bit by bit: an arm here, a leg there; a headless torso with those massive tits. When I did see her intact it was usually swathed in waves of lemon organza or peach tulle, in the hands of my sisters or their friends. I wasn’t allowed to play with her, not that I wanted to. I had Action Man, with his inflatable raft and devastating machine gun.

Since her birth in 1959, Barbie’s been hailed by some as a lens through which you girls could see your bright futures as an Olympic athlete, a Marine Corps sergeant, an astronaut or a rockstar. When she celebrated her official birthday on March 9 (Pisces), Barbie had embarked on 108 careers.

Medically speaking, Barbie has never smoked (there’s no B&H Barbie), keeps her weight to a minimum and stays in incredible (unbelievable) shape. (Of course, we’ve never had bulimic Barbie either.)

Others have said Barbie is less a role model than a space alien – no woman has legs that long, no woman could carry around breasts so large without snapping her spine like a twig; in fact, Barbie had a breast reduction in 1997 to make her anatomically viable.

But perhaps what’s appealed to many about Barbie is her fashion. The basic shape may have remained the same, but the clothes have reflected the six decades through which Barbie has lived. From camp to ridiculous, gorgeous to freaky, Barbie has reflected each decade’s tastes.

Now you can see Barbie in all her incarnations in Forever Barbie: Celebrating 50 Years of A Pop Icon at Federation Square. On display will be the #1 Barbie Doll, released in 1959, plus the largest collections of Barbie dolls ever assembled in the world, including the some of the rarest, quirkiest, and most exquisite dolls from the past five decades – as  well as Dream Houses, campervans, cars, pets and friends (including Ken, dumped in 2004 after dating Barbie for 43 years).

There will also be a range of exclusive Barbie 50th Anniversary merchandise that cannot be purchased anywhere else in Australia.

Forever Barbie: Celebrating 50 Years of a Pop Icon, June 26 to July 12, 2009 at Federation Square. www.barbie.com.au

Photos top to bottom:

1. “You’re dropped!” Barbie dumps Ken after 43 years of dating.

2.  Ken & Barbie go Xanadu in the 80s.

3. Malibu Barbie, 1971.

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