A popular Oamaru restaurant that was voted New Zealand's Restaurant of the Year in 2010 by Cuisine magazine has drawn the ire of the Human Rights Commission for selling golliwog dolls in its gift shop.
The Riverstone Country Gift Shop, next door to the Riverstone Kitchen, near Oamaru, has been selling the dark skinned golliwog dolls for years according to posts on their Facebook page promoting the dolls imported from Sri Lanka.
However, Stuff reports a Human Rights Commission spokesperson has spoken out against the gift shop saying: "They were born out of racism and represent an era that is best left in the past.
"Something we did as children might have been acceptable then but that doesn't make it acceptable forever – realising this is one of the important things about growing up."
Other Oamaru residents also spoke out against the sale of the dolls, with one telling Stuff it was "outright racist".
"I think we know the toys aren't acceptable now," Riverstone Kitchen customer Nik Wilson said.
Not everyone is against the dolls though, with Jo Davis telling Stuff: "I played with them as a wee girl and so did a lot of my Maori friends. None of us saw them as racist."
Riverstone Kitchen owner Dot Smith did not respond to several requests for comment according to Stuff.
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