Who were Snugglepot and Cuddlepie?

When I was a young man I would see a eucalyptus (gum) tree, in a movie, and think "that was filmed in Australia". Then I learnt that gum trees had been imported to, places like, southern California, Mexico, southern Spain, Israel.... I mention it because koalas need a lot of fresh gum leaves every day.

They were Gumnut Babies.