For a while, Clipsal during the late 40's-50's were into the upside down configuration. This was when we had adopted flush fittings based on the US style separate fitting and wallplate idea. After a few years the wall plate and fitting became the one item. (The wallbox sizing is the same as the US incidentally). Timber block surface mount fittings were on their way out.
I believe this doesn't comply with present regulations where the earth must be at the bottom. Nevertheless this is sometimes overlooked for the sake of being practical; eg. some GPO's are mounted is stupid places (eg; floor level ducting) and if you want to insert a plugpack transformer into them the only way is to have the GPO installed upside down...however the switch action is then confusing.
Who remembers the HPM GPO's from the late 60's that had the pin configuration rotated 90 degrees? Their idea was they could be used vertically or horizontally.
Speaking of switches, that Chinese GPO would never be approved here having no switch.
I've also seen one of those plugs with twistable pins on a travel adaptor. You wouldn't want to draw much current through it with only those flimsy rivets holding it together. And as the pins get twisted back and forth you can imagine the whole thing loosening up.
