Eliza Ann Brimblecombe remembers ...
Eliza Ann was born in the 1860's and she grew up on a farm. She remembers farm life being a very busy one for everyone in the family. When it was time to harvest the corn the whole family was involved. The children stayed home from school to help cut the corn. This was hot work. To cool off they would run into the creek fully clothed before returning to work! She can also remember all her aunts and uncles listening to her grandmother read the newspaper to them at the end of the day while Grandma sat on top of a pile of corn husks!
MUM's JOBS
Mothers on farms were always busy with lots of different chores to do. They had to make yeast bread and they made candles too. They also made butter and soap for everyone to use. When a beast was killed they had to prepare all the different parts of the beast for meat. They strained the honey and put it into bottles and fruit was bottled or made into jam. Mothers even made the soft drinks such as hop, ginger and honey beer. Other duties were milking, cheesemaking and making the whole families' clothes. Most of the sewing of suits, hats, bonnets and dresses was done at night.
Eliza Ann said,
"I have seen my mother make a complete outfit of clothing for my father - a whole suit of tweed or serge clothes, a white shirt with tucked front, a straw hat and spats - the uppers for boots which father would sole. She seldom went to bed until 12pm. I can remember her cutting out and making by hand a man's plain shirt in a single evening. Another night she dressed a doll completely for me after I was sent to bed."
DAD'S JOBS
The men were busy too. They made all the tools they needed for farming and building such as harrows, hoes, axes, hammers, spades and forks. They built the homes and all the farm buildings. They cleared all the land and built all the fencing. They grew the crops and looked after the cattle and the horses. They were skilled in killing cattle, pigs and sheep for meat and caring for sick and hurt animals in their farm stock.
COOKING
Cooking was basically done by the mother but it was hard, heavy work in the early days with the open fireplace and camp oven. The pots hung on wire or chains or on bars. Things got easier when the men made stone ovens. Eliza remembers her mum baking a beautiful variety of tarts, cakes, cookies and a rich fruit cake.
WASHING
In the very early days the washing was done in the local creek. The children went with their mother, carrying the dirty clothes, kerosene tin, tub buckets, soap, soda blue (To whiten the clothes) and a wooden washboard. A fire was built, the kerosene tin filled with water and the clothes boiled. Once the clothes were spread on bushes and rocks to dry, the children could swim and eat their picnic lunch till the clean clothes could be carried home again.
WHEN BABIES WERE BORN
In the very early days when a women was having a baby she would call upon the local ladies that would act as midwives to help a baby be born. Ann Pacey, Annie Mawby and Mrs Ballard were women who helped the births of many children in this district. Sometimes they would ride on horseback at night through the bush to help a woman give birth in her own home.
Sadly there were no vaccinations in those days and some children caught diseases and died at very young ages. This was very hard on families settling into a new life.
MUM's JOBS
Mothers on farms were always busy with lots of different chores to do. They had to make yeast bread and they made candles too. They also made butter and soap for everyone to use. When a beast was killed they had to prepare all the different parts of the beast for meat. They strained the honey and put it into bottles and fruit was bottled or made into jam. Mothers even made the soft drinks such as hop, ginger and honey beer. Other duties were milking, cheesemaking and making the whole families' clothes. Most of the sewing of suits, hats, bonnets and dresses was done at night.
Eliza Ann said,
"I have seen my mother make a complete outfit of clothing for my father - a whole suit of tweed or serge clothes, a white shirt with tucked front, a straw hat and spats - the uppers for boots which father would sole. She seldom went to bed until 12pm. I can remember her cutting out and making by hand a man's plain shirt in a single evening. Another night she dressed a doll completely for me after I was sent to bed."
DAD'S JOBS
The men were busy too. They made all the tools they needed for farming and building such as harrows, hoes, axes, hammers, spades and forks. They built the homes and all the farm buildings. They cleared all the land and built all the fencing. They grew the crops and looked after the cattle and the horses. They were skilled in killing cattle, pigs and sheep for meat and caring for sick and hurt animals in their farm stock.
COOKING
Cooking was basically done by the mother but it was hard, heavy work in the early days with the open fireplace and camp oven. The pots hung on wire or chains or on bars. Things got easier when the men made stone ovens. Eliza remembers her mum baking a beautiful variety of tarts, cakes, cookies and a rich fruit cake.
WASHING
In the very early days the washing was done in the local creek. The children went with their mother, carrying the dirty clothes, kerosene tin, tub buckets, soap, soda blue (To whiten the clothes) and a wooden washboard. A fire was built, the kerosene tin filled with water and the clothes boiled. Once the clothes were spread on bushes and rocks to dry, the children could swim and eat their picnic lunch till the clean clothes could be carried home again.
WHEN BABIES WERE BORN
In the very early days when a women was having a baby she would call upon the local ladies that would act as midwives to help a baby be born. Ann Pacey, Annie Mawby and Mrs Ballard were women who helped the births of many children in this district. Sometimes they would ride on horseback at night through the bush to help a woman give birth in her own home.
Sadly there were no vaccinations in those days and some children caught diseases and died at very young ages. This was very hard on families settling into a new life.