History

A VERY DIFFERENT LIFE

100 years after settlement

Barry Clark Bribie Island Historical Society

As Australia Day passed, we were reminded of First Fleet convicts who arrived to establish a new colony in 1788. At that time, 750,000 aboriginal people were here and had occupied this continent for tens of thousands of years. One hundred years later, in 1888, there were 3 million “New” Australians, and only 120,000 original ones. This article is about aspects of Australian life in 1888, which were so very different from today. I hope this will encourage families to talk about these things, about how fortunate we are now, and how they would cope today.

HEALTH

In the 1880’s most people, including Doctors, were ignorant of the causes of many deaths and diseases. Parents were anxious about the fatal throat infection Diphtheria, as well as tuberculosis, Smallpox, Measles, Polio, and Scarlet Fever. Some extraordinary treatments were offered by Quacks and some families had a regular spoonful of treacle or yeast from the

brewery, or nasty tasting liquid, usually from coloured bottles. Gradually the connection between disease and germs was linked to contaminated water, and vaccinations were progressively developed for most virus infections.

FAMILY LIFE

Clear roles were expected for each family member. Fathers were breadwinners providing for family needs, masters of the home, and expected to be stern but affectionate towards

wives and children. Mothers were devoted to the comfort of husbands and children, keeping homes spotless and serving meals on time. Children respected their parents and were polite to all adults. Boys were to be brave and honest little gentlemen, and girls well mannered with good home skills. All children from age 6 to 12 were supposed to go to school, often having to walk long distances, and all were required to write only with their right hand.

Seaside visits were popular, although men and women were not permitted to swim together until the early 1900s. Bathing costumes covered the body from neck to knee and were very heavy when wet. Some used bathing machines, wooden boxes on wheels,

pulled to the water edge by horses, as in the main photo. Adults and children had to be good at amusing themselves, playing musical instruments and everyone sang. Children had few toys, usually handmade, and bowled hoops and played Jacks with sheep knucklebones. Girls made Dolls of wooden clothes pegs they painted and dressed. There was no sports equipment for children, even at school, so they improvised.

SHOPPING

People did not shop so frequently, and much was homemade and home-grown. Grocery goods were sold by weight, in a paper bag, and little was pre-packaged. Peddlers sold some things door to door, by horse-drawn carts, and special items were available in mail-order catalogues. Meat was eaten every day, sometimes two or three times, usually boiled or roasted mutton, beef, rabbit or pork. Keeping food cool and fresh was a problem and a Coolgardie Safe, a hanging canvas cupboard covered in wet cloth, was used.

CLOTHES

Adults and children had few clothes but had a Sunday best outfit worn to church, or visiting relatives, which was taken off immediately afterwards. City men wore stiff top hats, bowler or straw hats, and cloth and felt hats in the country. Men wore suit coats, even on hot days, and if the jacket was removed, waistcoats were kept on so braces holding up trousers were rarely seen. Fashionable women wore hats, trimmed with bows and feathers, whole birds, or imitation fruit and flowers. Dresses were usually elaborate with tight-fitting front bustle, and metres of material gathered below the waist and at the back. Hems were almost to the ground, showing a glimpse of lace-up shoes or snug-fitting button-up boots. Ladies wore tight stays or corsets to achieve hourglass figures, and other items of underwear trimmed with frills and lace. Emily Coungeau was a very fashionable lady, who was later an early resident of Bribie Island, pictured here in 1892.

HOUSEWORK

Cleaning was done every day except Sunday. Monday was washing day, done outside on washboard with soaking copper pots, and soap in blocks shaved off with a knife, with washing squeezed dry in a mangle, before hanging on a line propped up with a forked stick. Almost everything had to be ironed, with heavy flat irons filled with hot coals or heated on the stove.

Families battled against many house pests, as well as dirt, dust, soot, bed bugs, fleas, flies and mosquitos. Newspaper was cut up for toilet paper, lamps were cleaned, water carted, firewood chopped and chooks fed. Grates and ovens were regularly cleaned and blackened, and tea leaves were sprinkled on floors to keep the dust down before sweeping.

COMMUNICATION

1870s, and by 1872 the overland Telegraph revolutionised communication connecting Australian cities so that news could be telegraphed from London to Australia in less than 20 hours. Personal communication was by letter, although a few early telephones were in use in some city offices by 1890s.

HOW WOULD TODAYS GENERATION COPE?

TALK ABOUT THIS OVER DRINKS OR DINNER.

MORE BRIBIE HISTORY

The next Historical Society meeting will be on Wednesday 9th February at 6;30 pm at the RSL Club. The guest speaker is Ron Gillinder from Glasshouse Mountains, and visitors are welcome on request. You can see much more on our new Web Site Bribiehistoricalsociety. org.au our Blog Site http:// bribieislandhistory.blogspot. com or contact us on bribiehistoricalsociety@gmail. com