The old kitchen has been set up with a display of furniture and implements typical of the late 1800s and early 1900s. From the earliest days of European settlement in Australia, cooking was done over an open fire, with cauldrons and pots hung above or placed on trivets over the flame. Heat was controlled by raising or lowering the pot.
As settlement became more developed, kitchens were built. These were usually separate from the main house reducing the problem of heat in summertime as well as minimising fire risk. Wood was the primary fuel necessitating the constant task of felling, cutting & splitting timber and gathering kindling.Water was heated over the fireplace to bathe the family, wash dishes and to fill hot water bottles to take the chill off bed sheets.
