Trentham Trumpet ‘Women's Work: a Reflection in honour of International Women's Day’
The TDHS has regularly been contributing articles to the The Trentham Trumpet in recent years. This story, written by Sue Worthington was published in the Trumpet in March 2022.
If you would like to look at other previously published Trumpet Newsletters, they are available via their archive https://www.thetrenthamtrumpet.com.au/archives
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Women's Work: a Reflection in honour of International Women's Day
Written by Sue Worthington
"My poor mother worked like a slave. We had no mod cons (at Spring Hill) – no washing machine, running water. Just a good spring nearby. Mother had a terrible hard life", recalled Frank Brady in 2002.
Such women held the large families of early 20th century Trentham. & Districts together. Their hardships may have varied, but the intensity of their domestic responsibilities demanded not simply a strong work ethic, but a tightly structured week.
"Monday was wash day" recalled June Moloney, of her Rothe grandmother in LIttle Hampton. "Her copper (washer) was lit early". Clothes were scrubbed on the wash board, the copper filled with cold water and when it came to the boil, "my grandmother added the soap she made from fat and caustic soda, then stirred the washing with a wooden stick." Rinsed in the trough, wrung out by hand, or later the wringer, each load was hung on the wire clothesline. The water from the washing was never wasted. "Gran used it to scrub the laundry and outside verandah."
Two irons were heated in front of the open fire, or later, on the stovetop. In Trentham, by 1922, those who could afford more luxury enjoyed electricity courtesy of the Trewhella Foundry: after household lights, the most common electrical item purchased was an iron. On Tuesdays the Foundry produced extra power - it was, after all, ironing day. Nancy Burns recalled that the lighting on Mondays and Tuesdays was generally very poor, its strength depending on "how long it had taken the [town's] washing to dry".
Friday, food was cooked for the week. "Scones, cakes, biscuits, sponges, pies, jam tarts – it took all day" remembered June Moloney. All made with homemade butter and self-raising flour (plain flour, bicarb of soda and creme of tartar) - initially over an open fire, later a wood stove, and then the "wonderful" slow combustion stove. Its heating brought an added luxury - "hot and cold water laid on!"
Staples like sugar and flour were bought in bulk and when the bags were empty "they were made into an apron, a kettle holder, or a protective cover for the head."
"Times were hard in the Depression" said Frank "but we were still expected to be neatly dressed. We always had 2nd hand clothes and my mother knitted all our socks". In many homes, the Singer treadle sewing machine was in constant use: mending clothes, splitting & resewing sheets and tablecloths, turning collars.
World War 2 brought both hardship and opportunity for women. The Women's Land Army helped with food production, its recruitment poster describing "a healthful change. If you can't fight, farm". However, for the sisters, wives, and mothers of our district there was little choice - survival of the family farm was dependent on their efforts.
During and post war, paid work for women slowly became a reality, not just in shops and factories but by way of those skills women had been honing their whole life. "Mum was an excellent cook and could make a very good meal from limited resources" recalled Jean Smallman's daughter Glenda, "so she was able to work at Trentham Bush Hospital as a cook and clean at the O'Hehirs residence". Being one of sixteen children, Glenda felt, explained her mother's determination and hard work. Something reflected across our region in so many women of the time.