Monday is washing day

Sunday Jan 15th.

A terribly hot day; wind blowing, dust flying, everywhere so hot and disagreeable. Mr Cock preached here today, a splendid service; Matthew 2, 11.

Monday Jan 16th. Washing day.

Tuesday Jan 17th.

Ironing day. 

It was 1888. Rhoda Andrew was 18 years old when she wrote those words in her diary. She was living with her parents and older sister on a wheat farm in central Victoria. Her simple life revolved around corresponding and socialising with friends and relations, attending church, helping her father on the farm and her mother with housework. She kept a diary for about 18 months and I've used it to glean bits and pieces of family history, but with these entries I'm highlighting her daily life.

Weatherboard cottage c1900.  This was a town house in NSW but country farm houses were very similar.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/3073212700/

Rhoda is complaining about the weather and the only thing she finds to write about on Monday and Tuesday is the washing and ironing she has to do. The Bendigo Advertiser report confirms the hot temperature for Sunday 15 January 1888, about 107 degrees F (42 C). Bendigo is south of where Rhoda lived near Pyramid Hill. 

Bendigo Advertiser, 16 January 1988

Can you imagine Rhoda in her long-sleeved floor-length dress slaving over a copper washing tub and a fire to heat the water, and wooden scrubbing board? (I wonder when wringers were invented.) If you had called her workspace a laundry she wouldn't have known what you were talking about. She would have called it a wash house and it was usually a separate building from the house. And nearby would have been the clothes line suspended between trees or props with a forked branch handy to lower and raise the line as required.

Can you see her heating the flat irons on a hot wood-burning stove? And then, poor girl, she had to do it all again the following week. 

Flat irons on the stove. Source unknown. Copied off the web a while ago.

I've written about Rhoda's diary previously here, and will probably blog more of it in the future.

Trove Tuesday: In which Uncle is dangerously ill

Saturday August 4th, 1888

We have had bad news today, had a telegram from Sale saying that Uncle is dangerously ill, that Father is to go at once if he can. So Father went this afternoon. He can only get as far as Melbourne tonight, so he will not reach Sale till Monday. I do hope poor Uncle will soon be better I am sure; poor Auntie will be in trouble. Father has a long journey before him. I do hope he will not take colds. I trust he will have a safe journey down, and find them all better than expected, and a safe journey home.

Thursday August 9th.

We received a letter from dear old Dad, at last. He arrived safely on Monday, found Uncle very much better. All the rest are well. What a blessing. I am glad Uncle is better, I'm sure it is a good thing. Mr Hampton arrived the day after Father; poor Auntie would be glad to see her Father.

Monday August 13th.
Dear Father came home today, Mr Hampton came with him, Mary went down to the railway station to meet them.

Rhoda ANDREW was 19 years old and living with her parents and her older sister on a farm near Pyramid hill north of Bendigo when she wrote the above entries in her diary. Her 'dear old dad' is John ANDREW and her uncle is Daniel ANDREW.

I was somewhat surprised to find a newspaper report about the cause of Uncle Daniel's illness.

Gippsland Times, 10 Aug 1888

PS We're very lucky to have Rhoda's diary. She only wrote it for about a year but it has provided me with quite a few clues for my family history research. Sadly both Rhoda and her mother died within a few days of each other 11 years later in an influenza epidemic.

Daniel ANDREW, son of John Andrew SHAWLEY and Susannah RAY was born on 25 Mar 1845 in Great Gidding, England. He died on 04 Aug 1913 in Longford, Victoria, Australia. He married Elizabeth HAMPTON, daughter of George HAMPTON and Pamela FRANKLIN on 27 Jul 1868 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. She was born on 29 Aug 1847 in Bath, SOM, England. She died on 27 Mar 1917.