Wombats? In Tumut?? Hmmm....

Bruce checking the water, and yes it was cold but not freezing.

Next stop Union Jack Monument, Tumbarumba. It was built in 1922 by the parents, relative and friends of the deceased at the Union Jack School.

Next stop was Tumbarumba where we visited the Pioneer Women's Hut - interesting animals.

Bruce with the very hungry caterpillar.

The praying mantis and the praying Michael.

The Pioneer Women’s Hut
This national museum, opened in December 1985, is run by volunteers without government funding.

The building is made from recycled parts of old prison huts and was erected by community volunteers.

The purpose of the museum is to show domestic objects relating to rural families, especially those of women, and to research rural women’s lives.

We do not focus on special events of even ‘best work’, and we readily accept that not all farm women excelled at domestic crafts.

Most had double lives, helping on the farm and running a home.

We give priority to the everyday over the quaint, and to the representative over the unique.

‘The past’ is often seen as belonging to ‘important’ people, often famous and rich, often from cities, often men, but it is through an understanding of the everyday lives of ordinary people that we will learn more about what it is to be Australian.

The Pioneer Women's Hurt is situated on the Glenroy heritage reserve, owned by the Department of Land and Water Conservation with Tumbarumba Shire Council as trustees.

What We Collect and Why

It is our policy to collect domestic objects relating to rural families, especially the women, and to research their lives.

Unlike many museums we are not looking for 'best work' but rather representative objects, common ones used in daily life. They can be hand made (or worked) or commercial and for these objects to have any meaning we need to know about the women who made and used them and their families.

In researching rural women's lives it is the letters, the diaries (rare) and the photographs (especially the ordinary snapshots) that give the real insights. We will take copies and return originals.

When you visit a Museum it is sometimes interesting to think how or why the objects are there. One reason may be that they are very durable so they have lasted; flat irons and kettles will last for the next 200 years. Another reason may be that they have been regarded as precious so have been carefully packed away, a wedding dress, a treasured christening gown. Another reason may be they weren't very effective so weren't worn out through use.

At the Pioneer Women's Hut, we don't want rural Australian families to be represented mainly by the durable, the precious or the ineffective so we need to collect in more difficult areas. We need to represent the every day lives of ordinary women. For example, what sort of aprons did women wear when they went to milk the cows last century? One photograph depicts a woman with two black aprons, the first one removed if someone should knock on the door. Where are the trousers they wore when the first rode astride in the 20's? Where are the work boot or shoes? The underclothing from calico bags? The early paper patterns, yes they existed in Australia from the 1880's; where are the ordinary black aprons? Most of these things were neither durable or precious and they certainly wore out but it's important we collect them. Many such objects are still going to the tip.

Off to Tumbarumba shopping centre for lunch. Yep, we found Bruce a bakery, he does love his meat pies!!!!

Rosewood Hall Copper, 'The Rex' see below.

Merle Carter, Esma and Keith Kinsmore, Ungarie NSW 1926. It is not known who knitted and crocheted the girls' dresses, but Esma and Keith's father became very ill when they were babies, and their mother went out to work. He learned to knit and to crochet, and took orders to supplement their family income.

Jessie Thomson and her brother William in the garden of their home at Tumbarumba NSW in the early 1900's.

Julie Jeffries with her 11 children outside their home at Ournie NSW about 1890.

Note the round sapling construction and the bags in the window openings.

Melbourne Holiday 1930's. George and Dorrie Nichols, daughters Gloria and Thora, Alf Evans and granddaughter Jean.

The sitting room 'Danbury Park', a sheep property on the Wakool near Swan Hill, late 1920's or early 1930's.

Many women made over clothes, here Ellen Widdison is wearing a woollen tartan skirt and bolero in 1950, but later in 1956, after her marriage, her son Michael Bradley is wearing overalls made from the skirt.

The World's largest gumleaf. Hard to photograph because it was up so high. It measures 79.6 cms (31.3 inches) Golden Syrup tins, I can remember the red and yellow one.

High Chair made by Peter Sheare at Mundaroo West from Sallie bush growing on Mannus Creek. About 1900.

Saturday 7th June 2008
After brekky we all piled into the car, Bruce took us on a big adventure. First stop was at Rosewood. What's at Rosewood?? A shop and an information sign from what we could figure out.