Ice chest

This 'Austral-Ice' air conditioned ice chest was purchased for use in education programs and is not part of the original collection of the house. It informs the visitor of what was once required for food storage prior to the purchase of the 'Kelvinator' fridge located in the Kitchen and still in working order.

Dawn Waterhouse (nee Calthorpe') recalls: 'The iceman delivered blocks of ice for the ice chest every day in high summer. He carried the ice from his truck with large tongs. some deliveries those day were made with the ice block wrapped in hessian. The Calthorpe family used their original ice chest up until 19451/2. When it was replaced the old one was moved into the cubby house but was later given to a niece. Dawn Waterhouse has added that 'the ice-chest now in the home is a poor replica but does give the idea. The one we had was a higher quality in every way, particularly the lining which was white porcelain and it remained unchipped. The ice man delivered from Queanbeyan in a covered open ended truck. He pulled up beside the path near the little decorative porch, ran to the back of the truck pulled a block forward and then chipped it in half or quarters, pulled it out with his tongs to the edge and then more often than not swung it up onto his leather covered shoulder. He'd call ""Ice Oh"" before he walked into the house and put it in the chest. Very few drips indicated his passage. Occasionally the chest would require a further piece and the more hammering and breaking he did the more slivers flew off for the cluster of children around the truck. Our immediate neighbours had a Coolgardie Safe on one side and a refrigerator at the Garrans. So our house was the only one nearby requiring the service. The iceman then continued up the drive, turned and left a trail of water soaked red gravel so we could often tell when he had called when we were out. If this was the case and the door was locked, he would leave the ice on the fibre door mat.'