Thread: Anyone know what this is please?

Is there a possibility, though remote, that the larger compartment could be for an early morning deposit of ice covered in hessian etc?

OK, will take some closeup pics tomorrow if possible, it's being stored in the shed. I think there is only 1 layer of paint - but I will certainly need to test it.

Not sure about the ice idea - I don't know if it would fit. Also, I just don't know if it would be that old? But I don't know much about these things...

Off the topic of your cabinet, about which I have no idea, but on the topic of deliveries etc., When I was a kid in the sixties, living in the Adelaide Hills (Crafers West as it is now), we had the butcher and greengrocer come around once a week, and milk, bread, and papers every day. The bread truck always smelt good, like walking past a bakery, and the bread actually had flavour, not like the cotton wool you get these days. We had a choice with the milkman of getting bottles or using a billy and getting 'x' number of ladle-fulls from the churn. I still got a milk delivery in the mid-eighties, but it was all cartons by then.

Originally Posted by AlexS

I only recall milk being delivered in bottles, as far back as the '50s. That was in Sydney, don't know about elsewhere. Before that, we were in the bush in far north Qld. and only had powdered milk. Cairns had bottles, but don't know if it was delivered.

Yes it did as Ron Cooper was our milkman in Earlville in the 1960's. My younger siblings used to fight over who got to have the cream on the top of the milk.
No one has mentioned the home pick up services. The good old night cart.

Hi Ghostgirl,
The white paint looks very 1970's to me and the shaped back doesn't look earlier than the 1920-40's. However, the bun feet seem to be ring turned, which could be earlier. I would be interested to see better photos of the feet. However, you always date furniture by its youngest feature (for obvious reasons) so the section sizes, construction and whatever the finish is beneath the white paint - and if there is a finish like shellac or 1940's lacquer beneath the paint - will tell a furniture buff a lot about the piece.
Have you looked in the on-line furniture info such as Carters Antiques guide? You don't see prices without paying but you can see a lot of items and descriptions, the last time I looked.

Depending on where you live (sorry I haven't checked your profile to recommend anyone) there may also be a helpful antique dealer nearby who is happy to give their opinion. (I am not a dealer.)

It is interesting from a sociological point of view that some of us remember the days when bread, milk, vegies, meat, rabbits etc. were delivered through the streets direct to our homes (though of course we were very young then, weren't we!). Then, for many years we had to drive to the shops for everything. Today, with on-line shopping and direct deliveries we are getting a new version of that and can even get home delivered groceries from the major chains or organic produce home delivered. I have even ordered fine timber home delivered through this forum! The more things change the more they ...

My Father was long gone having died when I was 16 but Mum was still going strong. As for me I was 31 and pretty wrapped up in work and bringing up three kids. I recall many of her stories about a time when she was younger and always found them engaging and thought provoking. It certainly was "a simpler time" stealing the title of Peter Fitzsimmons recent book. Mum often walked the miles to school or took the horse. I rode but never a horse, simply my pushy.

What a great question, thanks Dan

Originally Posted by starkravingloon

I was delivering the local rag to every house in an area (900 papers) every Wednesday, before and after school, in 1981-4 and I was walking around the same area blowing a bloody annoying whistle and waking people up on weekends around the same time. I suspect that that area of North Ryde probably has closer to 2000 letter boxes these days.


P.S. How old were you when your parents' were the age you are now and do you recall your thoughts about their recollections?