Becoming A City: Homewares & Furnishings

So many things were "made in Ipswich"
If you look around a modern household, relatively few items are likely to have been made in Ipswich with the possible exception of bricks, hardboard, plywood or furniture. The situation in a 1904 household was different. Although many items were imported from overseas or made elsewhere in Australia, the city was relatively self-contained for essentials.

When a 1904 family rose in the morning, they could wash in a bath made in Ipswich with soap made in Ipswich and when they dressed, they were likely to wear fabric woven at the woollen mill at North Ipswich and made up by a local tailor or dressmaker. Hats for women and girls were made at the local milliner and shoes were made at one of several bootmakers. The clothes were washed in locally-made laundry tubs and coppers. Water was stored in a locally-made tank.

In 1907 "Winged" curtains were considered to look pretty and light. A pair of lace, Madras, or silk muslin is required for each side of the window. Short brass rods stand right out, and the curtains are simply hooked into small close-fitting rings. The rods were movable but the curtains were usually kept at an angle which suggested butterflies winged for flight.