Boom & Bust: Food

In May 1889 fields were prepared and planted with crops including wheat, parley, rye, oats, maize, lucerne, Tares and vetches (legume for grazing), peas, field beans, corn, swede turnips, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, rice and sugar cane. Vegetable gardens contained cabbage, turnips, radish, mustard and cress, carrots, beats, onions, eschalots, cucumbers, marrows, melons, squashes, pumpkins, eggplants, snow peas, kidney beans, lettuce, rhubarb, asparagus, tomatoes. In the fruit garden could be found strawberries, apples, oranges, bananas, rosellas, mangoes, pears, peaches, cape gooseberries and rhubarb.

A breakfast staple advertised in the local newspaper showed a young girl leaning on a bag of "Avena" cooked rolled oats.

Produce and grocery stores could supply items that could not be grown at home as can be seen in the advertisement below for R. H. Powter, grocer. He had established a business in North Ipswich before moving into town. In Nicholas Street, Ipswich he stocked seasonal fruits and green grocery and he installed a drinking fountain in the store that dispensed soft drinks. He sold cherries, apricots, plums, melons, pineapples, apples, lemons, oranges, mixed fruit and fresh vegetables. A treat for the children and those with a sweet tooth were the assorted chocolates and sweets.