Sticky Business

Before 1920 and the invention of synthetics, glues were either animal, vegetable or mineral. These natural glues were used for centuries, but animal glues were used to bond wood and were very strong and water-resistant. Aboriginal peoples from throughout NSW used animal glues for tool making, and European settlers brought with them their own glue […]

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An Alcohol Solution

amber glass hand santiser bottle with white label and metal top

In early 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic first appeared globally, handwashing quickly became a critical line of defence. Early advice given was to wash your hands with warm soapy water for the duration of two rounds of the song ‘Happy Birthday’. If that wasn’t possible then hospital grade hand sanitiser containing sixty to eighty percent […]

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The Lucky Ones

wooden ballot box with open drawer

Following WWI and WWII the NSW government allocated land to select returned soldiers, as part of post-war repatriation and reconstruction programs. For those eligible to receive soldier settlement land, and where the number of applications exceeded the number of blocks available, a ballot was conducted. The wooden ballot-box and marbles shown here were used by […]

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