A Home on the Road
As well as being a haven for travellers, wayside inns provided vital meeting points for communities which were geographically more spread out than in modern times. The Kellyville area where the White Hart Inn was located was primarily agricultural, with the local population spread across farms which grew mainly citrus fruits like lemons and oranges. Houses were scattered along the main roads, but the lack of distinct villages between Parramatta and Windsor meant that inns functioned as community centres which provided a place of connection for locals who were otherwise isolated. The micro-economy created by an inn’s main building in combination with the variety of out-houses and related facilities (such as stables, storerooms, kitchen gardens, and privy facilities) connected disparate locals with journeymen from all over the state and became places of social and cultural interaction and identity. The material fragments left behind tell us all about the daily life of ordinary people living in colonial NSW during the 19th century, including what their diet was like, what children played with, what personal hygiene was like, and what styles of homewares were fashionable.
Toothpaste (WHI0410)
This toothpaste jar was likely produced between 1854 and 1875 and features a profile of Queen Victoria on its lid (Parallel: Museums Victoria Collections 2019). Both the lid and base of the jar are ceramic and were probably cast from a mould, with the polychrome profile and gold band stamped on afterwards (Parallel: Museums Victoria Collections 2019). This jar was manufactured by John Gosnell & Co. in London and was then imported to New South Wales (Newell, Kottaras 2015: 12).
Children's Cup (WHI0408)
This 19th-century child’s cup depicts the letter ‘P’ and various other illustrations in green, black and pink, on a cream background. This cup is made of porcelain and was likely manufactured by pouring a slip into a mould. The motifs, such as the birds, bucket, and willow tree were transferred onto the cup’s body after firing, before the whole object was glazed.
Doll's leg (WHI1406)
This doll's leg is dated to around 1840-1880 and features a black shoe and pink ribbon which is tied in a bow below the knee. The leg is made from porcelain and would have originally formed part of a cloth bodied doll (History of Dolls 2019). This doll was likely manufactured in Germany and may have belonged to a young child who passed through the inn (Evans 2015).
Bone Fragment (WHI0886)
This fragment of a cow's femur was found in the remains of the White Hart's kitchen, and is likely cooking refuse produced during the inn's operation. Alien livestock, such as cows, would have been introduced into Australia upon the arrival of the earliest European settlers (Tatham 2018). This bone is significant as it is evidence which suggests that the diet of the early population, especially those staying at the inn, consisted of beef, or cow by-products (Tatham 2018; Sydney Living Museums 2013).
Tureen (WHI0387)
This tureen dates to the 19th century and depicts a typically European scene. This tureen is made from porcelain and was manufactured by potters who used a blue pigment to create the final image, which was then transferred onto the vessel's body and glazed (Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum 2002). This tureen was first produced in England and may have been carried in by settlers.
Bottle (WHIO740)
This liniment bottle was produced between 1875-1921, and features a long neck and inverted base, with the words ‘Farmer’s Friend’ inscribed on one panel and ‘Rows’ on the back. It is moulded from glass and was possibly produced by the English glassware industry who oversaw the distribution of crockery, wine, beer, and food bottles to Australia in the 18th-19th centuries (Boow, Byrnes 1991: 12; Jones 1986: 11). This bottle was used to store medical treatment for animals, particularly horses (Newell, Kottaras 2015: 9).