You do not know old Brisbane till your eyes can see
The old lagoon before the City Hall;
And trace the rambling street that used to be
Marked out with stepping-stones where there would fall
The little creek south from the old treadmill

Margaret A. Ogg
(2 creeks were crossed by Ann Street, by means of stepping stones)

Doing the washing - a big job
Travel
Follow the links to see pictures of the lifestyle of people in Brisbane around 1900.

During the 1880s working women in Brisbane had to cope with typhoid, bad sanitation, inadequate pure water, and poor housing. Girls were denied access to higher education, women workers were restricted to manual tasks and, of course, female wages were lower. They weren't even able to own their own property until the Married Women's Property Act of 1890.

cooking stove

photo: Shev Armstrong