Council is excited to announce ABC star Carol Ferrone will be the special guest speaker at the opening night of Hurstville Museum & Gallery's latest major exhibition, Home in St George 1920-1960 on 5 May.
The exhibition explores and presents fresh perspectives on notions of home and domestic life in the Georges River area from the 1920s to the 1960s. The collection shows how homes were designed, built, and made in the local area during these decades. It includes furnishings, equipment, tools, appliances, domestic items, items from the garden, and objects for recreation and hobbies.
Visitors will also be able to explore what the lives of women, men and children were like in these homes during these decades.
Ms Ferrone, an expert in Immersive Experiences in Living History, will talk about her experience walking in the shoes of women in the past, as she experienced in the ABC TV programs 'Back in Time for Dinner' and 'Back in Time for the Corner Shop'.
The exhibition is made up of over 160 rare objects, drawn from over 6,000 items in Hurstville Museum & Gallery's own collection related to the local history of the St George area.
Mayor Nick Katris said, "Home in St George 1920-1960 is an important and innovative exhibition; it will be very nostalgic for our mature visitors who are familiar with these items.
"This exhibition would not be possible without staff actively collecting and preserving donated items related to the history and community of the St George area. They are always encouraging donations of items in good condition which have a significant connection to the area, including artefacts and objects, local studies material, photographs and artworks."
The most significant objects on display will be a rare, beaded silk lampshade, a Bible circa 1870s, ration cards from the 1940s during the Second World War, a 1920s gramophone, and a 1920s women's black evening jacket with bronze-gold beading.
Interesting early domestic appliances include a hand push lawn mower, 1920s handmade furniture and a 1930s twin-tub washing machine.
Visitors will also find interesting home items including wirelesses, 1930s handmade women's shoes in immaculate condition and significant sub-division plans from the local area on display.
Hurstville Museum & Gallery Curator Claire Baddeley said home ownership increased after the Second World War as people wanted security and many were owner builders.
"For many people, the Great Australian Dream during the 20th century was to buy and own a home," she said.
"Although suburbs in the Georges River area such as Hurstville and Kogarah were established in the 1880s, the region experienced large growth in housing between the 1920s to 1940s."
She said unlike today, houses during these eras often fed the families who lived in them, with vegetable gardens, fruit trees and poultry commonplace. Changing technology in the home affected people's lives, impacting on everything from day-to-day activities through to household chores and recreation.
The exhibition will be open from 6 May-23 July 2023.
Exhibition opening:
When: Friday 5 May 2023, 6.00pm
Where: Hurstville Museum & Gallery, 14 MacMahon St, Hurstville
Cost: Free, all welcome. Refreshments provided.
Bookings required for catering purposes on Council's What's On page.
