Household Equipment at Carnarvon Museum
Explore our historic Equipment
Explore our historic Equipment
The image shows an antique hanging balance scale as the main object in a museum-style display. The scale has a decorative central stand, a horizontal beam, and two different brass weighing pans suspended on each side. Such scales were traditionally used in markets, general stores, farms, and apothecaries to weigh goods using counterweights. Surrounding the scale are other historical tools, including a manual metal meat grinder, a small cast-iron pot, an old mechanical counter or measuring device, and additional scale parts or weights. The wooden wall and arrangement of objects indicate the setting is a heritage museum of traditional household and commercial equipment.
The image shows a traditional hand-operated washing machine made of galvanized metal, featuring a rotating drum powered by a hand crank. Turning the handle agitated the clothes and water to clean them, with rinsing and wringing done manually afterward. Common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—especially in rural homes without electricity—this machine represents an early labor-saving innovation in household laundry work.
The image shows a traditional cast-iron wood and coal stove from the late 19th to early 20th century. The stove includes several doors for adding fuel, managing airflow, and accessing the oven, while the flat top served as a cooking surface for pots and pans. Its heavy cast-iron build provided strong heat retention and durability, with a flue pipe to vent smoke. Surrounding items—such as enamel teapots, metal mugs, and a ladle—represent typical kitchenware of the era. This type of stove was a central household appliance, used for cooking, baking, and heating before modern electric and gas stoves became common.