Austral Pride - ode to our 85 year old stove

THE AUSTRAL PRIDE

I love my stove more than I love my pearls, TV, furniture, in fact nearly every object I own. Most of our things are replaceable, but my stove is not.

Here is a stove that has been cooking family roasts, cakes, casseroles- for over 80 years of Christmas, Easter, summer holidays, winter chill, spring bounce and autumn glow. There are knobs to turn on and off: finite tweaks can get the temperature to highest heat for fast boiling to a tiny flame to cook soup all day. The fingers do the controls: there is no automatic switch. The back of the hand gauges the oven temperature (ask your grandma).

I love the fact that in 1927 a mother cooked a roast for her family and, 80 years later and thousands of roasts later, in 2007 my husband cooks a roast for his family. When the Swinburne cookery classes were being conducted in 1922, the stoves used would have looked much like this, but not as decorative.

This lovely piece of history works and connects us to our forbears, in a "throw away" time. A good spirit is felt by all who come to visit, especially tradespeople who sigh to see such wonderful craftsmanship and manufacture.

My stove is going to be in my will along with my pearls.