Food used by the early Pioneers.

[erehwon]

It has long been my interest what sort of food did the early pioneers carry with them when they were exploring the outback when they did not have fridges.    Meat was no problem they shot it they ate but the other staples is what I am interested in, and how did they cook that food, and what recipes did they use

[Barry G]

It has long been my interest what sort of food did the early pioneers carry with them when they were exploring the outback when they did not have fridges.    Meat was no problem they shot it they ate but the other staples is what I am interested in, and how did they cook that food, and what recipes did they use

*  Flour,
*  Sugar,
*  Tea,
*  Vegies which kept reasonably well, e.g.
    -  Potatoes,
    -  Onions,
*  Not sure that rice was popular back then.

Together with fresh killed meat this was pretty much the 'usual' diet in the era before refrigeration, anyway.

Not much different to what would've been found in other situations of lack of supplies - eg aboard ships.

[lilstookie]

I guess smoked/dried meats and fruits may have been possible too


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[Mace]

barry1956 is on the money.

these types of items were carried in bulk form in bags.  Quite often they were carried by pack animals such as bullocks that could be slaughtered down the track when ration carrying requirements decreased.

Native animal use would have been limited, unless other live meat supplies had been exhausted.

Interesting that Bourke &  Wills  started off with a boat, dining tables & chairs, silverware and other exhorbinant supplies.  guess that explains why most of them failed 2 return, they failed to take advantage of what was available on the way.  They even shunned the natives when they attempted to assist.

Have a look at this website:

http://www.burkeandwills.net.au/Stores/provisions.htm

 

[cdustbehindme]

Not sure if this goes back far emough (20s-30s) but the book Hell West and Crooked by Tom Cole is a great read...   

"The horses are hell west and crooked - it?ll take a week to muster them."

In this remarkable autobiographical account, Tom Cole tells the stories of his life in the outback during the 1920s and 1930s. With great humour and drama, he recounts his adventures as a drover and stationhand in the toughest country in Australia and later on as a buffalo shooter and crocodile hunter in the Northern Territory before the war.

Easy reading and a really great Yarn!  Plenty of references to provisions....   

[Burnsy]

Treacle was often used as well and had the benefit of not being prone to water damage during water crossings and wet season travel.  Baking powder for making bread and damper was also carried.

Meat was salted so plenty of salt was usually kept on hand.  As people past through stations they would resupply with dry goods and meat was usually given to them as a whole beast that had been killed at a station was usually not much use to them either as they also had no fridges.

They were also known to trade tobacco for what was considered worthwhile food such as barramundi with local aboriginals.

Rabbits were often eaten and the odd cow or sheep commonly went missing.  Tom Cole tells an amusing story of how they were caught skinning another stations beast whilst droving htough a station by the  head stockman.  When the head stockman inspected the dead beast for a brand he could not find it as the head drover had already told the others to cut the brand off and stick it up the cows behind.  If you have not read all of Tm Coles books, go to the library today and get the first one "Hell West and Crooked" they are some of the most interesting and well written autobiographies of the era.

The Last Paradise which tells of Tom's time in New Guinea is also a fantastic read.